Malcolm in the Middle works spectacularly as a biting satire against capitalism; it is about a suburban American family, with several mouths to feed, who are one missed paycheck away from destitution. The characters are all exaggerated versions of reality, which is exactly why they work. A tyrannical mom and a childish dad fight the daily urge not to murder their rowdy boys: a naive kid with a violent streak, a Mensa-level genius, and a seemingly quiet child with the ability to manipulate his parents and his brothers with equal ease.
Since the Wilkerson home is a perpetual battleground, one might wonder if the family and their friends would last a single day in war-torn Westeros. The list below highlights ten main characters from Malcolm in the Middle according to their inclination towards the Great Houses in Game of Thrones.
Malcolm Wilkerson - House Greyjoy
Theon endured loss and betrayal for most of his youth, starting when his father, Balon, handed him over to the Starks as a hostage (in exchange for continuing to rule his little kingdom on the Iron Islands). Malcolm feels the same way; his incredible intelligence makes him believe that he was meant for greater things and that he cannot truly express himself in his current situation.
Therefore, he takes his pent-up anger and low self-esteem out on his family, whom he considers to be below his league. Like Theon, Malcolm thinks himself as one of the world's neediest cases, constantly moaning about his pathetic lot on life and doing very little to actually improve it.
Lois Wilkerson - House Stark
As an overburdened mother of five, Lois barely manages to run a household while working multiple shifts at the Lucky Aide (barely scraping by on minimum wage). Nevertheless, her dedication towards her family outweighs her perennial exhaustion. Lois resembles Ned Stark the most, given that both their ambitions revolve around their kids.
They are completely certain that their time is best spent in providing a home, food, education, and maybe some discipline so that their children might grow up and achieve what they themselves never could, even if this meant making enormous sacrifices.
Lionel Herkabe - House Frey
Walder Frey is controlled by one single drive: utter envy, which he reshapes into hostility and violence against successful people who make him feel weak and small. Lionel Herkabe is the exact same. Once a bright star, he made a silly decision to start an online business, which reduced his immense fortune to almost nothing.
Hence, Lionel decides to become a teacher, taking charge of Malcolm's class for gifted kids. He cannot stand seeing his students happy and well-adjusted, as it reminds him of how he once was, so he compensates by making them suffer.
Dewey Wilkerson - House Lannister
Dewey may not be as wealthy as the Lannisters (for now, but his parents are convinced that he will be rolling in it soon enough). He does, however, share their Machiavellian traits of deviousness and insincerity. To be perfectly honest, the only reason Dewey resorts to underhanded techniques is because of his brothers' uninterrupted streak of bullying him, as well as his parents' casual negligence (Lois once admits that she simply forgot to take pictures of Dewey as a baby).
In many instances, he has successfully outsmarted his family, such as when he learns to play the piano by hanging around a musical instruments store, while his family has absolutely no clue where he is and what he's doing.
Stevie Kenarban - House Tully
House Tully never goes after glory but is quite happy assisting those who want to in their journey. Stevie, being a quiet, introverted kid, prefers to play second fiddle to Malcolm, not because he doesn't want to be in the spotlight, but because he is kind enough to give Malcolm the chance over and over again.
He embodies the Tully motto of "Family, Duty, Honor," which is seen through the overbearing way his parents coddle him, something he doesn't rebel against because he knows his family only wants him safe. Similar to Edmure Tully, Stevie can have a mean streak, as shown when he attacks Reese with the full knowledge that the latter wouldn't ever hurt a kid in a wheelchair.
Francis Wilkerson - House Tyrell
Francis Wilkerson is pretty much the worst of the boys, which is why he got banished to military school, specifically for piercing his nose in defiance of Lois' explicit threats. Growing up, he realized that he couldn't win his mother over with a sweet smile like most kids could, so he decided to play her own mind games against her.
Considering his success, it makes sense to classify him as a Tyrell, since Lady Olenna is probably the only character who was able to foil Cersei's subterfuge. However, Francis tends to be single-minded in his aspirations; to him, a victory is had if and only if Lois admits failure.
Grandma Ida - House Bolton
The Boltons were renowned across Westeros for their unmitigated contempt towards anyone who is not one of their own, as evidenced by their gruesome sigil: a flayed man. In Malcolm in the Middle, Ida would have taken it one step further and skinned her own family alive, if she could.
When Lois tells her that she is not allowed to smoke in the house, she grudgingly agrees to smoke on the doorstep (while sneakily and passive-aggressively blowing smoke into the house as a form of petty revenge). Absolutely nobody cares for her, a bitter old gnome with a dragon's fiery tongue. Ida can take the sweetest, most charming thing in the world and make it sound like it was cursed by the fires of hell, earning her a place in House Bolton.
Piama Tananahaakna - House Arryn
Piama is one of the most relentless characters in the show, placing her love for Francis as the reason behind her actions. She belongs to House Arryn, not because she is "As High as Honour," as their motto goes, but because she cannot abide by people who disrespect her and her husband.
In fact, she goes to the extent of keeping Francis' job a secret from Lois, on account of the fact that it makes him happy to see his mother upset at his alleged inability to find a job. Piama's support of Francis allows her to face Lois with a resolve none of the other Wilkersons can muster, telling her that he's not as much of a screw-up as she thinks he is.
Hal Wilkerson - House Martell
While Hal is churlish, immature, and inept in most cases, he exemplifies the Martell tenacity, for instance, when he decides to start painting again. He spends days working on his canvas but keeps rejecting each draft for not being absolutely perfect. Finally, with his family cheering him on, he figures out the final dash of paint that completes the job.
Hal is also exceedingly innovative, coming up with complex projects to work on with his sons. In fact, Dewey's ability to create a piano from scratch with the help of spoons, pipes, remote controls, and other household objects, is clearly inherited from his father.
Reese Wilkerson - House Targaryen
The Targayrens have an innate desire to watch things burn, much like Reese. Where Danaerys sets fire to King's Landing out of rage, Reese takes a driving instructor's car on a joyride, prompting a platoon of police vehicles to follow him.
Reese also exhibits the Targaryens' deranged mentality, like when he tried to show off his strength and almost died when a massive barbell landed on him. He doesn't even spare his little brother; in one episode, Reese ruins Dewey's cherished toy, making the latter act as if Reese was invisible.