1.10 "Malcolm in the Middle" - "Stock Car Races" Quiz

Answer: Neither

The episode opens with Dewey bothering his older brother Reese. Reese calls him "monkey boy", so Dewey starts hitting himself while yelling for help, all of this happening as Malcolm calmly watches. Just like Dewey wanted, their mom Lois comes into the room and takes Reese away because she thought he was hitting his little brother.

The next scene shows Hal opening the fridge and staring at two bottles of juice. He asks Lois: "which juice don't I like? Apple or grape?" Lois then tells him: "you don't like either".

Answer: Puts dish soap in his mouth

Lois tells Malcolm she doesn't like how many communications she is getting from his teacher because the only time she can take a break from her children is when they're at school. Malcolm then tells his family that he has to participate in square dancing at school even though he doesn't want to. Reese mocks him and the Krelboynes and says that the whole school "laughs their asses off" when they see them dancing. Reese tries to change the word to "butts", but it is too late and Lois decisively pours dish soap into his mouth, asking him to gargle and then spit it.

Malcolm even agrees with his brother, but their mom says that if gifted kids are supposed to square dance, then Malcolm will do it too. Hal then offers to drive the kids to school.

Answer: Jack Russell Terrier

Next, we see Francis as he gets used to life in the military academy. He gets punched multiple times as a form of hazing, but he responds by hitting one of the other cadets in the head with a billiard ball (ouch!) He is chased down but is saved by the commandant walking into the room at that time. Commandant Spangler says that he smells smoke and, when no one confesses, he asks his dog Patton to help him find the culprit. Patton barks at Francis, who then reveals a cigarette under his shoe. Spangler tells him he has a terrible attitude and doesn't understand the importance of obedience, unlike his "vicious and ungrateful" dog. In response, Francis says that he'll try to be more like a Jack Russell Terrier.

Jack Russell Terriers are lively, playful, and energetic. The breed has its origin in England, where it was bred for hunting animals ranging from rats to foxes. These dogs are very friendly and affectionate, but they are somewhat harder to train compared to other breeds.

Answer: A month

Commandant Spangler isn't happy with Francis and his snarky responses. As a punishment for his insolence and for smoking indoors, Spangler revokes access to hot water on that floor for an entire month. As his dog bites his leg, Spangler tells the cadets that they can "thank" Francis once he leaves. Immediately after Spangler exits the room, the cadets surround Francis and punch him repeatedly.

Answer: Japanese

When the three boys get in the car, Hal excitedly tells them that he is not taking them to school. Instead, he is taking them somewhere special as a surprise. Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey are all confused but seem to be happy with skipping school. Hal calls themselves "rebels" and "wild men" and then drives out of his house as part of the song "Sukiyaki" plays in the background.

"Sukiyaki" is a song released in 1961 by Japanese musician Kyu Sakamoto. Alternatively titled "Ue o Muite Arukō", the song was hugely successful, reaching the top position on Japanese, Canadian, and Australian charts. It also peaked at #1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 charts at one point. The emotional song remains popular in Japan. An English-language version of the song was released by "A Taste of Honey in 1981. In Japanese, "konnichiwa" means "hello" and "arigatou" means "thank you". Sukiyaki is also the name of a meat-based Japanese dish.

Answer: Otis

Francis gets bruises on his face after getting beaten up by his peers. He then shows his roommate a snake, which he says only cost him $20. He calls the snake Otis while he feeds it a mouse, and says he is not a pet but a symbol of independence and free thought. His roommate objects at first, implying Francis will get in even more trouble with Commandant Spangler. However, he agrees not to tell on Francis. As they both leave the room, we see the box where Francis left the snake slowly open.

Later in the episode, the snake would eat Patton (Spangler's dog). To further punish Francis (and by extension everyone else), Spangler extends the month-long suspension of hot water to two months, takes away televisions, and imposes a strict 8:00 pm curfew. Instead of being angry at Francis, however, the cadets rejoice because they all hated the dog.

OTIS is also the name of an American company that specializes in manufacturing elevators and electrical escalators. It was founded in New York in 1853 by Elisha Otis.

Answer: NASCAR

Hal describes stock car racing as a "field of dreams" made of concrete instead of grass. The boys seem to be as excited as Hal is at the beginning. Hal explains that this is the last race of Rusty Malcolm, "the greatest man in the history of the sport". In fact, Hal says that Malcolm was named after the racer. He says it only took him two sons to win that argument with Lois, implying that he wanted both Francis and Reese to have Malcolm's name originally.

Auto racing in the United States and around the world is split into several categories and sanctioned by different organizations. Out of all the listed car racing organizations, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA or International Automobile Federation in English) is the oldest one. It was founded in 1904 and sanctions competitions like Formula One and World Rally Championship. NASCAR was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948 on the premise that people would enjoy seeing stock cars (vehicles that have not been modified for racing) compete against each other.

Answer: It goes on for too long

Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey lose interest almost immediately after the first lap. The boys are shocked when they find out from Hal that the event lasts four hours and that crashes are not as common. The boys don't share Hal's excitement, which we can tell from what I think is one of the funniest scenes of season 1. We see the brothers yawning, shaking their heads, and falling asleep as they see the cars go by, only to realize that all that happened within a single lap! They ask Hal for money to get sodas so they can get away from the racetrack.

Malcolm tries to take care of Dewey, but a distraction is all it takes for Dewey to disappear. As Reese eats a hot dog he found on the floor, Malcolm explains why NASCAR "sucks": "it's hot, it stinks, nobody's t-shirts cover their stomachs, and I'm bored out of my mind!" The boys are so bored that they decide to go into a forbidden area, but they immediately get caught.

Answer: Joel McKinnon Miller

Reese and Malcolm quickly get caught after going into the mechanics' room. They start to plot a way to fool the officer into thinking their names are Kevin and Clyde. When the officer comes in, he tells the boys he remembers being their age and will set them free. However, Reese ignores this gesture from Officer Karl and punches him in the gut. His plan to escape quickly fails when he realizes the door is locked and they can't leave the room.

Parallel to the storyline with Hal and the boys at NASCAR, Lois is seen cleaning her house and finding all sorts of items that the boys had hidden. At one point, Malcolm's teacher shows up to inform Lois that he had skipped school. The teacher believes Malcolm may be afraid about looking "graceful", but Lois laughs at that theory and dismisses it.

Joel McKinnon Miller was born in 1960 in Rockford, Minnesota. He is not only talented at acting, but is also skilled at singing opera. In fact, he studied opera when he was in college. McKinnon Miller played a variety of minor roles in several shows throughout the 1990s. He is best known for his work in the HBO series "Big Love" and for his portrayal of Detective Norm Scully in the hit comedy "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", which ran from 2013 to 2021 and starred Andy Samberg.

Answer: Yes

Dewey innocently walks across the racetrack, but Hal misses it, while the rest of the crowd groans in shock. When the event ends, Hal finds Dewey standing outside. They then find Malcolm and Reese with Officer Karl, who describes them as two of the worst kids he's ever encountered in his life. The officer explains to Hal that someone has to pay for the $300 pneumatic drill that the boys destroyed. In a surprising yet hilarious scene, Hal decides to kick the officer in the knee, calls his boys "Clyde and Kevin", and runs to their car. They manage to get away and Malcolm is happy their dad did something "cool".

The episode ends with Hal finding Lois's paycheck, which she had been searching for all day, in the trashcan. Hal disposes of the tickets and the visor he was wearing so they won't get caught, but fails to realize that the sun burnt the word "NASCAR" from the visor into his forehead!

The original author of this quiz, Statsman, had included a question indicating that "Malcolm In The Middle" had been nominated for 5 Emmy Awards before the end of the first season. In September of 2000, the series did win two of those awards: Todd Holland won the Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series award and creator Linwood Boomer won the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series award. Both awards were given for the first episode of the show, "Pilot". After the show ended in 2006, it had won a total of 7 Emmy Awards.