To his surprise, it works. By acting like a total idiot, Malcolm finally gets Alison's attention. They start dating, and for a brief moment, Malcolm enjoys the blissful ignorance of being "normal." The Steamroller and the Consequences

wins $1,000 from a lottery ticket. Instead of being responsible, he follows his childhood dream and rents a steamroller . He begins a path of destruction, crushing everything in sight until Dewey has to step in to talk some sense into him before he ends up in jail.

stays at the house while his parents are away. Lois finds herself actually enjoying his company because, unlike her own sons, he is polite and well-behaved. The Breaking Point

Malcolm is miserable because his brain won't stop working. While other teenagers are enjoying life, he is busy over-analyzing everything from the laws of physics to the social dynamics of high school. When he develops a crush on a girl named , he realizes his intelligence is his biggest obstacle—she is, quite frankly, a moron, and his "brainy blather" bores her to tears. Lessons in "Stupid"