Malcolm in the Middle is a long-running comedy about a gifted child in a family of underachievers. Each of his relatives is unstable in some bizarre way. His best friend, Stevie, is normal by comparison.
Stevie suffers from a series of ailments that are unfortunately often played for laughs, and there are a couple of inconsistencies with regards to them. The questions don't stop at his health, though. Stevie gets into many hilarious and unbelievable situations that would never work outside of a comedy. But since the show is a comedy, every illogical aspect of the character makes the show that much more enjoyable.
Bullies Are Afraid Of Him
For obvious reasons, no one wants to hit Stevie, so everyone picks on Malcolm, instead. The one time that a bully hit Stevie by accident in an attempt to punch Malcolm, the entire crowd turned on him.
It’s believable that nobody would want to fight a kid who has a visible physical disadvantage. However, Stevie uses this power to bully everyone else. He eggs on other characters, like Reese. When he’s confronted, he plays up his disability for sympathy. It’s a miracle that his fight-exempt status is never revoked.
His Iconic Breathing Problem Doesn't Always Apply
Part of one of Steve’s lungs is missing. On top of that, his anxiety triggers asthma attacks. He has to take a deep breath between every two words because of these issues. This should make any sort of physical activity difficult for him.
In "Poker 2," a popular girl from school makes out with Stevie because she believes he's dying. This is an activity that's certain to take his breath away, but Stevie comes up for air just fine. He's only short for breath when Malcolm's father and his own father walk in on him and the girl.
How He Gets His Hands On A Robosuit
The last straw comes for Reese in "Reese vs. Stevie." He lets Stevie know that he’s planning to beat him up, regardless of his wheelchair. To make it a fair fight, Reese numbs his lower body in a bucket of ice water.
But a fair fight doesn’t cross Stevie’s mind. He steals a robotic exoskeleton from a lab that allows him to walk, kick, punch, and destroy Reese in their fight. It’s never explained how he steals this robot or why this amazing technology isn’t used worldwide.
His Parents Allow Him To Hang Out With Malcolm
A papercut on Stevie's pinkie finger would be enough to send his parents into a panic. They do everything in their power to protect their son from the slightest bit of harm, so keeping Stevie away from Malcolm would help with that.
Malcolm isn’t a bad influence on Stevie. It’s his crazy family and their tendency to get him tangled up in their messes that causes problems. Stevie is too loyal not to follow his friend into the fray. Forcing him to break off a friendship would be cruel, but befitting his parents’ overprotective personalities.
Stevie Is Only Paralyzed Sometimes
When Stevie lurches forward in his chair, savvy viewers will see his legs move. This happens in several episodes in the first season. It’s a big blunder for a character whose personality revolves around this trait.
This is no oversight in editing or directing though. It comes down to having a cast comprised of kid actors. Young Craig Trayler gets so excited in some scenes that he can’t help but move his entire body. The issue disappears as the actor gets older.
Why He Goes To School With Malcolm
Malcolm and Stevie are both geniuses who meet because they're placed in gifted classes at school. Everyone shuns them because of intelligence, including the other advanced kids. This is a hostile environment for any child that wants to learn. Since Stevie's parents are highly involved, they should take note and transfer him to an actual school for gifted children.
Malcolm's family wouldn't have the means to afford a private school. Stevie's have money and high expectations. Leaving him to suffer in public school is an odd choice.
He Doesn't Blame His Mom For Leaving
Kitty, Stevie’s mom, abandons the family in season 2. Stevie enters a deep depression, causing him to remain silent for most of the remaining episodes. Years later, in season 6, Kitty returns and Stevie and his father don't hesitate to welcome her back.
It's strange that neither character holds any resentment. The audience sees how hurt Stevie is when his mom vanishes. Such a simple finish to the most painful part of Stevie‘s life doesn’t add up.
Stealing Malcolm's Girlfriend
Stevie shows no mercy when he goes after his best friend's ex. This happens in "Malcolm Dates a Family" when Malcolm pursues Angela Pozefsky, a girl from a family of geniuses. After Malcolm and Angela break up, he decides he wants her back. He heads over to her house to discover that Stevie has already taken his place.
Teasing Malcolm is one of Stevie's favorite pastimes, but this is brutal. It’s an out of character move for someone who’s normally a spectacular friend.
Long Sleeves 24/7
Some people have a preference for long sleeves, so this is not that strange. The weird thing is that Stevie used to wear short sleeves all the time at the start of the show. One day, he appears with long sleeves and just never goes back.
The choice makes sense for winter, but Stevie dresses this way year-round. Since the show takes place in California, Stevie must be near heatstroke at all times.
TV Is Banned But Comics Are Fine
The first time that Malcolm visits Stevie, they bond over comic books. Stevie tells Malcolm that he reads them because he’s not allowed to watch TV. His parents claim that they make kids stupid.
It’s strange that Stevie's overprotective parents haven’t taken the time to read any of the comics that he owns. They would realize that they contain the same content if they did. Either Stevie is more secretive than is let on or his parents are pretending to be overbearing.