2.6 "Malcolm in the Middle" - "Convention" Quiz

Answer: Stick

The episode opens with the three boys hanging out in their backyard. Dewey is calmly sitting on a swing while holding a large wooden stick. Reese gets upset because the stick he was holding was not as big as Dewey's. Malcolm doesn't understand why this is so important, but Reese keeps getting more upset about the situation.

Then, Malcolm goes up to Dewey and breaks his stick in half, making Dewey cry but putting a smile on Reese's face.

Answer: Cesspool

Hal and Lois are off to a two-day convention but don't trust the boys to be on their own. Reese and Malcolm argue with their mom but to no avail. According to Malcolm, the decision to hire a nanny means that "someone innocent has to suffer". The boys do things like put a mouse trap inside a tissue box and put worms into a box of cereal.

Then, the boys go out to their cesspool and cover it with plastic wrap. They cover it with a blanket and place some chairs, a parasol, and a book to make it look like a picnic spot.

Answer: The Bridges of Madison County

As the boys finish setting up their prank, Malcolm makes sure one final detail is taken care of. He places a copy of "The Bridges of Madison County" on the blanket as Reese remarks "nice". The three brothers then wait for their babysitter to arrive outside their home. They are first confused when they see an old lady driving by, but soon change their attitude when they see a pretty girl riding a bicycle. They go back inside the house and take down all the other pranks they had set up.

"The Bridges of Madison County" is a best-selling novel by American writer Robert James Waller. The story was adapted into a movie featuring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep, which premiered in 1995.

Answer: Fake IDs

Patty the babysitter offers to make the boys a snack like popcorn or cookies, which leaves them confused. Francis calls the house and tells Malcolm to get rid of hundreds of fake identifications he hid behind the washing machine while Lois is gone. Malcolm says he can't do it at the moment.

Then, Patty overhears the conversation and asks Malcolm to say hi to Francis. Quickly, Patty takes the phone and starts talking to a surprised Francis.

Answer: Fight

On the way to the convention, Hal tells Lois how he is not looking forward to seeing one of his coworkers, Ted Keneally, there. He then tells a story about how Keneally stole Hal's parking spot and his ideas, which according to Lois, he has told many times before.

Upon arrival at the convention, Lois waves to Barbara and Tom and Hal sees Keneally. Immediately after Hal and Keneally make eye contact, they start brawling with each other as everyone locks in shock. Hal later walks up to Keneally to apologize, but they end up fighting all over again.

Answer: Leather jacket

We soon learn why Francis didn't want to talk to Patty: they knew each other from middle school. A flashback shows us how Patty, who looked very different than she does now, approached Francis in the hallway but he ignored her. Francis looks quite funny with the long hair too! Since Patty seems to like Francis, Reese says that he's a lot like his older brother.

All three boys are trying to get Patty's attention. Malcolm even invites the Krelboynes to see her, but Reese quickly scares them away. Later, we see Malcolm combing his hair and wearing a buttoned shirt. When he gets to the dinner table, he discovers that Reese is wearing a buttoned shirt and a leather jacket. Presumably, both are doing this to look good to Patty.

Answer: Fried chicken

Patty made fried chicken and mashed potatoes for the boys. Reese compliments the potatoes, while Malcolm goes on a rant about mad cow disease. Reese then tries to do a trick while burping, but nothing seems to work to impress Patty. After an awkward silence, Dewey tries dancing. Malcolm thinks it's embarrassing but it's actually the only thing that works with Patty, since she thinks it is very cute. Realizing he has her attention, Dewey is sneaky and locks his brothers out of the bedroom.

Answer: No

Francis, who is still back at Marlin Academy, doesn't know that Patty's physical appearance has changed since the last time he saw her. After speaking with Patty on the phone for an hour and a half, Francis can't wait to hang up. Patty then tells Francis that he is welcome to come over to her place when he comes back home.

However, Francis decides to tell her that he is "not physically attracted to her". He then goes on: "this may be really hard for you to believe but there is someone out there who will find you physically attractive". Francis then remarks: "this is going to send her straight to the fridge".

Answer: Plant pot

Barbara has been drunk throughout the entire night, while Tom has repeatedly said he wishes he had Hal's bravery. Now trying to leave, Lois gets exasperated with Hal's constant fighting with Keneally and unsuccessfully tries to stop them. Barbara thinks the oysters may be making her feel bad, ignoring how much she has been drinking. Lois begs Hal to stop because he is embarrassing her in front of Barbara and Tom. Barbara, meanwhile, is throwing up in a nearby plant pot, insisting that she is OK. Lois ends up convincing Hal to leave the convention and go back to the motel.

Answer: Locks his brothers out of the house

After Francis breaks Patty's heart, Dewey makes her feel better by dancing. Malcolm and Reese can't understand how they are being outsmarted by their little brother. At bedtime, Dewey screams and pretends he's having a nightmare so that he can sleep in Patty's bed. Malcolm and Reese plan to "take him down" to take revenge.

They wake up Dewey from outside the house, showing him his stuffed animal and a lighter. Rather than being scared, Dewey calmly leaves the room and then goes back with a smile. Malcolm and Reese realize that they've been locked out of the house, and to make matters worse, Reese falls into the cesspool trap they set up earlier.