(S02E14) If you had to have just one takeaway point from this particular episode, it would be that Randy Hickey, of all people, is a studmuffin!
Thankfully, this episode again featured Earl crossing an item off his list. Although we've seen this season expanded storylines and not a total reliance of the "formula" of the first season, I think the show is much better when the story has something to do with Earl's list. Let's remember that the premise of the show is Earl making amends for his past wrongs and his good fortune allows him to do this.
Did anyone else think of Zinedane Zidane when Pierre walked into the Crab Shack and headbutted Earl right to the floor? There was another brilliant French sporting reference later on when Lance Armstrong's name was mentioned and Pierre went into a tirade--but in French.
But that's about it in terms of the Pierre storyline. The bit about Earl finding these girls that Pierre wanted to kiss when he was a kid in school made no sense to me. The only real funny part about telling Pierre what was so great about America was Crabman's contribution of a laundry list of the best marijuana available in the country probably had the network censors on edge. His fine discourse on the American judicial system certainly leads to more curiousity as to why exactly is he in the Witness Protection Program? Will there ever be an episode what will explore the reasons why?
The major theme of the episode, was Randy and Catalina getting together--I mean, they ARE married, at least for the sake of immigration. I had always thought that Earl and Catalina would hook up, but that would have been the predictable thing to do. Despite Randy still being goofy at times, we've seen his character explored a lot deeper and have discovered that there is a pure sweetness to him that would be appealing to women like the Cat Lady or, hopefully for him, Catalina.
My curiosity was deinitely piqued when Joy "advised" Catalina to sleep with Randy, but the idea of making herself so repulsive to him that he would back away from her seemed rather cruel. We know that Joy doesn't think much of Randy, but this sounded pretty bad.
The quick cuts of Catalina's process to make herself disgusting was capped by her rubbing the dead fish all over herself, and even I felt nauseous looking at that from my living room. Poor Randy!
However, shockingly, Catalina's world is rocked by, of all people, Randy. Randy, an "amazing" lover? Surely you jest! But according to Catalina, Randy's a stud of the highest order. When he walked out after almost throwing up, the whole situation was turned on its head. What does Randy do now? What does Catalina do now? Will we see more fish in future episodes?
All in all, it was a good episode, despite the Pierre plotline. Could Randy and Catalina be the next Ross and Rachael? Hmm...
Press Kits Unwrapped: The Prisoner
Ask TV Squad: Eureka, The Prisoner and more!
TV Squad Ten: Cartoon women who should have Playboy centerfolds
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-02-2007 @ 12:20PM
Guffin GacGuffin said...
It's sort of believable that Randy is a great lover--he's a sweet guy and was very attentive in bed. Probably he's no Ron Jeremy, but it's in character for him to pay close attention to what pleases Catalina.
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 8:24AM
GrumpyOldMan said...
No, that's it for Randy and Catalina...Once you mentally connect a girl to your mama...that's it.
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 8:54AM
kel said...
What did the French guy say when he went off in French? When Catalina went
on a rant in Spanish last season she was really saying something to
the viewers. Did the French guy do the same thing or was he actually
ranting about Lance Armstrong?
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 9:15AM
SpaceVenus said...
Pierre got pissed at the mention of Lance because of the Tour de France. He mentioned that, testicular cancer, etc. He was basically ouraged that an American won Tour de France again.
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 10:12AM
B said...
I didn't buy at all the Randy/Catalina resolution, cause as Brodie Bruce would put it, Randy is the kind of guy who would "beg for sex" and he'd be so grateful for anything that he'd be completely unable to let go, no matter how bad a job Catalina did.
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 10:18AM
Tucker said...
I'm surprised the 'sleep with Randy' part went so far.. This show does find ways to keep me guessing every week, and the scene with Catalina nasty-ifiying herself made me shudder. I may never be able to look at the fine Nadine Velazquez the same way ever again. No, wait, I will.
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 11:16AM
malren said...
"The bit about Earl finding these girls that Pierre wanted to kiss when he was a kid in school made no sense to me. "
*sigh*
You really don't even watch these shows do you? This was the ENTIRE REASON THE GUY WAS ON THE LIST. He was supposed to judge a kissing contest between the girls at school. He was milking that french accent to turn it into a contest. You know, so he could get girls to kiss him? When Earl jacked him up in the bathroom and he fled, he lost the chance to have all those girls make out with him, so to make it up to him, Earl tracked them all down.
How did you miss that?
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 11:25AM
Akbar Fazil said...
I agree Malren. For the reviewer who always seems to think episodes focusing on the list are superior, he sure missed the main point.
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 12:00PM
Matty said...
I'm with Malren. You seem to miss major points every single week. That was a very basic premise.
I also thought Catalina was trying to drive Randy away at the end by acting like she was obsessed with him. Not that Randy was a "studmuffin". That wasn't clear, though. Maybe they'll end up turning the crush on its head by making Catalina love Randy?
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 12:02PM
SamMalone said...
I wish they'd warn me when a show is going to be gross, so I know when not to watch something while eating supper. The whole fight with the urinal cake happened mid-chew for me.
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 3:34PM
malren said...
"The whole fight with the urinal cake happened mid-chew for me."
Oh, that's rough! I cringed a little there too.
You know what my wife and I inevitably put on when we sit in front of the TV to eat? CSI? WHY? Why would we do that? And yet we keep doing it.
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 4:12PM
Tyler said...
lol csi lol. i also thought the whole zidane thing was hilarious but when Earl gave the passport and credit cards to Pierre how come he didn't say anything like "you son of a ..." the urinal cake was funny along with Catalina saying "i love you too Randy" and then looking at Earl and saying NO! was by far the best part. quite a good episode and i hope to see more Randy&Catalina. i also think they will become the next Ross&Rachel...wierd
Reply
2-02-2007 @ 4:59PM
innamorata said...
What does it say of my being French that I did not connect Pierre's head butt with Zizou's?
I have no idea what the actor said during his Armstrong rant though as his French was ...well I guess, or hope, that it was French on paper because the rendering was not understandable to me AT ALL.
That said Armstrong is not appreciated here as a "cycliste" because we consider him a cheater not because he's American. Though his coming from Texas usually lead to Bush and political rants, there's no denying that.
Side note: since we dub all foreign shows everytime they're a French character appearing s/he changes citizenship. Rousseau from Lost is German for instance. Some dudes in Dawson's Creek (shut up) a few years back were made Italians. Though I'm ruling out Pierre coming from Italy in the French dubbed version of Earl because of the whole boot thing.
As for the episode my favorite part was Joy, Crabman and Randy listing the great things about America. Put them in a Tourism Office please.
Catalina and Randy...I just can't warm up to Randy. He reminds me of Joey on Friends and I loathed him. I guess I like goofy sometimes but sweetly dumb as a rock is not my cup of tea.
Catalina getting ready for sex was unsettling, her begging for Randy to come back to bed was unfunnily pathetic to me.
All in all I'll just remember the list of what makes America great but I prefer the Cops episode that IIRC you didn't like.
Vive l'Amérique! Vive la France!
Reply
2-03-2007 @ 3:59PM
TomB said...
Less Randy - more Joy!!
Reply