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Francis is a character who throughout the series of Malcolm in the Middle grows quite a bit. In fact, he seems to be the one who changes the most over the course of the 5 primary seasons in which he appears (I just pretend the scenes of him in Seasons 6 & 7 didn't happen, since they deeply betray Francis' arc). He becomes mora mature, hardworking, and just overall becomes a better person. Many people in the community though debate why this occurred, and who it was that mostly pushed Francis to become his best self (aka they debate who his best father figure is).

However, he really doesn't see that growth until about season 4 & 5. Which is when he starts working at The Ranch. So it should obviously be Otto then that is his most important father figure, right? Well, personally I don't think so. It seems to me that there was a complex set of facts that led Francis to becoming who he is, and ultimately if you remove any underlying piece, I think it would make it so Francis doesn't quite get to where we want him to be.

So, join me today as we talk about Lois', Piama's, Hal's, Otto's, and Gretchen's influence on Francis. What do you think the answer to the question here is? Let me know down below, and don't forget to subscribe!

Timestamps:


00:00 - Francis: The Problem Child
01:27 - Francis: Growth & The Debate
01:47 - Most Important Father Figure: Lois?
03:10 - Most Important Father Figure: Otto?
03:34 - False Dichotomy: Hal=Otto
04:22 - Lack Of Lois
05:04 - Not Perfect + Pressure
06:46 - Final Answer/Thoughts
07:41 - Outro + Francis & Otto Clip