(S03E14) "I bet you wish you had more than one God now, eh?" - Ravi Kapoor as Earl's doctor
Boy, that Jeff Zucker is one hell of an actor, isn't he?
Generally, I love it when a high-paid executive is willing to make fun of himself for his company. Case in point; when Les Moonves talks to Dave Letterman on the phone I think it's hilarious. The key, however is that the executive in question has to be able to effectively deliver a joke. I think My Name is Earl missed an opportunity for some real nice comedy. Too bad Jerry Seinfeld didn't have another movie to promote.
I don't know how they resist the urge but I really admire the writers for not using the recurring characters too often. Officer Hoyne and ex-officer Daniels always make me smile when they show up, but I know if they showed up too often, that wouldn't be the case. Plus, they always remind me of all the other great recurring characters I might see.
I have long suspected that Jason Lee may very well be the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet. First of all the guy has had two jobs in his life...professional skateboarder and actor. Secondly, he has worked with Hollywood icons like Kevin Smith, Cameron Crowe and Alvin the Chipmunk. most importantly, he has been up close and personal with the bosoms of both Jaime Pressly and Alyssa Milano. Talk about good karma! I guess it's true that Jason Lee is a really nice guy. What would he have to be mad about?
I really wasn't too impressed with the classic sitcom gimmick. It was cute at first but it really wasn't all that funny especially compared to the other stuff that was actually going on.
The scene with Jane Lynch was a more creepy than funny, if you ask me. However, I can now add Jason Lee's name to my "List of Actors Who Have Touched Jane Lynch's Boob" right below Jeffrey Tambor.
I would have never guessed it from the years I spent watching Crossing Jordan but Ravi Kapoor is a pretty funny guy. His line about Earl's mustache was my favorite of the night. Considering how often these characters get injured, I'm surprised that we haven't seen him or the hospital before.
I don't know what I like more, seeing Paris Hilton reduced to a sight gag and a catch phrase or finding out that Randy actually has conversations with God. The sad part is that, all things considered, it's easier to believe that Randy can talk to the Almighty than it is that Paris would read to someone in a coma.
When the half-way point came around, I was starting to feel a little disappointed in this episode. It was pretty light on jokes. I got the feeling that the whole first half of the hour was spent leading up to something. I just wasn't sure if that something was really great or really awful.
Turned out it was the latter. A faith healer? Really? If I didn't know better I would swear that this episode was written by people who were more concerned with making sure they got their fair share of Internet profits than making a funny show.
Generally, I try not to be too harsh when I don't like a show. However, I really have to call bullshit on this episode. Considering that Earl has been one of the best sitcoms on TV for the past three years, I think it's fair to expect more from the show. I can only hope the second part will be better or at least will have more scenes with Milano in a leotard.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-04-2008 @ 9:26AM
R-Bro said...
Not just sub-par, but painfully unfunny! The whole thing was a cliched disaster from start to finish. I really enjoy Earl (and it's been fun rewatching the early ones now that they're re-airing on TBS), but this was a huge misfire -- and proof positive that sitcoms should NOT do hour-long episodes!
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4-04-2008 @ 9:32AM
fred said...
Why is there a "Pt. 1" on the title, you seem to be talking about both episodes 14 and 15, no ?
Anyways, I didn't like the old classic sitcom bits either, it wasn't funny and actually got boring. In fact, I found myself reacting to those scenes as if they weren't actually part of the show/episode, but more like commercials.
It's not part of the show you love, sometimes you can see it tries to be funny but really isn't, and you can't wait for it to be over so you can get back to your beloved show !
"When the half-way point came around, I was starting to feel a little disappointed in this episode. It was pretty light on jokes."
I disagree with this though, especially half-way through. Everything about Randy stealing the ambulance and everyone trying to get Earl to the hospital was pretty hilarious I thought.
The faith healer bit, maybe not very funny, but with that & the classic sitcom bits, it felt to me as if they were just filling time to fill the full hour. Sometimes it's much better to stick with the usual half-hour format, just ask The Office !
http://tvoholic.com/episode-reviews/my-name-is-earl-i-wont-die-with-a-little-help-from-my-friends/
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4-04-2008 @ 9:36AM
Cincinnati Mike said...
Jeff Zucker WAS painful to watch, but he actually got off the sharpest line of the hour, presumably in reference to the strike: "I invite you to re-watch these episodes online-- preferably within 17 days."
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4-04-2008 @ 9:39AM
freibooter said...
Sub-par compared to what? I really enjoyed the first two seasons of My Name is Earl - but something must have happened since because seasons 3 just feels so much different. And it's not the "Inmate 28301-016" storyline, the whole seasons just lacked the charm of the previous ones and it became surprisingly unfunny.
This episode just represents the whole third season for me - something has noticeably changed for the worse.
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4-04-2008 @ 1:19PM
Franklin said...
This was the season where the writers decided to veer away from "the list". I thought that was a bad idea and I blame that, at least partially, for the show being less than what it was in the past. I always though "The List" was one of the main characters and the entire reason for the show, so I'd like to see a return to weekly episodes fueled by it.
4-04-2008 @ 9:39AM
Ray said...
The best part of the episode was the Jeff Zucker intro. I think the downhill trend started way before the writer's strike, and they've now continued it through with this awful episode.
J-Z out!
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4-04-2008 @ 10:27AM
Rico said...
Do you think that maybe, just maybe the classic sitcom bits weren't that funny was becasue they were mocking those types of shows? There was humor in the corniness of the classic sitcom.
I liked the episode, and I liked the classic sitcom bits.
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4-05-2008 @ 2:15AM
theConundrumm said...
nope, sorry... i checked twice... there was definitely NO humour in the 'classic sitcom bits"
4-04-2008 @ 11:11AM
Chip said...
You *liked* seeing paris Hilton? Ugh. The whole ambulance bit was amusing.
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4-04-2008 @ 11:18AM
Rico said...
Yeah, it was hot.
: - )
What I was saying is that I found the corniness and the terrible jokes and the awful laugh track amusing.
4-04-2008 @ 11:16AM
Lemon Lyman said...
"What would he have to be mad about?"
The rise of Xenu. Because He will rise again, soon. And even Tom Cruise won't be able do to a thing about it! So... beware.
All hail Xenu.
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4-04-2008 @ 12:14PM
MERVE-THE-PERVE said...
I thought the best part was when they were shooting the arrows straight up into the air! Randy started gagging and ran off and left Earl. I am still laughing my ass off about that. I agree about how lame most of this episode was. Jane Lynch shoulda had more lines.
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4-04-2008 @ 1:34PM
Dan said...
Please, just kill Paris Hilton already! Seeing her say "That's Hot" makes me want to throw up...how does ANYONE find her attractive? He face is so ugly and the fact that she's as awful of a person as she is should make people want to keep her off TV as much as possible. Other than seeing her, I actually liked the episode. But seriously, what purpose did she serve? I would have rather seen more shots of Alyssa Milano all dolled up like a 50s housewife instead of the hideous Paris Hilton!
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4-04-2008 @ 1:44PM
mj said...
Earl just isn't that funny anymore. And the ending seemed too abrupt. Yawn.
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4-04-2008 @ 1:47PM
Malren said...
"When the half-way point came around, I was starting to feel a little disappointed in this episode. It was pretty light on jokes."
What the? The first half was overloaded with jokes, one liners and silliness. It was the second half that fell totally flat and didn't pick up until the end.
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4-04-2008 @ 2:14PM
kevjohn said...
The only LOL moment for me was when all the doctors showed up carrying their coolers, ready to harvest dying Earl's organs, only to get shooed away by his friends. The rest of the episode was as flat as Alyssa Milano's pre-enhancement chest. There was nothing that inspired more than a chuckle from me. The re-runs of The Office were funnier and more unpredictable, and I've seen those episodes at least half a dozen times each.
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4-04-2008 @ 2:29PM
Thomas said...
I've not seen this yet, but the lack of jokes highlights something about Earl - it's not actually that funny. It's amusing and entertaining but it's not really funny.
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4-04-2008 @ 7:11PM
kickit said...
I enjoyed the episode, and am glad it is back, but at the same time wasn't thrilled with it either. I've never found the show to be HILARIOUS, but it's always entertaining. Lately, though, the show is seemingly becoming more and more improbable... and downright stupid. Like the whole stealing the ambulance thing, the faith healer, Earl riding around on a wheeley bed, the fact that Randy isn't being prosecuted for making the EMT guys WALK back with Alyssa Milano's character.. presumably making her and Earl's condition worse. The show has always required you to have a little faith.. with the whole karma thing.. but that doesn't mean that whole episodes should be completely out of touch with reality. But this episode, for most part, was indeed out of touch with reality. I did, however, like the emotional moment in the closing moments with Randy and the list, and I thought it was a good way to end the episode.
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4-05-2008 @ 12:10AM
Jennifer said...
Wow. Worst episode ever. Not even funny enough for 20 minutes. Very sad. The Zucker thing was the only good part.
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