Malcolm — In The Middle - Season 5 !!link!!

Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) gets her best moments in this season, specifically in "Lois’s Sister." We meet her sister Susan (Laurie Metcalf), a free-spirited, successful artist. The episode destroys the idea that Lois was always a shrew; it reveals she sacrificed her own creative dreams to keep the family afloat. It is one of the few episodes that makes you cry while laughing at a boy being hit by a bowling ball.

Season 4 had taken a bold risk by moving Francis to Alaska, a storyline that divided fans but showcased the character's desperate need for independence. Season 5 resolves this arc beautifully. The Alaska episodes in Season 5 are steeped in a darker, more satirical tone. Francis is working for the neurotically controlling Otto and Gretchen at the Grotto, a setting that allows the show to explore themes of employment, exploitation, and misguided loyalty. Malcolm in The Middle - Season 5