>the fact that Malcolm is learning to drive in season 4, he must be 14 at
>the start of the season, and 15 as the season progresses.
They don't say what state this is set in. I figured driving age was
16. As I understood it, Malcolm's birthday is early in the season. He
will be 16 in season 5. That would make him able to get his learners
permit some time over the current break between seasons 4 and 5 (about
now actually!). I kind of expected them to deal with this in season 5.
Where in season 4 is Malcolm learning to drive?? I don't remember this
at all. If he was it would mean whichever state this is, driving age
is 15... are there any?
Now to complicate the issue I remember Reese taking his first and only
driving lesson in season 3. In season 4 they point out that his public
defender wouldn't even try the insanity plea, so he has no license.
Malcolm is pissed because he figures there is no chance he will ever
be allowed to drive after that...
So if the driving age is 16, Reese must have been 16 by the end of
season 3. That would fit with the 18 month age gap between him and
Malcolm implied by the 'Flashback' episode. BUT that tends to suggest
he should be two years ahead of Malcolm at school rather than just
one. Unless he flunked a grade, which I guess would fit with the
character.
If the age for driving is 15, Reese driving in season 3 and being in
his freshman year works. So Malcolm should have been driving all of
season 4, unless of course Reese's actions did indeed mean he was
never allowed to drive). BUT, that would mean 'Flashback' is wrong,
because there would only be a 9 month (!) age gap between Malcolm and
Reese.
The truth is I think they tried to keep the characters ages vague in
the early seasons, and they have no choice but to contradict
themselves now.
As for Dewey, his birthday falls right at the end of the season (and
therefore school year). That would make him one of the youngest kids
in his grade. So he would be 11 for all but the final episode of
season 4, and 12 going into season 5. This actually kind of works.
The show tries hard, and there is some attention to its own 'history'.
It does make big mistakes at times though. The 'Flashback' episode in
season 2 hasn't done too well; it was contradicted big time by the
details of Francis's birth given in 'Clip Show #2'!
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