Bowling (Malcolm in the Middle)

"Bowling" is the twentieth episode of the second season of the American television comedy seriesMalcolm in the Middle. The 36th episode overall, it was written by Alex Reid and directed by Todd Holland. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on April 1, 2001. The episode's plot serves as a direct parody of the 1998 film Sliding Doors, and the initial idea for it came from a writers retreat that Reid was on.

In the episode, two separate realities are shown: one where Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and Reese (Justin Berfield) are driven to a bowling party by Lois (Jane Kaczmarek), while a grounded Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) is watched by Hal (Bryan Cranston) at home; and another where the parental roles are reversed.

Since release, "Bowling" has received positive reception from critics, who have frequently hailed it as the best episode of the series, and one of the greatest television episodes ever made. Reid and Holland later received Emmy Awards for their work on the episode, and Muniz was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Retrospectively, the episode's themes have received critical and scholarly analysis.