Funeral is the 11th episode of season 1.

Plot

The family reluctantly prepares for Aunt Helen's funeral, but Lois finally gets fed-up by the collective attitude and announces she's going to take a bubble bath and everyone else can do their own things.

Francis is upset that Aunt Helen's death was not reported to him. This frees Malcolm to attend a concert with Julie, but she catches him in his underwear and runs away.

Summary

While getting dresseed Hal and Lois explains to Dewey what happens to people after they die and tells him that he needs to get ready for the funeral. Malcolm is less than thrilled in going to Aunt Helen's funeral, but Lois is adamant in going. He wanted to go to a concert with Julie Houlerman. While getting ready, Hal was looking forward to listening to his records and Dewey has a hard time getting rid of his imaginary friend, Egg. The only one actually looking forward to going to Aunt Helen's funeral is Reese because he trashed an expensive Mighty Man toy and wants to hide it so no one finds out. Franics feels like he's not part of the family because no one told him about a family member dying.

Later on as Hal is getting dressed for Aunt Helen's funeral, he reveals to Malcolm that Lois and everyone else hated her. Irate that Lois lied to him about being close to her, he calls Julie again and lied about Aunt Helen and giving him a leeway to go to the concert. Lois is still adamant that the family goes and it erupts in a fight between her and Hal. Fed up, she declares that they won't go to the funeral and that the family can do whatever they want from now on. Hiding in the bathroom to take a bubble bath, Lois sends Reese away when he tries to enncourage her to attend Aunt Helen's funeral and he blames Malcolm for it because he was looking forward to hiding a broken toy present from Hal and Lois. Hal listens to his records, while Dewey and Egg makes a mess of things. As Julie comes to pick up Malcolm, she catches sight of him in his underwear and is disgusted with him.

The Wilkersons are now divided, Lois drinking tea, Hal eating cookies, Reese applying new tape to his hockey stick and Dewey plays with Egg. In the boys' bedroom, Malcolm calls Francis for help after what happened because now the family wont speak to each other and he admits it's his own fault. He is elated because he knew it was going to happen. Francis tells Malcolm that he kept them together by blaming him as their scapegoat. Without him to blame their problems on, the family doesn't know what to do with themselves. Malcolm thanks Francis for his help and and knows who would make the perfect scapegoat: Reese.

Coming into the living room, Malcolm adresses his family and apologizes for tearing them apart because of his own selfish needs. This gets Lois' attention, but he's not done and tells them what Reese did was worse. Malcolm proves it by taking his backpack and reveals the crushed Mighty Man toy in front of them. Lois and Hal are furious with Reese for what he's done. Malcolm reveals more including that he was only looking forward to the funeral so he can hide the broken toy in Aunt Helen's coffin. Lois decides the family will attend the funeral right away so Reese can apologize to Aunt Helen.

At Aunt Helen's funeral, Hal gives out a heartfelt, yet amusing speech which impresses the family. While Lois is talking to Francis on the phone, Reese has his nose to the wall as his punishment for destroying Dewey's birthday present and tries to turn away. However, she catches him in the act and orders him to face the wall again. Malcolm now has Julie hating him and Reese waiting to kick his ass when they get home, but helps a relative because he needs someone to put in a good word for him just in case Aunt Helen bad mouths him to God.