Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! This week, I’m concluding my coverage of My Name Is Earl (2005-2009, NBC), which is currently available on DVD and Hulu!
My Name Is Earl stars JASON LEE as Earl, ETHAN SUPLEE as Randy, JAIME PRESSLY as Joy, NADINE VELAZQUEZ as Catalina, and EDDIE STEEPLES as Darnell.
Season Four is an improvement over Three because it returns to Earl’s list and the basic premise as established, free of any arcs or temporary trappings that undermine the series’ ability to consistently play to its situation in episodic story (aside from a brief but labored subplot where Darnell and Joy relocate as part of the Witness Protection Program). Of course, compared to the first two years, I’m afraid this slightly high-concept framework has lost its novelty, no longer capable of fruitfully generating ideas as fresh and funny. There’s more effort needed now — broader notions that stretch credibility and aren’t as well-attached to the characters, for while said characters are more developed and theoretically available to provide more support, Four doesn’t guarantee they will be regularly deployed to the best of their abilities. That is, there’s more of a divide this year between the premise-satisfying “checking off Earl’s list” shows and the more character or relationship-centric shows, and this season isn’t as good as One and Two were at fusing the two, for prior pushes to expand the concept out from personal, individualized amends to general altruism and charity have indeed broadened the overall situation, for better (when it can be funny and/or worthwhile for character) and for worse (when it can’t be). However, I think Four, despite fluctuations in content and tone, is ultimately okay — again, the series is just not as naturally exciting or clever as it seemed when new (that’s the curse of all idea-driven shows, even those with solid support from their characters), but this season, which ended up being its last, suggests that it probably could have maintained at least another year of a similar/acceptable standard. And this premature ending is unfortunate, for its truncated run has had the effect of blunting the series’ reputation in the genre, keeping it underrated compared to its more beloved and, frankly, sexier late 2000s contemporaries — The Office, 30 Rock, Parks And Rec, etc. Their excellence, proven more soundly via longevity, has tended to obscure the fact that My Name Is Earl actually was a top entry in the genre, specifically from 2005 to 2007. It’s not as terrific, no, and it’s certainly not a contender after Season Two, but, in totality, Earl set the stage for NBC’s late 2000s sitcom comeback and deserves more respect — and this is another decent list in evidence of its still-under-appreciated charms.
01) Episode 71: “Monkeys Take A Bath” (Aired: 09/25/08)
Earl learns that his mother once cheated on his father.
Written by Greg Garcia | Directed by Greg Garcia
After a gaudy season premiere with not-so-much character relevance, Four’s sophomore outing manages to set a straightforward example of how this show can easily satisfy both premise and character, as Earl’s efforts to check off another item on his list lead to the discovery that his mother once cheated on his father. Deploying people like this, whom we know Earl cares about, is the simplest way to immediately up his emotional stakes while using the situation, and with Beau Bridges and Nancy Lenehan back as reliable support, this becomes an above-average sample, representing My Name Is Earl’s most reliable narrative conditions.
02) Episode 72: “Joy In A Bubble” (Aired: 10/02/08)
Earl finally gets Joy a hot tub — with unfortunate results.
Written by Jessica Goldstein & Chrissy Pietrosh | Directed by Michael Fresco
There’s some nice continuity in this installment, as Earl finally gifts Joy the hot tub that she’s always wanted, but, of course, the plot takes a comical turn when she gets an infection and must be quarantined, leading Earl to assume some of her parenting duties, which opens up a discussion about Joy’s insufficiencies as a mother — a natural character-based source of comedy and drama. In that regard, this becomes more a character and relationship show than a “list” show — but it’s an important one for Joy, who was sidelined too much last season and fortunately finds better usage here in Four, which also benefits from her restored prominence.
03) Episode 79: “Earl And Joy’s Anniversary” (Aired: 11/13/08)
Earl remembers the anniversary party that Randy threw for him and Joy.
Written by Danielle Sanchez-Witzel | Directed by Michael Fresco
As we’ve seen, flashback shows are guaranteed to hold some character value because, even though this narrative framework is a gimmick, it can often give us insight into the regulars and their history, which in turn fleshes out our understanding of them and theoretically opens them up for more, and more specific, story. But in addition to the material here for Earl, Joy, and Randy from the flashback, I also love the subplot, which takes advantage of the richly funny Camden ensemble — many members of whom are trapped in a phone booth. That’s a wonderful way to force a bunch of comedic characters to interact. (Jason Priestley guests.)
04) Episode 82: “Orphan Earl” (Aired: 12/11/08)
Earl learns that Joy is still continuing a scam that they started together.
Written by Michael Shipley | Directed by Marc Buckland
This entry does a good job tying together a basically premise-satisfying idea with an exploration of the main characters, as Earl’s efforts to cross off another item on his list uncovers the fact that a scheme that he and Joy used to participate in as a pair has been kept ongoing by Joy and her pals — she’s been regularly bilking people out of money in a ruse that they’re helping children in Africa. It’s an amusing notion that plays with Joy’s maintained rough edges, while also addressing Earl’s own past as a reprobate, and this therefore engages the situation well from all angles, showing off the leads with a list-based and character-supported story.
05) Episode 83: “Got The Babysitter Pregnant” (Aired: 01/08/09)
Earl makes amends to his former babysitter by helping her immature adult son.
Teleplay by Vali Chandrasekaran | Story by Patrick McCarthy & Erika Kaestle & Vali Chandrasekaran | Directed by Mike Mariano
Earl tries to make amends in this episode for something truly terrible that he did in his past — he poked holes in his babysitter’s condom, resulting in her pregnancy — and while that shocking logline is enough to earn this half hour some premise-rooted attention (especially with the affable Faith Ford cast as the grown up babysitter), I really appreciate that this story then becomes a bit of an examination of Randy and his relationship with Earl too, as the similarities between Randy and the babysitter’s adult-but-very-immature son offer lots of obvious comedy, and even some dramatic, character-based tension. (Peter Mackenzie also guests.)
06) Episode 87: “Friends With Benefits” (Aired: 02/12/09)
Earl becomes a spiritual guru to all of Joy’s new snobby suburban friends.
Written by Jessica Goldstein & Chrissy Pietrosh | Directed by Allison Liddi-Brown
Morgan Fairchild and Joan Van Ark lead a group of memorable guests in this excursion — the only viable selection from the time-wasting arc about Joy and Darnell temporarily relocating as part of the Witness Protection Program (which reinforces the continuity of his character, but isn’t a comedically or dramatically ideal way to spark story, taking them away from Earl and the rest of the situation). This installment smartly brings Earl into their new suburban enclave, where Joy is attempting to fit in with the other rich, snobby wives of the neighborhood — something that it looks like Earl will complicate, until he charms them with his talk of karma and do-gooding, which makes them want to enlist him as their spiritual guru. It’s a notion that uses the series’ core thematics and is supremely amusing. Speaking of amusing, the subplot where Randy is picked up by a gay man who thinks Earl was Randy’s ex-boyfriend also adds some easy but helpful laughs. (Other guests include Andrea Parker and Eric Allan Kramer.)
07) Episode 90: “Witch Lady” (Aired: 03/19/09)
Earl attempts to make amends to an elderly pariah known as Crazy Witch Lady.
Written by Michael Shipley & Matt Ward | Directed by Eyal Gordin
My choice for this season’s Most Valuable Episode (MVE), “Witch Lady” notably guest stars the Emmy-nominated Betty White as a mysterious older lady whom everyone in Camden torments, à la Boo Radley from To Kill A Mockingbird, because she’s weird and seemingly scary. Here, in Earl’s efforts to make amends to this “Crazy Witch Lady,” she proves herself to indeed be dangerous and insane when she chains him up in her basement and then captures the rest of the primary ensemble, along with several of the show’s amiable recurring players — among them the cop played by Mike O’Malley and Patty the daytime hooker (Dale Dickey), who’s revealed to be the Crazy Witch Lady’s daughter. Now, I didn’t cite this entry as one of Betty White’s best sitcom samples because, frankly, she got funnier and better-written material elsewhere. However, in the context of My Name Is Earl, this is probably the funniest and most memorable showing from this season, not only for its basic “amends” launching pad, but also for how it showcases the regular and peripheral characters, all of whom give the series color and help ensure that this is one of its jokiest, most amusing half hours. So, in working well for both character and premise, with plenty of comedy to boot, this is an easy MVE pick — nothing else stands out.
08) Episode 91: “Pinky” (Aired: 03/26/09)
Randy discovers that Joy was his long-lost first crush.
Written by Greg Garcia | Directed by Greg Garcia
This is another entry that connects Earl’s list to some character stakes within the core ensemble, as Earl has to make amends to Randy for sabotaging Randy’s possible romance with his first childhood crush — a girl named Pinky. That’s a fine setup for an episode, as it utilizes the premise and the series’ central relationship. However, its chosen twist is that Pinky was actually Joy, and from there I’m less enthused, for while I appreciate the added history and the comic reveal itself, I must admit that I think it’s a bit too cute and convenient to be fully believable and worthy of praise as a top-tier representation of Earl’s storytelling. That said, this is still a well-intentioned character show with the premise in support. (Bernie Kopell appears.)
09) Episode 92: “Bullies” (Aired: 04/16/09)
Earl tries to help a guy he formerly bullied while Randy overdoses on shark adrenaline.
Written by Vali Chandrasekaran & Hunter Covington | Directed by Eyal Gordin
Although this first appears to be just a list-oriented segment about Earl making amends to a kid he once bullied (Matthew Willig), it’s really a venue for some silly cartoony violence, courtesy of a subplot where Randy takes too much “shark adrenaline” and turns into an aggressive tough guy. That’s not the most appropriate idea within Earl’s regular ethos (and I don’t like how it’s motivated), but it’s too funny to ignore, and unlike many of the other too-ridiculous offerings from this broader final season, I appreciate that this at least has some genuine situation backing, for it not only uses the premise, but also predicates its humor on the basic turnaround of Randy’s character, with all this gimmickry only supporting him as the main attraction.
10) Episode 96: “Dodge’s Dad” (Aired: 05/14/09)
Earl tries to intervene when Joy reveals that Little Chubby fathered one of her kids.
Written by Alan Kirschenbaum & Danielle Sanchez-Witzel | Directed by Chris Koch
My Name Is Earl’s series finale — which ends on a cliffhanger, because everyone assumed the show would be renewed — is not really a good display of the premise. It’s mainly a story about the main characters and their relationships, playing with information on the paternity of Joy’s two kids, as she discloses that Little Chubby — introduced in Season Two and played by Norm Macdonald — is the eldest boy’s dad, leading to our ultimate discovery that Earl is actually his father, while the other child, long assumed to be Darnell’s, is none of theirs… That’s the ending. But the entry itself has fun with Macdonald and generally goes for big, bold laughs that asserts Earl’s comedic proficiency — one of the things for which it deserves more credit.
Other notable episodes that merit mention include: “Randy’s List Item,” which engages the premise and spotlights Randy but fails in its opportunity to explore the Earl/Randy relationship, along with some purely procedural list-based outings, “The Magic Hour,” a popular but gimmicky entry that guests Seth Green and finds the main ensemble helping him produce an unbearably dumb movie, “Stole An RV,” which guests Jerry Van Dyke and John Amos, “Sweet Johnny,” which guests David Arquette and Katy Mixon, and “Gospel,” which comically sees Earl trying to make amends to a pastor. I’ll also take this space to cite “Quit Your Snitchin'” for its decent Earl-focused logline, and the two-parter called “Inside Probe,” which is mostly structured as a Geraldo Rivera-led crime documentary about the Crab Shack — another attempt to recreate the magic of the original form-breaking COPS parody from Season Two, but without the novelty that helped enhance its humor over its gimmickry.
*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from Season Four of My Name Is Earl goes to…
“Witch Lady”
Come back next week for more sitcom fun! And stay tuned for a new Wildcard Wednesday!