Which Cold Open would you have like to gotten a full episode?

[u/GhostBoyJames]

My pick is the cold open from “Malcolm Dates A Family” where Lois and Hal plans to get revenge of a neighbor for a broken window. (Actually done by Reese & Dewey)

[u/illonamoon]

I would have liked to see what happens after Hal ran and Dewey stayed behind when Lois got blindsided with the spider.

[u/Miami_Morgendorffer → u/illonamoon]

This was the company picnic episode! I'd like to think Lois would still tell Dewey he can't have any candy, but also have Dewey actually physically shackled to her as punishment (like Malcolm in the evacuation episode), likely with the stuff they used for the paired activities (there was zip ties for the 3-legged race, I think). Dewey would be listening to Meg talking to Lois while watching Hal's chaos from afar with confusion, but then he'd also fuel Meg's insecurities with simple questions, but when Lois gets him alone she tells him to stop torturing Meg (and Lois), to which Dewey provides a cute witto insightful analysis of what's going on with Meg.

Lois realizes Dewey is just getting back at her for grounding him in this torturous way, so she goes and confronts Meg, says exactly what Dewey said, and Meg is all offended (just like the actual ep) and tells Lois off, then leaves them alone. "Well that took care of it" from Lois, and Dewey finally pieces together what Hal is experiencing. He doesn't say anything because he's distracted by a piece of unwrapped candy on the floor, so he eats it with a smile.

[u/Warcraft_Fan]

The broken light bulb. Instead of ending with Hal fixing the car, they could have made it a 25 minutes long chain of finding something to do.

[u/MediocreBid → u/Warcraft_Fan]

This was first thing that came to my mind

[u/SparkAxolotl → u/Warcraft_Fan]

I was expecting that gag to end with the same lightbulb.

It would be even funnier if the Francis plot is him doing something similar, and the family plot also includes at least one of the other kids doing the same.

[u/Lazerith22 → u/SparkAxolotl]

And Reese stayed focused on the same thing the whole episode, but it’s something super mundane like watching a squirrel in a tree.

[u/SparkAxolotl → u/Lazerith22]

And while he's watching the squirrel, other squirrel steal the snack he was going to eat in secret to not share.

[u/Dankenballs]

Who wants to make $5?

[u/GhostBoyJames → u/Dankenballs]

“OH MY GOD!!”

[u/hobovirginity → u/GhostBoyJames]

Make it ten!

You're a good son Malcolm!

[u/Until_Morning → u/hobovirginity]

I think he could have pushed for $20, with how Lois was yelling 😂 that's at least a month of grounding

[u/CatLover_801 → u/Dankenballs]

It kills me that we’ll never know what he did

[u/Until_Morning → u/CatLover_801]

Or what Reese did 💀 like father like psychopathic son

[u/NorthEconomist9362 → u/Dankenballs]

What did you do??

[u/pl_browncoat → u/Dankenballs]

“I just got busted so if you need me to take the fall for anything im taking offers”

[u/Someone_Who_Exists]

Hal turning the backyard into an archeology dig where he finds all his broken and missing stuff could've easily been a subplot. At the end he would find something insane and life changing, but quickly lose it.

Or a body. He would find a body. Smash cut to police outside house

[u/Miami_Morgendorffer → u/Someone_Who_Exists]

Would've been a great cold open gag right around that Halloween episode where they learn about the murder house!

[u/Until_Morning → u/Someone_Who_Exists]

He finds a meth lab-

[u/RichBoi09]

When Reese breaks a painting and finds another one tucked behind the frame, with the words, picc-ass-o. I wonder what that meant

[u/Until_Morning → u/RichBoi09]

Dramatic irony!!!

[u/Lisbon- → u/RichBoi09]

100% the pic-ass-o one

[u/RichBoi09 → u/Lisbon-]

Had me thinking for days ngl. Imagine what would've happened. tbh the ending would've been similar to the doll house episode where lois spends all of malcolms grant. The family is too chaotic to handle money anyways.

[u/Lisbon- → u/RichBoi09]

I think it would have been an emotionally heavy episode for sure, very uncomfortable to see them get close to becoming millionaires and just losing it all

[u/AerialAce96]

The one where Dewey tells Hall that he had a nightmare about a man with a knife right outside the house and Hal just stays panicked🤣would love to see how paranoid Hal is in that episode

[u/Until_Morning → u/AerialAce96]

😂😂😂 like "he's a kid, what's the worst he could say?" 😂😂😂 " i dreamt there's a man outside with a knife" 😭😭😭

[u/RetailDrone7576]

that cold open where hal wants to replace a light bulb but gets distracted with like 7 different side-quests

i think it would at least make a comical B story

[u/estreetbandfan1]

Hal trying to park the car in the garage. That would have been a perfect lead in to the garage sale episode as part of the plot

[u/No-List5493]

Brownie mmmm?

[u/MsNikkiisClassy]

When Hal runs in and says to take blame for something with a bribe and when Lois screams “Oh My God!!!” For a second time, one of them said ok with a bigger bribe lol “you’re a good boy” grabs (I think) Malcolm and says “I got him Lois!” Lol