MovieChat Forums > Malcolm in the Middle (2000) Discussion > What is the age difference between the b...

What is the age difference between the boys?

posted 8 years ago by Martha_Samara_Saxon
9 replies | jump to latest

All I know is that Reese is one year older than Malcolm. In season 7, Dewey says he's twelve but I thought he was older than that.

I'm a Timelord.
Right, not pompous at all then.

[–] teefus87 8 years ago

I don't think there ages were that consistent it the series. In the first episode it is mentioned that Dewey is first grade which would make him six. I think season two takes place the same year because Hal goes to visit Dewey's class and Malcolm mentions be in a room of six year olds.

Mr. Shue, let me be your Britney

[–] Martha_Samara_Saxon 8 years ago

I agree. It must be inconsistent. I remember the episode you're referring to and a little later in the same episode Lois asks Hal You're doing this based off what a seven year old said? So I don't know if Dewey was six or seven. Malcolm said it was a class of six year olds, but Lois said seven. I just can't image it was only six years since that point. It was one year just for Lois to be pregnant with the baby.

I'm a Timelord.
Right, not pompous at all then.

[–] Purplecover101 8 years ago

In the first season, he was only I first grade and Malcolm points it out when he wants to hold hands to cross the street and Malcolm says " you're too big for that, is why everyone teases you".

[–] Philip_90 8 years ago

Specifically enough, not sure they ever revealed that (unless they showed ID at some point in X episode) for the boys. We do know however that this is the order from oldest to newest.

Francis
Reese
Malcolm
Dewey
Jamie

Also, even though she never had any girls they also covered how it'd be if she had any so overall, they wrapped up things for "Hey, why aren't there any girls? This show is sexist, misogynistic and patriarchal!" or you know, the human body doesn't make the gender that it wants, it's a matter of luck.

[–] deem_bastille 8 years ago

if he was 12 the last year, 12 minus 7 is 5 and having a 5 year old being in the first grade is rare but not at all unheard of.

if he turns 6 before December, he can stay in that grade. if he turns 6 in like January or later, he has to be in kindergarten.

in the first season, dewey did look really young. inbetween 5 and 7.

I once had a kid in my second grade class list who didn't turn 7 until june. I had to bring it up with the principal in order for him to go back to first grade. She wouldn't have noticed. I knew that kid, too. he was totally NOT emotionally ready for second grade.

Oh God. Fortune vomits on my eiderdown once more.

[–] Seveneleven (25) 7 years ago

"if he turns 6 before December, he can stay in that grade. if he turns 6 in like January or later, he has to be in kindergarten. "
This is not true everywhere. Where I live, the cut off is 2 weeks after school begins in august or September. So if you begin kindergarten, you have to turn 5 within 2 weeks (though most parents would wait for their child's next birthday. Kindergarten at 4 is rough)

[–] radrobd 7 years ago

Yes, we can figure this out. Francis was supposed to graduate at the end of season 3, but skipped his senior year to go to Alaska. So Francis would have graduated in 2002 (he was 16 during season 1). Reese was supposed to graduate at the end of season 6 (but he purposefully flunked so he could be held back a year). So Reese is 3 years younger than Francis. Malcolm graduated a year after Reese was supposed to graduate so he's only 1 year younger than Reese (and 4 years younger than Francis). During the last seasons, Dewey was in middle school (the same age Malcolm was at the beginning of the series).

So season 1, Francis (16), Reese (13), Malcolm (12), Dewey (6)
Season 7, Francis (22), Reese (19), Malcolm (18), Dewey (12)

[–] Ditto-head 7 years ago

The ages of the boys seem a lot more inconsistent than that to me. Particularly in the Flashbacks episode: Lois is pregnant with Malcolm, and she states that Reese is 3 years old. Then when she is pregnant with Dewey, Hal says that Malcolm is 4. That's the only time that the age gap between Malcolm and Reese seems to be so big, though. They were nearly the same size and did only seem to be a year apart in school.

[–] vicky_lc2001 (1907) 6 years ago

I thought Francis was 15 in season 1?