I can't set up my satellite at my new apartment, and I'm not about to waste my money on cable, so I'm relegated to rabbit ears for TV. So, if you notice the intellectual material here go downhill in the weeks to come, you can chalk it up to me watching local network television.

Like tonight... I watched Malcolm in the Middle. One of the better network shows, actually. (See, it's happening already)

In tonight's episode, new neighbours move next door to Malcolm's house, and they're total jerks. Their little girl bites Malcolm's older brother constantly, their boy makes Malcolm's life hell by lying about him in school and to neighbours... the woman treats "her help" (a Mexican gardener/boytoy) like crap and terrorizes Malcolm's mom's hedges, and their garden Gnome reputedly eats small children, much to the dismay of Malcolm's terrified younger brother. However, the two dads get along just fine.

At the dinner table, Malcolm's brother says (and I'm paraphrasing here):

"The word on the block is 'feud'!

Malcolm's dad says something like, "That hardly seems necessary".

Bro says: "No, a feud is just what we need! It would unite us as a family and allow us to hone our skills, make us stronger!"

Dad: "Before we look at how that family lives and acts, we should take a long look at our own..." He surveys the table... "Uhhh, never mind (sigh)"

A later scene... Malcolm and his brother are in a bedroom, his brother is peering out his window, petrified the little girl is out there waiting to bit his bandaged arm again...

Bro: "She's out there, I know it! Where is she?!"

Malcolm: "Hey, you're the one who wanted a feud!"

Bro: "You know I never think things through..."

In a later scene, the boys scheme to discredit the reputation of the neighbours that have sullied their family name, because, in bro's words, "you can't repair your reputation, you can just disgrace your enemy's".

Interesting episode.