8.2/102,078 votes#1 - Pilot
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 1/9/2000
Malcolm finds his life as the middle brother in an eccentric family made even more difficult by his being placed in a class for gifted students at school where he reluctantly befriends another boy with a high IQ and stands up to a bully.
Director: Todd Holland
Writer: Linwood Boomer
8.4/101,788 votes#2 - Red Dress
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 1/16/2000
Lois must take drastic steps to discover which of her sons ruined the special dress she bought for an anniversary dinner with Hal.
Director: Arlene Sanford
Writer: Alan J. Higgins
7.9/101,560 votes#3 - Home Alone 4
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 1/23/2000
Lois and Hal leave the boys alone for the weekend with Francis. the boys assume that if all goes well, Francis may not have to go back to military school.
Director: Todd Holland
Writer: Michael Glouberman, Andrew Orenstein
7.6/101,452 votes#4 - Shame
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 2/6/2000
Parallel stories pit Malcolm against a bullying, obnoxious new kid and Francis vies with his intimidating, military-school commandant, who's presenting sex-education lectures. Meanwhile, Hal takes heat after cutting down a tree.
Director: Nick Marck
Writer: Dave Richardson
7.9/101,431 votes#5 - Malcolm Babysits
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 2/13/2000
Malcolm's cushy babysitting job provides relief from the trailer the family's using while their house is being fumigated, until Malcolm learns that the trust placed in him in his new position is strictly limited. Meanwhile, the military school's master key leads Francis to a corpse, for which he provides a proper send-off.
Director: Jeff Melman
Writer: Maggie Bandur, Pang-Ni Landrum
8.0/101,372 votes#6 - Sleepover
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 2/20/2000
Malcolm sleeps over at Stevie's house and, appalled at his over-protected lifestyle, persuades him to sneak out to a strange, late-night escapade. Francis deals with hazing at military school. Reese tries to prove he's man enough to watch a scary movie.
Director: Ken Kwapis
Writer: Dan Kopelman
7.4/101,329 votes#7 - Francis Escapes
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 2/27/2000
Francis goes AWOL from military school to link up with his girlfriend, a ditsy doozy who's made him gaga.
Director: Todd Holland
Writer: Linwood Boomer
8.3/101,467 votes#8 - Krelboyne Picnic
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 3/12/2000
The whole family attends a Krelboyne family picnic, and Malcolm dreads his performance in the event's Academic Circus will make him look like a freak. Disasters abound as stage acts bomb, families feud, and Malcolm's dad serves meat to vegetarians.
Director: Todd Holland
Writer: Michael Glouberman, Andrew Orenstein
7.8/101,298 votes#9 - Lois vs. Evil
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 3/19/2000
Lois's firing prompts household economizing. Meanwhile, Francis delights in his honor-guard duty—at a teenage beauty pageant.
Director: Todd Holland
Writer: Jack Amiel, Michael Begler
7.7/101,273 votes#10 - Stock Car Races
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 4/2/2000
While Hal secretly takes the boys to the stock car races, Lois desperately searches for her missing paycheck. Francis at military school is keeping a boa constrictor as a pet.
Director: Todd Holland
Writer: Dave Richardson
8.1/101,329 votes#11 - Funeral
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 4/9/2000
A relative's funeral conflicts with Malcolm's plans for his very first date, so he tries to figure out a way to skip the bereavement ceremony.
Director: Arlene Sanford
Writer: Maggie Bandur, Pang-Ni Landrum
7.9/101,278 votes#12 - Cheerleader
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 4/16/2000
A spiffy cheerleader attracts slovenly Reese, who cleans up his act—best as he can—to woo her. He even joins her rah-rah squad. Dewey tries to convince Lois and Hal to buy him a new toy. Francis has a heart-to-heart conversation with headmaster Spangler.
Director: Todd Holland
Writer: Dan Kopelman
8.6/101,606 votes#13 - Rollerskates
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 4/30/2000
Roller-skating lessons from Hal bug Malcolm, who rebels against dad's discipline while mom agonizes in bed from a backache she blames on Reese. Francis avoids his squad's survival weekend.
Director: Ken Kwapis
Writer: Alan J. Higgins
7.8/101,200 votes#14 - The Bots and the Bees
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 5/7/2000
Malcolm and his Krelboyne classmates enlist the help of Hal for a school project, which involves a robot, and an enormous swarm of bees. Lois visits Francis at his school after he becomes injured and soon clashes with Spangler.
Director: Chris Koch
Writer: Alan J. Higgins, Dave Richardson
8.0/101,193 votes#15 - Smunday
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 5/14/2000
The boys stay home from school when their mother thinks it's Sunday instead of Monday. Malcolm thinks of a plan to get Francis out of trouble once again. Hal gets sucked in by a Porsche dealership.
Director: Jeff Melman
Writer: Michael Glouberman, Andrew Orenstein
8.6/101,464 votes#16 - Water Park (1)
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 5/21/2000
When the family goes to a water park for a day, Dewey is left home with an elderly, stern babysitter. Francis is hustled at pocket billiards by his military-school commandant.
Director: Ken Kwapis
Writer: Maggie Bandur, Pang-Ni Landrum
The Best Episodes of Malcolm in the Middle Season 1
Every episode of Malcolm in the Middle Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Malcolm in the Middle Season 1!
A gifted young teen tries to survive life with his dimwitted, dysfunctional family.
Genres:FamilyComedyDrama
Network:FOX
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Pilot" is the best rated episode of "Malcolm in the Middle" season 1. It scored 8.2/10 based on 2078 votes. Directed by Todd Holland and written by Linwood Boomer, it aired on 1/9/2000. This episode is rated 0.2 points higher than the second-best, "Red Dress".