You just sit right back, I'd like to tell you a tale. A tale of heartache and woe. A tale of a man who became something less than a man… and something more. A tale of prisoner 28301-016, and his name is Jean Valjean, or Earl, whichever you prefer.

As you may recall, the last time we saw our good friend Earl he was headed off to the big house, having confessed to a crime Joy committed in order for Joy not get her third strike. The show starts off with Earl distressed about being in prison, but at least he has his good friend Ralph in his cell with him. Or, he thinks he does, as Ralph, over the course of the previous night, pulled a Shawshank Redemption, covering a huge escape hole he was making with a poster of Dolly Parton. Sadly for our hero, Earl quickly finds himself mixed in with the general population as his cell is no longer escape proof. As Earl says, he now wakes up and has to check the two most important things he has, his man-bits and his hair.

What is poor Earl to do? Protection. Our hero needs protection and joining a gang seems like a possibility. He almost joins the white supremacists, but backs out because they want him to shave his hair, one of the two most important things he has. He then contemplates punching the biggest guy in the prison, but is too scared. So, he goes back to the notion of a gang and joins the old guys. Sadly, they allow him to join so they won't get picked on anymore, but faced with helping the old guys or the scary guys, Earl chooses to punch out a geezer. Now, despicable as that act is, honestly, given the choice, you would have hit the old guy too, right? I am not advocating violence in any way, but, given the choice…

With "join a gang" crossed off his list of choices, our hero is running perilously short of options, nothing save the clever stroke of a writer's pen can possibly save him now. Enter Sonny, an old friend of Earl's who just happens to be in prison too (a game of beer can tag with a cop gone awry). Sonny explains to Earl how to stay hidden by doing things like hiding behind big people and staying in the showers all day (that last one sounds like a dubious choice). Unfortunately for Earl, Sonny owes another prisoner Glen, who happens to know Earl too (and does not like 28301-016 at all). So, Sonny rats out Earl and Glen closes in for the kill (this is a two-part episode, so there are bound to be setbacks).

To make a long story relatively short, Earl is responsible for Glen's having ended up in jail, because Earl got Glen arrested when they were both young and Glen was a Camden Scout (the Boy Scouts having left Camden years ago). Thus, Glen is on Earl's list. Earl eventually figures out that Glen can be helped by having him earn two more badges so he can get a Camden Scout Honor Sash. As we all know, Earl helps Glen, Glen gets out of jail and lives happily until we next hear from him. Our hero.

That whole plot line has funny moments, but the real star of tonight's back-to-back episodes is Randy. Good old, lovable, goofball, nincompoop Randy. Randy, can't take care of himself, so Joy takes him in (to help Earl who saved her from going to prison). However, Joy can't take Randy's stupidity or Catalina's Earl hand-puppet sock, Little Earl. So, Joy teaches Randy to be self-sufficient, or, at the very least, to learn to look before crossing the street and to not put on clothes that you find in a sewer. Clearly good life lessons. At the end of the episode, the new and improved Randy, in his first act of self-reliance, smashes a car window so that he can end up in jail with his brother.

Some funny tidbits from along the way:

• In his first attempt to help Glen, Earl agrees to make him a shiv, and visits the shiv museum at the prison, getting to see all the different types, including the Tightie Whitie Mighty Fighty.
• Earl ends up in the "hot box" with Glen as a punishment and Glen comes up with umpteen creative ways to kill Earl, most of which I can't write out as this is a "family blog."
• Randy, in his not-knowing any better state, plays with a bug zapper, causing a blackout.
• Joy, in an effort to stop Randy talking at night duct tapes his mouth, then realizing he can't breathe due to his deviated septum takes the ink refill out of a ballpoint pen and jabs the hollow pen casing through the duct tape, which she learned on M*A*S*H.
• The albino gang needed to come up with a plan to get the shady part of the yard back.

Seriously though, I have one question for you. Randy's being dumb in this episode was funny, but is he just getting more and more foolish every episode? How can this possibly continue? To make Randy smart would change the dynamic completely, but can they keep coming up with new and insane ways for Randy to prove the miraculousness that he has survived this long?

You know who actually just plays dumb sometimes no matter how it seems? That's right, that fellow that writes stuff over at The TV and Film Guy's Reviews.

Comments

Solid episode, with several laugh out loud moments. Making Randy smart would be a daring move, since so much of the show depends on his stupidity, but if House can fire his whole team, Randy can become smart. When Earl asks if there are any Boy Scout leaders in prison, and several guys raise their hand... perfect example of the subversive humor in the show (and why this shouldn't be a "family blog").

AC | Sep 27, 2007 10:43:20 PM | #

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I'm surprised at how many recognizable tracks were used for the premiere. But yeah, EARL brings the funny whether its Catalina being harassed be thieves who sell stolen clothes back at ridiculous prices, Earl trying to hind behind the skinny guy (that just don't make sense), the giant big-ass rubber band, or the disturbing fact that Joy and Crabman are still "balancing their checkbooks."

pakopako | Sep 28, 2007 8:17:25 AM | #

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You have remember at the end of the episode, Randy stole a car so he could be in jail with Earl. That is the brillance of this show ...

MB | Sep 28, 2007 8:25:57 AM | #

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Another great episode--thus I hope another great year!! I wasn't sure it was gonna work with Earl being in jail--but it looks like it just might!! I don't remember Randy doing that at the end--to wind in jail with earl--& I watched the whole show!! OH WELL!! Should be another great year--maybe Earl will get out on a technicality!! Maybe Randy will get thrown in, & confess to doing joys thing, so earl can get out!! I can't imagine him being in for 2 yrs, so how long would that be in show time?? And what about his list?? Will he get it back?? Continue doing it?? What about his job?? Lawyer friend?? Just throwing some stuff out for consideration!!

Michele | Sep 28, 2007 8:58:40 AM | #

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A nice touch was the prison # for Earl.
Scooter Libby's number.

Scott | Sep 28, 2007 9:09:00 AM | #

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Scott - Wow, I didn't catch that, that is funny.

Michele - as MB pointed out, Randy smashed the car window and stole the car. He even was calling out to everyone that he was stealing a car (and I think asked them to put him in jail with his brother).

Josh Lasser | Sep 28, 2007 9:21:14 AM | #

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"To make a long story relatively short.." Relative to what... "War and Peace?"

Reading a blogger's writing has never been so much work for me. Osh Gosh B'Gosh, Josh. Stenography and blogging aren't one and the same! When did writing a recap become an exercise in total regurgitation?

Goph | Sep 28, 2007 1:40:48 PM | #

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"Hate's in your heart, not in your hair."

Cindy | Sep 28, 2007 4:03:52 PM | #

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Got to agree Josh. Better than your last blog but still dry and boring.

B | Sep 29, 2007 8:05:26 AM | #

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