My Name is Earl Fodder

My Name Is Earl: Sticks and Stones

Watch the full episode here.

Yeah yeah, I know, this episode is a rerun. It originally aired 10/5/2006, but that was before TV Fodder started doing episode recaps so it's new to us. Let me just say that this episode is truly reflective of what this show is all about. The writing and casting are great, all the characters are true to their selves, a good story is well-told, there's a very nice dichotomy between the "A" and "B" stories, the situation (for a sitcom) is (reasonably) believable, and Earl crosses an item off his list. It really seems to bother some people when there's an episode where Earl doesn't cross something off his list. As long as the episode is entertaining that's all I care about. Also, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the casting folks and whoever selects the music for this show. Exceptionally well done. Not that they'll ever read these words, but Karma being Karma, I ain't takin' no chances. Now I'll climb down from my soapbox and start with the recapping!

The ep opens with Earl and Randy restraining an oversized motel maid in a chair (sans duct tape like they did to Donny's mom). Catalina is applying a hair-removal strip to Wilma (the large maid) 's upper lip. Earl's VO compares pitching in to remove Wilma's mustache like the Amish community pitching in to build a barn. Seems to be a similar amount of effort involved. (When this ep first aired it was just after the shooting at an Amish school in PA where five girls were killed. The network edited out the word Amish.) Catalina yanks the strip and Wilma slaps her so Catalina slaps her back even harder. Looking at the little strip of sticky hairy paper reminds Earl of # 91 – Made Fun of Maggie Lester.

Flashback: It's 1984. Earl is in Williamsburg Junior High School (coincidentally the same school that exec producer Greg Garcia went to). Earl's teacher brings in a new student (they seem to get a lot of new students) named Maggie Lester. The teacher explains that Maggie the new student is from Arizona and her parents are divorced so let's make her feel welcome. Earl takes one look at Maggie's hirsute upper lip, and comparing her to the hottest TV star of the day, calls her "Maggie P.I." Maggie hung around WJHS for only a few months, just until she got home schooling.

Back to present day and Earl is in the Crabshack leafing through the phone book looking for Maggie Lester. Catalina can sympathize with Maggie's situation saying that children can be very cruel. Poor poor Catalina was treated badly at the hands of the children of her village. They called her Chuba Chups, which she says means Lollipop, because her head was so big and her body was so small she was always tipping over. (Boy, did she ever get revenge on them.) Earl finally locates Maggie's address. She lives in Shady Grove (which may or may not be a play on Shady Rest from Petticoat Junction), just a stone's throw from Camden.

Meanwhile, Joy is getting ready for her meeting with her public defender. She's up on charges for Grand Theft Auto and Kidnapping. This is her third strike – if she's convicted – and she's looking at doing time. So she's spraying her legs to make 'em look leggier, and she even asks Darnell if her thong is visible when she bends over. Darnell peruses Joy's backside carefully and at length and fails to see a whale tail. Joy smiles her mission accomplished smile and gives Darnell some rolled up tube socks and tells him to stuff them down his pants in case the lawyer is gay. Darnell feels he really doesn't need 'em but he's happy to comply.

Earl and Randy have made their way to Shady Grove and are walking up to Maggie's front door. While Earl is knocking, Randy sadly says under his breath that he's never gonna find anyone to love him. Earl didn't quite catch that and asks Randy to repeat himself, but Randy just says that maybe they're at the wrong house. Just at that moment, a fully-bearded Maggie Lester (played by Judy Greer) opens the door. Nope, says Earl, we're at the right house.

(Editor's Note - I don't normally do this but I'd like to take a moment to discuss one of my new favorite young actresses, Judy Greer. She has an extensive bio, is a classically-trained ballet dancer (like Jaime Pressly), and is quickly climbing up my list. She's stolen scenes in more than a few movies starring better known actors including Three Kings (in which she had a memorable love scene with George Clooney), Jawbreaker, (she played Fern/Vylette), What Women Want (suicidal file clerk Erin), Kissing a Fool (with Jason Lee), I Love Your Work (with Jason Lee and Giovanni Ribisi aka Ralph), Family Guy (on which Greg Garcia was a Consulting Producer), and has twice played a character named Kitty in The Village and Arrested Development. Also, she was in The Moguls with Jeff Bridges, who is the brother of Beau aka Earl's dad, Carl. And she ain't overly hard on the eyes.)

Back to our story...

Earl reminds Maggie of his former adolescent meanness. She remembers him but has harbored no hostility. She even invites the boys in for cookies. Earl explains his list and tells Maggie that he has to make it up to her. He offers to wax her face -- or her car -- Maggie tells him that she's accepted her facial hair, that it's who she is. "It's my life, it's my job," she says. Job?, asks Earl. Turns out Maggie works in the freak show in the Witzel Traveling Circus (BTW - the writer of this ep is Danielle Sanchez-Witzel) and has done all right for herself. When she's not travelling with the circus she's into home remodeling and is quite good at it. Randy just wants to touch her beard. Maggie finally lets him. "It's so soft," admires Randy. She genuinely forgives Earl, putting his insensitive behavior down to childish spirit. Maggie tells Earl that now that he's truly gotten to know her and her him, he can cross her off his list.

Earl's feeling pretty good about himself as he and Randy leave Maggie's house. As they approach the sidewalk, a little person runs past. "He's off to see the wizard," chuckles Earl. Randy looks over and sees a very tall man low-five the little person. Randy says that the tall guy looks like a Stretch Armstrong. Then they both see a very round woman washing a very round pig. Randy thinks they may have inadvertantly crossed into Toon Town. But Earl realizes that they must be in a freak town, where the freak show freaks live when they're not traveling with the carnival. It's too freaky for the boys, and they're looking to high-tail it outta there. Earl stops short. He realizes that he's repeating his Maggie Lester mistake all over again. He's judging people without getting to know them, and that's not why Karma brought him to Shady Grove.

So Earl takes Randy back to Maggie's house and tells Maggie what he'd like to do. She thinks it's a great idea. Must be time for a barbecue!

Cue music bed - Nothin' From Nothin' by the late great Billy Preston. Little Willie's donned the chef hat and apron and is doing a heck of a job at the grill. He tells Randy that the beef is Black Angus. Randy feels that he can't eat the burgers now that he knows the cow's name. Kevin is an interesting guy – he has an actual horn sprouting from his forehead. (Now that must've been a painful birth.) Randy asks Kevin if he can take his head on planes. Not since nine-eleven, says Kevin. Kevin restores antique cars and has finished over twenty of them. Tall Paul dabbles very successfully in the stock market. And Big Jean (the round lady) gives excellent neck rubs. Earl nominates Kevin for the next neck rub, but Kevin points out that he doesn't have a neck. Oh yeah, says Earl, I didn't notice. Yeah, agrees Kevin, the horn kinda steals the show. And Tommy the lobster-handed (aka Ectrodactyly or Karsch-Neugebauer syndrome) boy teaches Earl (the ex-professional skateboarder) how to ride a skateboard without falling off.

Joy is at her lawyer's office. She meets Doug, the man she believes to be her lawyer and tells him (wink wink), "I'm glad you're the one who's gonna be handling my briefs." Doug is not her lawyer, he tells Joy, but he'll be happy to go get her. Enter Ruby Whitlow (played by Marlee Matlin - see below). Doug and Ruby are speaking in sign language. Joy does not want a woman lawyer, one whose " -- ears are only good for holding up glasses." She speaks louder and slower and tells Ruby that " -- you can bag my groceries or even greet me at Wal-Mart, but I'm not comfortable putting my life in your deaf hands." Ruby ain't about to take no guff from Joy and tells her that she is Joy's court-appointed lawyer, and that Joy's only other option is to represent herself. Ruby may have overstepped the bounds of professional legal advice when she calls Joy an ignorant white trash whore. Ouch. Joy leaves in a huff. Darnell slowly places a quarter on Ruby's blotter and takes her pencil. Why? I do not know. Escobar A-Lop-Lop would've just stolen it.

(Editor's Note - Marlee Matlin grew up in the Chicagoland area, and when she was twenty she won a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her work in Children of a Lesser God. She has appeared in numerous television shows including Reasonable Doubts, Picket Fences, West Wing, Seinfeld, and Desperate Housewives. On February 4, 2007, she performed the Star Spangled Banner in American Sign Language at Super Bowl XLI in Miami, Florida. The Chicago Bears lost to the Indianapolis Colts.)

Back at the barbecue and the gang's playing ring toss on Kevin's horn. Kevin being a little over-served it seemed only natural. Willie the short-order chef (sorry but I just had to) is beating Randy again. Randy tells Earl that those freaks can really toss a ring. Earl tells Randy that freaks don't like to be called freaks by non-freaks. It's kinda like when black guys call themselves -- you know -- Earl can't finish. Brother Man?, suggests Randy. Just don't call 'em freaks, Earl tells Randy.

Tall Paul suggests moving the festivities to Shady Pond so they can skip stones. Everybody's cool with that except for Tommy who might need some help with the flinging. So everybody hops into Earl's El Camino and off they go. But when Earl decides to take them on a little detour to get some ice cream the carnies beat feet. Earl finally catches up to Maggie back at her place. He wants to know why everybody took off. Maggie explains to Earl that they all live in Shady Grove for a reason. That when they're not working they don't want to be treated like freaks. Maggie tells Earl that he couldn't possibly understand what it's like to be pointed at and laughed at.

Maggie's comment reminds Earl of something that he hadn't thought about in years. Flashback to junior high Earl climbing the high dive ladder at the school pool. Gym Coach Lou down on the deck tells Earl to either take off his t-shirt or come back down the ladder. Earl reluctantly sheds his shirt. His nipples are extra hairy, and all the kids in the pool laugh and point at him. They call him Rasta Nipples. (I woulda thought Ewok Nipples - this was after all just after ROTJ.) He is utterly embarrassed, and to this day, Earl still does not like to take off his shirt in public. And yes, Earl tells Maggie, his nipples are still very hairy but at least his chest has caught up with them. So Maggie asks Earl if he ever jumped off the high dive. Earl says no. And Maggie asks him if he ever confronted the people who taunted him and Earl says no. So you ran and hid, says Maggie, just like us. The penny finally drops for Earl. Randy tells Earl that he thought Earl's nickname was Pasta Nipples, and that he thought it was odd that all those people who weren't Earl's brother should know what Earl's nipples tasted like.

Joy's in the Crabshack reading "Busted! Now What?" She dismissed her court-appointed public defender and the only legal counsel she can afford is herself. Joy soon realizes that this legal stuff is just a tad more complicated that she thought, why, most of it's even in Latin! ("Semper in faecibus sumus; sole profundum variat.") Joy says that she " -- needs the dummies' guide to the dummies' guide." It's a little ironic because Joy has a habit of calling people "dummy". Darnell, looking over her shoulder, displays an uncanny depth of knowledge and familiarity with legal nomenclature and jurisprudence. He also shows that he knows the difference between a llama and a dromedary. Joy realizes that she is going to have to apologize to Ruby.

Next morning at the pool and Earl is confronting Coach Lou. He makes the mistake of poking Coach Lou's chest in front of the class and gets his ear twisted in return. Looks quite painful. But it's the motivation that Earl needs to do what he should have done years ago. He goes back to Maggie's house and tells the freaks that he's going to jump off the high dive, Cousin Itt's on his chest and all, and he'd like them all there to witness and support. They're not having any of it and they all walk out on Earl, even Maggie. They're not quite ready to face the non-freak world.

Joy knocks on her lawyer's door but Ruby doesn't hear. Go figger. But Joy soon gets Ruby's attention and tries to apologize by talking loudly and slowly and with an epileptic hand. Joy knows that communicating with Ruby is going to be extrememly difficult so she's put it all down on " -- a blind people card with all the bumps on it." Ruby's still not quite sold on Joy's sincerity but then Joy gets to the heart of the matter when she explains that she is a mother and her kids need her (somebody's gotta kiss the boo-boo's on them little rotters), and she promises to give Ruby all the respect and dignity she deserves. Ruby senses Joy's desperation and agrees to represent Joy. But Ruby makes the mistake of saying it, and Joy just can't help herself and laughs at Ruby's inability to enunciate to Joy's demanding specifications.

Next morning at the pool and Earl is climbing the high dive ladder. He peers down into the water and sees his angst-ridden adolescent self staring back up at him. It's too much. Earl turns to head back down the ladder but the Shady Grove Gang is at the foot of the ladder. They've shown up after all, and with their support, Earl finally mans up and grows a pair. He takes off his t-shirt baring his Yeti nips and leaps off the board like Greg Louganis. To the strains of If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out by Cat Stevens the freaks join Earl jumping off the high dive and swimming in the pool. They all spend a wonderful day splashing around and then set out to follow their dreams by getting their dream jobs. Except for Tommy the lobster-handed boy who just wanted to be a kid. Nice dream that.

Cut to the the Crabshack and the Shady Grove gang is offering up a toast to Earl. The Witzel Traveling Circus may be going on, but it'll be without the company of its freak show. Voicebox Guy sitting at the bar sees the gang enjoying themselves and says to himself (and us), "What a bunch of freaks."

Closing scene and Earl and Randy are in bed. Randy wonders if the circus would want him if he grew a beard. Earl tells him that there just isn't that much curiousity about a man with a beard -- unless he were to set it on fire or something. Randy fails to find that option particularly attractive so it's FTB.

---

Posted by Randy on March 1, 2007 11:32 PM
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