(S02E16) Earl Hickey has done a lot of good things over the past year. But he's got an enormously long list of bad things to cross off his list, and we've seen him add things he's forgotten or accumulate more misdeeds along his way to karmic balance plenty of times. So it shouldn't be any surprise that if you gather the residents of Camden County into one room, you're going to learn about a lot of things Earl's done that he's now sorry for.At first I thought this episode was going to be the old sit-com staple: the clip show. I'm glad I was wrong, but I'm not entirely convinced it was much better than a clip show.
Some of the funniest moments in My Name is Earl history have come in flashback sequences. Much like in Family Guy, they come when you least expect them and often seem somewhat surreal. Of course, unlike in Family Guy, Earl flashbacks usually move the plot forward.
But this time was a bit different. As Earl tries to celebrate all the good things he's done during the last year, every person at his birthday party is there to remind him of more things he's done wrong. At one point, Earl asks his mom why people can't focus on all the good things he's done in the last year, and she replies that there have been a lot of bad years, and "There's only been one good year, Earl. I'm not sure we'd have enough to talk about."
Okay, so I settle in for a list of new items Earl needs to add to his list so that the show can live on for another few decades. He stole a bunch of hub cabs, rudely awakened Randy, swapped Darnell's pot brownies with his real brownies, paid Donnie Jones to peep and run, almost broke up his parents' marriage, and perhaps most devastatingly, left a guy with only one turntable and no microphone.
And then it turns out that the airing of the grievances was really just part of a big birthday surprise. Everyone planned to cross one thing off of Earl's list. Well, first off, I'm not sure that's how karma works. And second of all, I want the last 22 minutes of my life back. I just don't feel like this episode really took us anywhere. It was like a collection of mini-episodes, where we learn about something Earl needs to make up for, but then we never see him make up for those things. I feel like we were cheated out of each of those episodes. Wouldn't you like to see an entire program devoted to Earl making up for dropping a penny down a tracheotomy hole?
That's not to say this episode didn't have its laughs. After Darnell's clients pay $5 for the plain brownies, one complains of having to sit through dinner with his parents straight, while Donnie exclaims "I just listened to a whole Phish album, and it sucked!"
And one of my favorite moments was when Crabman says he's happy nobody bought (what he thought were) the ordinary brownies, because he can eat them with his grandmoms and play Scrabble. This follows up on last week's numerous Scrabble references, and reminds me of a conundrum: If Darnell's in the witness protection program, how can he get together with his real grandmother? Or did they give him a fake one? That's just wrong.
This episode also provides an excuse to show pregnant Joy. In real life Jaime Pressly is pregnant, and while last week's episode gave her character an excuse to carry a baby, it's really a bit soon for her to be showing. So we're treated to a flashback sequence where Earl makes fun of Joy for being fat, at one point placing a beer can on her belly.
Not one of the strongest episodes of the season, but as far as non-formulaic episodes go, it was better than "Our Cops is On."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-15-2007 @ 10:52PM
Chuck said...
Have to disagree with you--I thought this was one of the funniest episodes in a long while. There were so many great flashback moments, one-liners, and nods to those who have been fans from day one. And why can't karma work that way?
Randy had the new funniest ever line in TV: "Remember that guy from the water and power company who stepped in some water and touched some power?"
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2-15-2007 @ 10:52PM
Nola said...
What are you talking about that's not how Karma works? That's exactly how karma works. You do good things, good things happen to you.
He did all those bad things in his past and as a result bad things happened. Well now he's making up for that and helping all these people. As a result of that all these people have forgiven him of certain grievances against them. So of course they cross some things off his list. That's karma right there.
And how exactly is this a clip show? There was actual progress. He got a lot of things crossed off his list. Why are you complaining about losing those episodes? They were resolved in this episode clearly. What's wrong with you?
Stop being so quick to judge the episode.
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2-15-2007 @ 10:53PM
shawn said...
i liked this episode. it showed the impact he's had on his community and the fact that he is trying to turn his life around has affected his friends and family. and they want to help.
the show is becoming more about camden county. which i like.
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2-15-2007 @ 11:06PM
Brad Linder said...
Nola: there have been several instances where Earl offers to help someone and they've just told him they forgive him, now move on. And he's always the first to tell him that's not how it works, he has to do something to make up for his past misdeed.
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2-16-2007 @ 7:36AM
Nola said...
That's because in each of those instances he's felt that he hasn't done enough to be worthy of forgiveness. Like in the beginning with Kenny when he wanted to help Kenny find a boyfriend, but only in the end he didn't and wanted to keep trying. Kenny told him that he didn't need to do anymore, because he'd already made up for his past taunts by helping him be comfortable being a gay man.
So it's not always what Earl thinks is acceptable. It's what the people he's wronged think is acceptable. And these people at his birthday party all clearly think that he's worked hard enough over the past year that he can be excused from some of the things he did.
Randy forgave him for playing tricks on him. Joy forgave him for making her feel bad about being pregnant. His mother forgave him for peeing on the rug. His father forgave him for drugging him.
As shawn said Earl's actions have gone beyond being about what he did. Now they're about the good things he's doing and he's not just doing good things to the people he wronged, a lot of it is affecting a most of the people around him. So I don't see why all his extra good will can't be given some extra forgiveness.
And besides, like I said before, it's not up to him to judge the forgiveness he gets. That has to come from the people forgiving him.
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2-16-2007 @ 8:33AM
Dave said...
I couldn't disagree more with you. I thought last night was an incredibly funny episode and in fact, the only episode this season I thought was funnier was, you can probably guess, "Our Cops Is On".
Not only was an episode like this needed but it was the perfect time for it in the show's run. It was needed because we are starting to think of Earl in TOO happy and sappy of ways. He's so wonderful and good and cuddly. The problem is if he becomes TOO wonderful in our eyes, then the whole premise of why he needs the list goes away.
We haven't had to live with Earl and his foilbles our whole lives. We've only mostly seen the good Earl. This episode, in addition to being plain flat out funny... "he stole my right windshield wiper, he stole my left windshield wiper..." serves to remind us that Earl was a pretty flawed person with a LOT to make up for. It makes him having a list and working to cross things off it important again to the viewer because we've been reminded of how bad he really used to be.
Plus, I loved it just for finally finding out how and why he stole the one legged woman's car!! "Earl, can you give me a hand?" and he's frantically searching the bed for the hand too! HAHA!
Anyway, you're all wrong on this funny, funny, much needed episode.
Dave
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2-16-2007 @ 8:38AM
Hugeliver said...
I can't believe I'm disagreeing with TV Squad, but I thought it was a very good episode.
I feared the CLIP SHOW at first too, but was pleasantly surprised.
I think it's great that people are finally acknowledging what Earl has done and to whittle down the list like that to make things easier for him really shows everyone's appreciation. They're not just a bunch of dumb hicks. They actually have a heart of gold.
Where was Giovanni Ribisi though!!?!?!? We need more of him. : )
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2-16-2007 @ 10:26AM
Tucker said...
Wow, I'm glad so many people wound up writing the comments I was going to when I first saw this post last night - but I was just too tired to write. I, too, thought the episode was great - it was like a bonus bunch of mini-eps that were each funny in their own right, but didn't warrant full-on episodes themselves.
I very much agree with Nola - these are all cases where the people feel Earl truly deserves to cross them off the list. I mean, for the most part these are some relatively minor list items. I like that the show has been trying new things with the format and has been consistently good. I think I say this every week, but the show continues to surprise me.
Wrapped up in that sometimes-cuddly exterior every week are some seriously adult themes - Earl and Randy get so trashed they can't buy back the pot brownies? This isn't a Hallmark special by any means - yet they still are able to get across a halfway decent message. I don't think they could have assembled a more perfect cast for this show. The actors are all brilliant in their roles and clearly enjoy putting out the show. I love it.
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2-16-2007 @ 12:11PM
Danny said...
I especially liked the "twists" in the flashbacks. We're shown Earl's mom and a naked toddler on the rug and led to believe that it was Earl as a baby who peed on it, when in walks adult Earl so drunk that he thinks he's in the bathroom. And Crabman complaining about the time that Earl got him "stoned", we see the pot brownies and assume that's what he was referring to, when in reality it was the people who got the real brownies actually throwing stones at him.
They may not have been unforseeable, but they were clever nonetheless.
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2-16-2007 @ 1:29PM
Frank said...
Agree with the other commenters.
This was fantastic.
A clip show that wasn't a clip show.
I mean, people have been saying for a while now that there needed to be more scenes with "Bad" Earl. This was an entire episode of that.
I mean, this isn't some serial drama where characters need to be developed and the story moved along every episode. This is a sitcom and it's great to just have a funny episode.
Brad, I feel like you're looking for something in this show that it doesn't aim to be.
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2-17-2007 @ 8:21AM
Mel said...
Did anyone else notice Randy doing the Twin Peaks dance at the end? The fingersnapping thing? I swear that's how they dance on Twin Peaks...
I agree with the commentors, I though it was a really funny episode too. I love all the different personalities around Camden County, and how they keep reappearing. Like tonight's cameos of the one-legged girl or the immigrant learning to speak English.
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2-16-2007 @ 7:00PM
Bill said...
Most comedies I'd rather they ignore the plot and just go for laughs, but for some reason I do think the "Earl crosses one thing off his list" episode are by far the best. I'm with Brad.
"And then it turns out that the airing of the grievances was really just part of a big birthday surprise."
The episode would've worked better if they could've worked in some feats of strength.
http://popculturejunk.blogspot.com/
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2-17-2007 @ 7:30AM
Joe said...
Danny - I thought those two moments were the best, as the total misdirection got me both times!
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2-17-2007 @ 10:12AM
Zach said...
It seems as if i was the only one who enjoyed the cops episode. Maybe it is the fact that i absolutely love this show, just like the office, it makes me smile every time it comes on. I have yet to be dissappointed by an episode of either show this season which amazes me. Mybe i am too easily impressed
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2-17-2007 @ 7:31AM
Jansberg said...
I hate to add to the pile up, but I have to also disagree with the review. In fact I was a little taken aback by the negative review because I thought teevee.org would also have much love for this episode.
Maybe its just a matter of perception, but I agree with the bulk of the comments here. Sure, we got some good laughs out of all the stuff Bad Earl did but the final minutes of this show proved that it was all about how Earl was beginning to effect the people around him. I mean Joy, the woman who once tried to kill him with a crossbow, let Earl off the hook for a past wrong!
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