My Name is Earl Fodder

My Name Is Earl: Randy's List Item

This was one of those episodes that you settle into like an over-stuffed easy chair. You're not looking for Shakespeare or cinema verite...just a relaxing comfortable fit. A comedy sweatshirt if you will. Not the best episode, but more watchable than 95% of anything else on TV. Let's get to recappin'!

Earl and Randy have moved into Joy and Darnell's abandoned trailer. Everything's still covered with plastic, so for Randy that means going to the bathroom does not necessarily require a trip to the bathroom. The lovely Catalina drops off the boy's mail as the USPS is still worried about that darn mailbox sniper (Easter egg for future episode?). And lo and behold what have we here? Randy's received his birthday card from his not-quite-all-there grandma (who thinks he's Abraham Lincoln), and enclosed is a scratch-off lottery ticket. Zowie! It's a winner! Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition because Randy's just won $250. In his excitement, Randy, aping Earl's pilot episode lottery-winning jubilence, raises his hands heavenward, runs outside, woo hoo's, and is promptly felled by a pig-tailed tweener on a Schwinn. In a dazed horizontal stupor, Randy watches his lotto ticket waft away on the breeze.

Joy and Darnell have been re-located by the Witness Protection Program folks because of Joy's appearance on Estrada or Nada. And by the looks of their new digs, the WPP-ers aren't pleased. Welcome to New York, says the G-man. At least, that's what I think he said because his actual voice was drowned out by the El train rumbling past right outside the window.

Randy's convinced his recent happenings are Karma's way of telling him that he, like big brother Earl, is now on the Karma train, and must start righting wrongs. He's excited to start his new career, so he's quaffing a mug of Space Beer (Tang and Dharma beer one assumes) and watching Carson Daly. Carson, if you recall, was the one who inspired Earl four seasons ago. And it works. Mr. Daly mentions one Andrew Dice Clay, and that reminds Randy of a less-than-noble deed he once perpetrated: Stole Earl's Andrew Dice Clay Belt Buckle.

Back in their larceny-tainted days of yore, Earl and Randy acquired some new neighbors, Zeke and Arlo Cavanaugh. Earl and Zeke hit it off smashingly, entering wacky contest after wacky contest in pursuit of free t-shirts. It was little brothers Randy and Arlo who had nothing more to discuss once they got past comparing scabs and birthmarks. So Randy came up with a surprisingly intricate scheme for breaking up Earl and Zeke. He stole Earl's belt buckle and framed Zeke. It worked. In retaliation, Earl burned all of Zeke's hard won t-shirts, and the friendship was off. Randy had his Earl back.

So now, Earl and Randy both have to add Zeke to their respective Karma lists. They go to visit Zeke and Earl lets Randy explain the sitch. Everyone agrees that to set things right, Earl and Zeke must resume their friendship and their free t-shirt scoring endeavors. And soon, like Forrest and Jenny, they're peas and carrots again.

Meanwhile, in Gotham, Joy's had it up to her peroxide weave with their new accommodations. Living above a dry cleaner might be all that to some, but it ain't working for Joy, who's still holding on her dreams of becoming Goldie Cristál. Poor Dodge just wants to know which side of the kitchen sink is the bathroom. (Kinda reminded me of Bill Henrickson's dad - played by Bruce Dern - on Big Love. A sink-pee-er from way back.) Joys hollers their true identities out the window, and the jolly g-men, actually a man and a woman, are knocking on the door with new identities in hand. But the lumberjack camp isn't much better. Darnell as Lars Noordvisk? He's good, but he ain't that good. Joy hops up on a stump loudly proclaiming their true identities, and it's g-man and g-woman to the rescue once again.

While Earl and Zeke are off glomming on to yet another free t-shirt, Arlo is feeling neglected, alone and miserable. What else can a lonely boy do but set fire to his brother's t-shirts? Randy figures out his true Karma quest is re-uniting the brothers Zeke and Arlo. He just doesn't know how to do it. So it's off to the Crabshack for a little brain lubricant. Talking to Arlo, Randy figures out that Arlo just doesn't know how to be a good little brother. So Randy passes on the extent of his hard-earned knowledge and experience. Arlo is an eager and apt pupil.

The WPP agents have got the Turners situated in an igloo. They think they've finally got Joy buffaloed. They obviously don't know Joy all that well. But there's one thing that Joy does know very well, and that's the signs of marital infidelity. Both agents display classic signs of forbidden love...a Luther Vandross CD, a missing earring, an askew tie. Joy threatens to drop a bombshell if Goldie Cristál doesn't get her swanky crib on a palm tree-lined boulevard. (Joy: "Hello, Agent Scully. Is this the X-Files? Or the Triple X-files...") So the Turners loaded up the truck and it's off to Bev-er-leeeee...

Back at the trailer park, both sets of brothers are re-united. Earl and Zeke are basking in bonhomie, but Randy and Arlo not so much. Randy quietly instructs Arlo to Play Little Brother, and verbally assaults him with a "What are you, from the State of Douche-achusetts...?" This causes Zeke to rush to his brother's defense. Which in turn causes Earl to rush to his brother's defense, accusing Zeke of being "..the Mayor of Ass-ylvania..." So Zeke and Arlo storm off, leaving Earl and Randy in the dust.

Surprisingly, Earl is much satisfied with this turn of events. Earlier, Zeke had been complaining to him that he was jealous of Earl and Randy's relationship. So Earl passed on the extent of his hard-earned knowledge and experience of how to be a big brother. Zeke was an eager and apt pupil. So when Randy started in on Arlo, Earl nudged Zeke to Play Big Brother.

Randy attempted to close the episode using Earl's patented And That's The Name Of That Tune eyebrow raise. But Earl stopped him saying, "That eyebrow raise? That's kinda my thing." Roll credits.

END OF EARL'S JOKE: The bartender says, "Hey, you've got a ship's wheel attached to your crotch." And the pirate says, "Yeah, and it's driving me nuts."

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Posted by Randy Welk on February 6, 2009 10:50 AM
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