Malcolm In The Middle began as a sitcom about a family that is centered around its genius son Malcolm. Audiences tuned in to watch the antics that ensued. However, as the series progressed a wealth of characters were introduced. Some of the characters challenged Malcolm's intellect.
Some characters in Malcolm In The Middle are more likable than others. Furthermore, the smarts of characters like Hal and Dewey seem to pale in comparison to Malcolm upon first consideration. However, as the characters develop throughout the series, Malcolm is revealed as one of many brilliant minds.
Craig Feldspar
Craig is a loveable dolt. Audiences see him most often when he works with Lois at the Lucky Aide. He is an underachiever, often dodging supervisors in an attempt to do as little work as possible. When asked for help from customers, fans see him quickly tell them he is "on break" and flee the scene.
However, Craig's lack of wits is presented most clearly in his relationship with the main family. He won't give up his advances on Lois, despite her continual and plain rejection. Some fans would call him tenacious, but to others, he seems too thick to realize his situation. Furthermore, his involvement in Hal and Lois' lives only causes him pain, whether it be when they burn his house down or lose his precious cat Jellybean. His actions are well-intentioned, but appear foolish.
Francis
Francis is Hal and Lois' firstborn but doesn't seem any wiser than his brothers. He gets shipped off to military school at a young age. However, he makes every effort to ignore the education given to him there, spending his time planning chaos in events like a party at the academy when authorities are away and his eventual escape.
Francis is obsessive about his mother and her role in his unhappiness. He is too dimwitted to realize he has escaped her grasp after moving out and too stubborn to focus on changing his life for the better. Audiences see him drive hundreds of miles just to prove her wrong in a casual disagreement. Behavior like when he tries to "wear in" a pair of cowboy boots with water, leading to massive infection, makes Francis seem dumb.
Hal
Hal is one of the show's most beloved characters, even though he does some bad things in Malcolm In The Middle. However, Hal isn't loved for his intelligence. He performs hair-brained schemes against his family's will, like operating a pirate radio station and renting a steamroller with money hidden from the family. None of the actions come across as too bright.
Hal's foolishness comes into play thanks to the boo0ming voice of his inner child. He can't help but give into immature desires, and the result is foolish behavior. Despite his family's debt, Hal risks losing his job by playing hooky every Friday for a decade and takes the family on a Casino vacation because he has a dream he'll win the jackpot. Hal's fool's errands are plentiful.
Ida
Ida is one of Malcolm In The Middle's villains, and she wreaks havoc on Hal, Lois, and the boys a few times throughout the series. Ida coerces a man to marry her after drugging him and forces her grandsons into a brutal tournament of strength for Resse's wife Raduca's affection. However, her nasty deeds reveal her intelligence.
Ida is only able to be villainous because of her smarts. She knows what to say to manipulate her family and others. Furthermore, she can deceive those around her by knowing how to keep the truth hidden, like Lois' father Victor's other family.
Reese
Fans of the show might think Reese is one of the most simple-minded characters. He is brutish and speaks more with his fists than he ever does with his words. However, by the end of the series, Reese's sharp-witted mind shines through to viewers. Reese's smarts come out through his schemes. He manipulates his parents into blessing his autonomy after maxing out hidden credit cards and outsmarts a rival battalion after he joins the Army.
He develops a months-long plan to gain Cynthia's affection early on in the show, and it almost works. However, Reese's true brilliance unfolds when he begins cooking. He creates an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner for the family and proves to be utterly gifted in the kitchen. He prepares everything meticulously and creates a schedule necessary for the food to reach its full potential.
Lois
Lois may be overbearing, but she isn't stupid. She can control her boys, and even Hal, thanks to her quick wits. She tricks her family into doing what she wants. Furthermore, Lois has a creative mind when it comes to discipline, as seen by some of the boys' worst punishments in Malcolm In The Middle. However, her stubbornness seems to get the best of her smarts.
Lois can be too thick to see her strive for being right get in the way of what she wants. She thinks she's right by telling Hal the truth in her disbelief in heaven, even though it gets in the way of her desire for his happiness. If Lois was more easy-going, she would be able to strengthen her intelligence.
Stevie Kenarban
Stevie and Malcolm become best friends thanks to their placement in their school's gifted program. Stevie seems implicitly smart because of his position in elevated classes. His wit from book smarts makes him one of the best characters in Malcolm In The Middle. However, he reveals his smarts in other ways outside of his formal education.
Stevie presents his astuteness in his activities during his leisure time. Audiences see him develop an impressive robotic device that allows him to walk and create a scheme so he can speak quickly during his acceptance speech at the Good Manners Awards. Stevie's intellect tackles nearly every challenge put in his way.
Malcolm
Malcolm is gifted with a great brain. Fans see him use it several times throughout the series. He takes gifted classes throughout middle school and high school and develops schemes to misbehave during his free time. His college offers appear to be countless, and recruiters go as far as bribing Hal to send Malcolm to their schools.
However, Malcolm's insecurity, stubbornness, and narcissism cloud his mind. He spends more time looking for the approval of his peers than figuring out a venue for his happiness. His organization of an anti-prom at the end of the school year is a perfect example. If he spent less time worrying about what other people think, he could bring his harness his brilliance.
Dewey
Dewey appears to be more lovable than he is smart at the beginning of the series. He is the youngest of the boys until Jamie is born, and is written off by his brothers as an inexperienced youngster. However, Dewey's schemes throughout the series, along with his gift for music, reveal him as perhaps the series' smartest character.
Dewey completes feats that could only be done by a bright person. He writes an entire opera, is accepted into piano competitions, and leads his parents on an elaborate scavenger hunt to teach them a lesson about neglect. Like Malcolm, he is placed in the gifted program but evades it by tricking the school administration. His ability to work around his misfortune underscores his intelligence.