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« My Name Is Earl
Episode Recap: "Stole A Motorcycle"
I try my best to call them like I see them, and after seeing this episode, I'm sadly forced to call it lackluster. More often then not, if the first half of an Earl episode moves a little slow, it gives way to a lightning-quick laugh-fest in the second half. This wasn't one of those episodes.
Last week, Randy watched as crossing an item off of Earl's list led to a miraculous upswing in his vital signs. Determined to help his brother emerge from his coma, Randy spent his time this week trying to make up for another of Earl's misdeeds he and Randy once stole a motorcycle from the Teutul family of American Chopper fame, appearing here in a cameo which almost made the Hilton appearance seem good by comparison. Almost.
The slant on this mission was that Randy and Earl went on an alcohol bender after stealing the bike, so Randy (with Joy and Darnell) had to piece together the night detective-style in order to locate it. Now normally, this is the part of the blog where I inject a few funny lines because I'm too excited to wait until the end. Not so this time around. There were even a few jokes that seemed a little forced. The little exchange at the Crab Shack about witch hunts comes to mind. The characters that were introduced for this storyline seemed wasted as well for instance, I became excited to meet Homeless Joe and Shopping Cart Kim, but it didn't turn out as well as I expected.
Meanwhile, Earl is still sitcom-atose in the hospital. I appreciated this last week, but I should've anticipated how I'd feel after realizing this could go on a while. The classic TV mock-up wasn't 100 percent unfunny this time around, but it was dangerously close. This storyline may even be problematic when the coma is finally finished if the real romance doesn't pan out, we may be more disappointed than we might have been; even worse, we may be kind of over it when the time actually comes.
"General jackass-ery" is how the Hickey brothers' father apparently once described their behavior. I'll stop short of applying that term in respect to this Thursday's Earl installment, but I do hope things pick up a bit next week. This episode was most likely just a small hiccup along the way to having our Thursday night favorite back in full force. Let's all do an extra good deed or two meanwhile and see if karma rewards us next week.
But hey, we're still talking about one of the best comedies on television. Here's some of the funny moments that did happen:
"Check out the hawg." "Dibs! Where is she?"
"My comedy always has a message."
In the too-perfect world of the classic sitcom, Billie seems footloose and fancy-free with her flawless hair and makeup as she smiles and reports that her water just broke.
Randy, doing his best Lenny from Of Mice and Men, almost good-naturedly kills Earl twice in one episode.
The way Earl yelled "Time to die!" before hurling Randy into traffic.
Randy's peanut butter and jelly analogy.
While Earl and Billie consult a book of baby names, Randy peruses one of uncle nicknames.
One word: pantenna.
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Apr 11, 2008 12:06 AM
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Much like the character Earl, the show seems to be in a coma. Even Jamie Pressley, who usually makes me laugh just being on screen, seems bored. Earl and Earl need to wake up quick!
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Apr 11, 2008 8:49 AM
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I personally enjoyed the episode. It really focused more on Randy which I though was a nice touch. I thought his take on Earl trying to kill him was funny. I was laughing through the whole show. It has taken on a new format with the mini-show and it will be interesting to see what will happen with Billie once the show returns to normal with Earl out of the coma.
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Apr 11, 2008 10:28 AM
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*potential spoiler alert!*
While this episode wasn't near as funny as some of the others, I was completely drawn in by poor simpleminded Randy after finding out that Earl had tried to kill him. He was so innocent in saying, "I can't believe Earl tried to kill me! That's like Peanut Butter trying to kill Jelly! They're in the same sandwich!!"
And also...the whole "Benny Hill" shtick in the sitcomy world reminded me of a funnier time in TV comedy. Though I still don't completely understand why Earl was wearing a hockey mask/football helmet, whatever it was...
I also loved the big chicken gag. Don't ask me why, but I've always found inebriated grown ups in animal outfits somewhat hysterical.
It seems that Earl is getting closer to coming out of his coma (last week it was him not leaving on the sitcomy world and this week it was him taking Randy's hand...and squeezing!!)
I wonder how they are going to deal with the baby in the sitcomy world. Will it be Full House where we actually watch the child grow up or will they pull a Step by Step/Fresh Prince of Bel Air and age the child to be older?
Gotta say that I'm loving the whole "romance" between Billie, but I agree that I hope we're not being set up for future disappointment if the actual relationship doesn't work out. Wouldn't it be weird if Billie was in the same trippy coma and they were actually in love and woke up and ended up together?
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Apr 11, 2008 11:08 AM
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This show hasn't been funny all season. I'm really disappointed, I used to really look forward to Earl, now I just watch while I'm waiting for 30 Rock and The Office.
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Apr 11, 2008 12:14 PM
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i really love my name is earl i think it is so funny please keep show it it rules
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Apr 11, 2008 1:04 PM
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I'm in agreement that the show was not up to the level of quality humor that I'm used to. My heart sank a little when I saw Earl in the sitcom world. I thought that gimmick was just for last week's show. Now it's just wearing thin.
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Apr 11, 2008 6:32 PM
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Earl is about one bad episode away from being stricken from my schedule. Last week's ep was unfunny and this one was even...unfunnier. The entire sitcom in a sitcom thing is so unoriginal and hackneyed, I'm kind of surprised that the writers (often so great on this show) chose to employ it. And as another poster mentioned, I know it's not a good episode when even Joy doesn't make me laugh. Truly disappointed. I felt as if I were in a coma.
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Apr 12, 2008 10:28 AM
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While this wasn't the best episode ever, I can't see it was as terrible as a lot of people are making it out to be. It beats any episode of "Two and a Half Men."
Re: the old sitcom world--I thought it was hysterical that after giving birth in an elevator, Billie was still sitting in her wheelchair with her dress, hair, makeup, etc. perfectly intact, smiling away, and that the baby was a perfectly smiling two-month-old.
Re: the hockey stick and football helmet--Earl was lying in wait to attack the man who was coming over to the house to have his "rendezvous" with Billie.
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Apr 12, 2008 11:51 AM
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I'm not sure what the producers are trying to accomplish in this new season. But if they're trying to free up my Thursday evenings for me so I'd have more time for work, they're about one more lousy episode away from succeeding.
I grew up around a penitentiary's worth of Earls, Randy's, and Joys. And I've always been amazed at how the show managed to capture their mindsets and attitudes so well (if a little broadly) while still maintaining a genuine affection for them -- as real, live human beings trying to get through a life they don't quite understand as best they can.
But these episodes have reduced them to cartoons. There's no sense that they're anything other than subhuman objects to ridicule.
If you need your comedy to knock other people down so you can feel better about yourself, then these new shows are probably for you. For myself, if this next Thursday's show is no better than the last two episodes, I guess there'll be a hole in my weeknights I'll have to fill some other way.
-- Ed
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Apr 13, 2008 9:32 PM
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I'm going to have to agree with tdean. It may not have been the funniest episode ever, but I still thought it was watchable and unlike some other folks, I laughed everytime Joy said something. As usual. I enjoyed seeing the mystery of the bike unravel and nearly peed my pants when Randy "killed" Earl. As always I enjoyed Darnell and I LOVED the flashback to a time when their parents weren't "getting along".
I'm a huge Alyssa Milano fan (yayyy Phoebe) and am enjoying seeing her with perfect hair and makeup and adorable dress and then to see the tattoos on her ankles and back and neck. Brilliant!
I ain't mad at Earl!
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Apr 15, 2008 12:33 PM
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I have to agree that these last two episodes were simply not funny and the characters have become way too cartoonish. It's become simple slapstick comedy with no subtlety whatsoever. I got a couple of mild laughs out of this episode...like the pantenna...but otherwise I was not amused. Earl has been one of my favorite shows since it began but it needs to change directions quickly or I too will have some extra time on my hands.
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Apr 15, 2008 12:52 PM
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I honestly do not think I laughed one time during this episode. I have been so underwhelmed this season. I have to agree with those that are pretty darn close to dropping it...of course I won't. Of the four comedies now on Thursday nights, it has always been my least favorite, though I still think it is more entertaining than many of the "comedies" out there, so I will hang in there.
The character I always get a kick out of that I did not laugh at this week is Darnell. He and Mr Turtle are awesome.
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Apr 16, 2008 6:50 PM
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