# My Name Is Earl 11/01/07 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910 "2007-11-01T19:31:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/21 "2007-11-02T17:21:14Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] “The nuts of our heart…” [/QUOTE] Reminded me of the “bum of the mind” turn of phrase from Corner Gas. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/22 "2007-11-02T17:25:40Z")
I was underwhelmed by this episode as well even though there was some genuinely funny moments. The heated camera being one of my favorites. The original Cops episode was so much better. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/23 "2007-11-02T18:54:09Z")
[QUOTE=MGibson] I was underwhelmed by this episode as well even though there was some genuinely funny moments. The heated camera being one of my favorites. The original Cops episode was so much better… [/QUOTE] Yeah, I have to agree. The “Earl gets anally probed” torture gag was particularly unfunny. The accidentally-shot lamb (“Just take it… quickly!”) and Darnell’s grandma hopping over the hedge made me laugh, though. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/24 "2007-11-02T21:35:34Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] Ties in the _The Office_’s “The eyes are the groin of the head.” [/QUOTE] Bill McNeil: The eyes are the widows to the skull, my friend. Dave Nelson: Soul, Bill. The eyes are the windows to the soul. Bill McNeil: Yes, for those who have one. Sigh. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/25 "2007-11-03T01:46:27Z")
Not one of their better episodes. Felt stretched out to an hour; a good tight half-hour would have been better. Just how in the hell is a bumper car supposed to be driveable on the street? It’s an electric car powered by an overhead grid; take it away from the grid and it stops moving pretty quick. The overhead contact kept sparking; was it contacting the Invisible Electricity Fairy? ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/26 "2007-11-03T01:58:20Z")
Duh…it was attached to a skyhook. I didn’t like the first half at all, but I found myself laughing like Joy on a bender as each joke in the first half paid off, one by one, in the second part. A bit broad but overall pretty good. I did love Big Pussy giving Randy some respeck at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/27 "2007-11-03T08:30:39Z")
Episode wasn’t bad. Wasn’t the greatest. Original Cop Episode was great. However, there were some great parts. “This was supposed to go to Camden NJ but in a Post 9/11 world its every town for themselves!” “Get the kids out of here. It’s going to be worse than 9/11” The parts with the hands on Patty was GREAT. All those guys took off for the glue. lol. Randy trying to scare the trash man! ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/28 "2007-11-03T22:48:50Z")
When the fireworks started, there was a quick shot of two people, wearing white t-shirts with something printed on them. What did their shirts say? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/29 "2007-11-03T23:08:12Z")
[QUOTE=BiblioCat] When the fireworks started, there was a quick shot of two people, wearing white t-shirts with something printed on them. What did their shirts say? [/QUOTE] The teen girl’s said: World’s best mother. Her mom’s said: World’s best Grandma. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/30 "2007-11-04T00:16:20Z")
I thought it was pretty lame. The original show was a clever idea. Now it just feels like they were out of ideas. Or maybe they were already on strike in their minds. Either way, they called in this episode. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/31 "2007-11-04T00:34:49Z")
I liked when Randy stole the cop car with Joy, Earl, and Kevin and Earl talked about running to Canada. Joy’s comment: “You know Canada’s laid back. They got a pot leaf on their flag.” ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/32 "2007-11-04T02:12:02Z")
They need to get Earl out of prison. The plots are as confined as he is- it either has to be about a prisoner or a flashback episode and both are getting old. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/33 "2007-11-04T11:11:10Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] They need to get Earl out of prison. The plots are as confined as he is- it either has to be about a prisoner or a flashback episode and both are getting old. [/QUOTE] Totally agree. I have been very disappointed in this year’s episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/34 "2007-11-05T00:18:08Z")
I’ve mostly liked this season, but this episode pretty much sucked. Felt very forced. The first Cops episode was great, but there was no reason to do it again. Not completely without laughs, but not a good episode at all. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/35 "2007-11-05T00:40:17Z")
My favorite scene was when Earl and Randy busted into the trailer where it was obvious to the viewers that Crabman and Joy were interrupted _in flagrante_. Earl points the heatseeking device on Joy and when it registers heat, he jumps on her, remarking that he can skip the kissing and get straight to business. He asks Randy if he remembers the rule, that Rany must turn and face the wall if Earl and Joy are getting busy with Randy in the same room. Randy sighs and says he knows, which means that that rule has been drilled into his head multiple times. Then when everyone is distracted, Crabman emerges naked from the curtains where he had been hiding when he and Joy were interrupted. The scene was a lot funnier than this recitation. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/36 "2007-11-05T01:29:58Z")
Actually, I say kudos to the Earl writers for sending Earl to jail. The sitcom TV world is pretty predictable. A plot might center around something huge/life-changing happening to a character (death, winning the lottery, going to jail, losing the job, etc) and the American TV-watching public says “nah, it won’t happen - he’s the main character! They can’t base next season off of that! That’d change the whole direction of the show!” It happened on _Roseanne_ and it sort of changed the direction of the show. Unfortunately it crashed and burned in the end, but at least it was interesting. Personally, I think it was ballsy for the writers to make us think Earl was going to jail - and then he actually does go to jail. No deus ex machina to get him out of it. And then we think “well something funny will happen and he’ll get out in 3 weeks…” but he doesn’t. And the writers have to come up with different ways to deal with the plotlines because they put the main character in jail. Same thing with _House_. I was thinking “nah, they won’t fire the crew. They’re a huge chunk of the characters and the plot!” but they DID fire the crew. Now they’re toying with us to see if they will come back." We still don’t know if they’ll come back or what part they’ll play in the rest of the show. I think it makes things a little more interesting and gives the writers a chance at creativity. People have quietly pondered what will happen if Earl runs out of list items. Well the writers took care of that right off the bat. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/37 "2007-11-05T01:58:23Z")
I also admire the show’s writers for not springing Earl from jail right away. But they’re not stepping up to the plate with episodes like “Creative Writing” or “Our Other Cops Is On.” Even though I’ve liked the episodes, they make the writers look bored with their own story arc. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/38 "2007-11-05T05:40:21Z")
I’d just as soon Earl got out of prison sooner rather than later. He’s got to get back to his list… the first list (or as close he can come to reconstructing it, now)… that’s his whole _raison d’etre_ (or ought to be)! He’s got to get back to doing good deeds for the folks he screwed over, pre-lottery ticket. I don’t even think the word “karma” has been mentioned this season. ---
**Author:** ![chrissysissystar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5e9695/32.png) [@chrissysissystar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrissysissystar)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/39 "2007-11-05T17:34:29Z")
Do they really need to? Because this whole season is shaping into an example of karma - what you do affects everyone around you. [ul]Randy’s had to get a job.[/ul] [ul]Joy has had to feel guilty about something and act on it (ever so briefly).[/ul] [ul]Earl’s realizing that his life before the list was filled with layabouts and outright criminals.[/ul] And I like the Cops episodes because we get more backstory on everyone. There’s nothing wrong with Kathy Kinney on a Segway. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910/40 "2007-11-05T18:09:20Z")
I’ve liked this season more than I expected to, since I dreaded jail episodes. So far it has been far better than last year, which had too many continuing plot lines, but far worse than season one. But I agree that they got to spring Earl. Having him face his past is far funnier and more interesting than flashbacks where he and Randy steal stuff. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-name-is-earl-11-01-07/424910.md?page=3)