Entertainment
How Child Labor Laws Accidentally Created The Best Sitcom Character Of All Time
By TeeJay Small
| Published
If you grew up in the early 2000s, there’s a good chance you’ve spent hours glued to the TV watching Malcolm In The Middle. The series, which aired from 2000 through 2006, spawned dozens of memorable characters, as evidenced by the success of the recent revival special Life’s Still Unfair. If you ask 10 Malcolm In The Middle fans to list their favorite character, there’s a good chance you’ll walk away with 10 different answers. Even still, there’s one single character that is solely responsible for making the series possible, thanks to an issue with behind-the-scenes logistics. The character in question, Francis, only exists because of child labor laws.
From Workaround To Fan-Favorite Character
Most children who watched Malcolm In The Middle as it aired had no idea about television production schedules or A plot and B plot mapping. But, rewatching the series as an adult, you can really see Francis’ misadventures sticking out like a sore thumb. In most episodes of the show, the A plot centers on the three main kids, Malcolm, Reese, and Dewey, as they rebel against their mother and nearly send their father into cardiac arrest. Meanwhile, Francis is off in military school, or an Alaskan outpost, or a dude ranch run by a clueless but lovable German national. Sure, Bryan Cranston‘s Hal occasionally had solo adventures while he blew off every single Friday work day for a decade, but his stories were still generally tied to the kids in some way.
The reason that Francis even exists in the show relates to the main kids’ legal prohibition to film for long hours. As Reese actor Justin Berfield explained on an episode of The Joe Vulpis Podcast, “When the show first started, Frankie [Malcolm] and I were like 13, 14, Erik [Dewey] was eight. So the time that we could film on set was so short. So we could only be on the set for like nine hours or 10 hours maybe at that point … Three of those nine or ten hours had to be in school … Then with a lunch break it’s like less, so you basically have like five hours of actual filming that you can do with kids. That’s a very short day for a production.”
When questioned about how Francis’ storylines differed from the main cast, Berfield confirmed “The Francis character was brought in specifically for that purpose because they had to have something to film for the rest of the day … They filled it with the Francis character completely separated outside of the household.” Looking back with this information, it almost seems insane that the production team behind Malcolm In The Middle were capable of delivering dozens of episodes per year under these strict guidelines.
Though he may have been created out of a production necessity, Francis, as portrayed by Christopher Masterson, blossomed over the course of the show, and emerged as one of the greatest characters in TV history. His adventures allowed him to exhibit tremendous growth, going from a screw-up teen with a penchant for prodding authority, to a hard-working married man. As we see in Life’s Still Unfair, he’s still got major mommy issues decades on, but nobody’s perfect.
Entertainment
Chipotle is giving away free entrées during the World Cup final — how to claim yours
TL;DR: Chipotle is giving away 100,000 free entrées during the 2026 World Cup final on July 19. During the match’s second hydration break, fans can watch a video on Chipotle’s Instagram, grab the code revealed at the end, and text it to 888-222 for a chance to claim free food.
Chipotle is bringing some free food to the biggest football match of the summer.
During the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday, July 19, the restaurant chain will give away 100,000 free entrée offers as part of this special giveaway.
The idea for this promotion comes from a long-running Chipotle fan joke. Some customers have been known to “accidentally” fill their complimentary water cups with lemonade at the drink station, and the restaurant has leaned into the joke on social media over the years.
“The best brand ideas start with a fan truth,” said Stephanie Perdue, Chipotle’s senior vice president of marketing.
How to get a free Chipotle entrée during the World Cup final
Getting the freebie is pretty simple:
Mashable Deals
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Tune into the World Cup final on July 19
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During the match’s second hydration break, head to Chipotle’s Instagram account (@Chipotle)
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Watch the cup-shuffling game, where three identical Chipotle water cups move around the screen
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Follow the cup hiding the lemonade and grab the code revealed at the end
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Text the code to 888-222
The first 100,000 people to successfully text the code will receive a free entrée offer, valid on any regularly priced entrée (subject to availability) through July 24, 2026. The offer is available in the U.S. for fans 13 and older. Standard text and data rates may apply.
If you’re already watching the final, it’s worth keeping your phone nearby — your next Chipotle meal could be just a text away.
Entertainment
Tatiana Maslany breaks down Maximum Pleasure Guaranteeds courtroom finale
Throughout Season 1 of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Paula Sanders (Tatiana Maslany) has been through hell. She’s been scammed and arrested. She’s shot a man and become embroiled in a criminal conspiracy. And through it all, she’s been enduring a nasty custody battle with her ex, Carl (Jake Johnson), over her daughter, Hazel (Nola Wallace).
‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed’ review: The power of Tatiana Maslany makes this thriller a must-watch
That all comes to a head in Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed‘s Season 1 finale, which sees Paula and Carl officially go to court. Spoiler alert: Paula manages to keep custody of Hazel, but not before she’s publicly chewed out for her transactions with cam boy Trevor (Brandon Flynn).
In a Say More interview with Mashable Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards, Maslany broke down the heated moment.
“Reading [the scene], I’m like, oh, Paula’s in a situation where Carl would never be questioned for the affair he had, because his affair has landed him with a woman who has a lot of money and a good life,” Maslany explained.
While Carl’s affair has brought him stability, Paula’s own sex life has “derailed” her, Maslany explained, putting her desires under the microscope.
“The impulse to seek out connection or sexual gratification — that’s almost more on trial than anything else,” Maslany said of the custody hearing. “It’s a wonderful thing [for Paula] to be able to articulate, in sort of clumsy language, a retort to that, and that she doesn’t just acquiesce [and say], ‘Yes, I shouldn’t have done that, and I’m bad, and I’ll never do it again.'”
To hear more about Maslany’s reaction to Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, and how she found the character of Paula, watch the full interview above.
All episodes of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed are now streaming on Apple TV.
Entertainment
7-Eleven and Hot Wheels just dropped an exclusive Nissan GT-R collectible — heres how to get it
TL;DR: 7-Eleven and Hot Wheels are back with another exclusive collectible, this time a 2017 Nissan GT-R (R35). It’s available now for $7.11 at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes stores, as well as online at 7Collection, while supplies last.
Credit: 7-Eleven / Hot Wheels
If you’re a Hot Wheels collector, your next stop might be 7-Eleven.
The retailer has teamed up with Mattel for a second year to release an exclusive Hot Wheels 2017 Nissan GT-R (R35). The limited-edition collectible is available now for $7.11 at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes locations, as well as online at 7Collection. Don’t wait too long, though — it’s only available while supplies last.
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Credit: 7-Eleven / Hot Wheels
Credit: 7-Eleven / Hot Wheels
What makes this Hot Wheels exclusive so special?
This year’s release spotlights the iconic 2017 Nissan GT-R (R35), one of Nissan’s most recognizable performance cars. The 1:64-scale die-cast features a clean white finish with 7-Eleven branding on the hood and sides, giving the sports car a playful convenience-store makeover that’s made for collectors.
The collectible is part of Hot Wheels’ Silver Series, which means it comes with extra detailing compared to the brand’s standard cars. It also arrives in exclusive 7-Eleven-themed packaging, making it just as display-worthy as the car itself.
If you miss out on the 2017 Nissan GT-R (R35), there’s more on the way. 7-Eleven says an expanded collection of limited-edition merchandise will arrive soon.
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