TVSquad

The stunning news yesterday about the death of Michael Jackson conjured up many memories of the singer for me, as I'm sure it did for most people. For many of us, there was never a time when the Jackson Five and Michael were not part of pop culture. Little Michael and his brothers on The Ed Sullivan Show, their funky outfits when they sang on The Flip Wilson Show (much cooler than the Osmond Brothers!), Michael as the Scarecrow in The Wiz (a hideous movie, but he was quite good).

Well after leaving his brothers to become Michael Jackson, solo superstar, Michael hooked up with Paul McCartney for a couple of songs, "Say, Say, Say" and "The Girl is Mine." The latter was okay, but the former was terrific. They co-wrote it and it reached #1 on the charts in 1983. Those were the times when MTV really showcased music videos and the artists and labels invested in top-notch productions. It was, if you will, the golden age of music videos!

(S03E02) After a magnificent season premiere last week, it would have been difficult for this episode to come close. It didn't, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a very satisfying viewer experience anyway.

Michael can be such an ass at times, but underneath all of the bravado, he is a very vulnerable guy. He generally is hurt that Jim left the Scranton office for greener pastures in Stamford but, of course, Jim admits that he didn't leave because he hated Michael. We all know why he left, but he had to tell Michael about his rejection by Pam. We then see Michael do his best to be a friend to Jim, and when he just acts like a regular guy and not a combination of a comedian and businessman, he can be just fine.

As we began to learn more about Earl Hickey and his quest for karma, we find that he has become a much more compassionate man and is one who can't just walk away from a situation where he can lend a hand.

Number 62 on Earl's list of past transgressions was his siphoning gas out of a neighbor's Yugo (with the help of brother Randy). Earl decides to right his wrong, and finds that the owner by the name of Philo is a very depressed guy with no job, no friends, no nothing, who is determined to commit suicide. It turns out that Earl was actually saving Philo's life by stealing the gas since Philo was trying to end it all by sitting in his car with a line running the exhaust into the driver's area. The car always ran out of gas before anything happened. It's karma, I tell you!

Philo tries to get run over by a car or truck on the highway, but Earl and Randy prevent it from happening. They decide to help Philo find a reason to live by lifting his spirits. He can't find any joy in small talk, motel hockey, or Earl offering up Catalina (she refuses to be with him because of the smell), the boys learn that Philo has a crush on a girl. Of course, things get a bit stick when the girl turns out to be Joy, Earl's ex-wife and Darnell (Crab Man's) current wife.