My Name Is Earl/Pilot

Pilot
1x01
Airdate	September 20, 2005
Production Number	1ALJ79
Written by	Greg Garcia
Directed by	Marc Buckland
← 1x01 Pilot	1x02 → Quit Smoking
My Name Is Earl — Season One

Pilot is the first episode of the first season of My Name Is Earl, and the first episode overall.

Guest Stars: Gregg Binkley (Kenny James), Dale Dickey (Patty), Carson Daly (Himself), Frank Collison (Mr. James), Laura Gardner (Mrs. James), Trace Adkins (Himself), Michael Avery (College Guy), Willam Belli (DJ), Deborah Cresswell (Wanda), Leo Fitzpatrick (Sonny), Noah Crawford (Young Earl)

Plot Overview

"You know that guy you see going into the convenient store when you stop off in that little town on the way to grandma's house? Sorta shifty lookin' fella who buys a pack of smokes, a couple lotto scratchers and a tallboy at ten in the morning? The kind of guy you wait to come out before you and your family go in? Well, that guy is me. My name is Earl."

The pilot episode introduces us to Earl J. Hickey and many of the people close to him. Earl is a guy who's never done anything good, and would steal anything that wasn't nailed down. Six years ago he met Joy, his bride to be. That same night, after much drinking, they drove to Vegas and got married. Only the next morning did he realize that Joy was six months pregnant. Two years later Earl was having a baby of his own with Joy... or so he thought, until Earl Jr. came and didn't look much like him. Although many ask him why he stays with his cheating wife and two kids that aren't his, many also probably ask Joy why she hasn't thrown out her good-for-nothing husband and his brother, Randy, who sleeps on their couch. The three of them spend their days hanging out at Earnie's Crab Shack, where they're served by Darnell, a.k.a., "Crabman."

One day, all of that would change, when Earl wins a $100,000 lotto scratcher, and then is immediately hit by a car, losing the ticket. While he's recovering, Joy divorces him, and moves in with Darnell, noting that Earl Jr. really should be with his real father. It was then that Earl decides, based on the words of Carson Daly, that the reason all these bad things were happening is because he's never done anything good. Karma was coming back to haunt him. So he makes a list of everything bad he's ever done - 259 lines long - in the hopes of making up for them, one by one.

After Earl and his brother check into a motel, where they meet the cleaning lady, Catalina, he gets to work on his list, starting with #136: "I've been a litterbug." Soon after, the $100,000 lotto ticket is found. It was working!

After collecting the money, and installing the car alarm he always wanted, Earl gets back to the list. He decides to do an easy one, #64: "Picked on Kenny James." Earl notices that Kenny is pretty lonely these days, so to make up for all the abuse he'll find Kenny a woman. But after Kenny turns down sex from a daytime hooker it becomes evident that what he really needs is a man. This revelation cause Earl to take Kenny off the list, but Karma struck back, and he realized he would have to deal with Kenny afterall.

In the end, Earl helps Kenny out by accompanying him to a gay bar, and gives Kenny back his confidence by accepting him. It is also revealed that it takes Randy 15 beers before he'll dance with another man in a gay bar.

Notes

• Director Marc Buckland won an award for this episode from the Director's Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for 2005.

Arc Advancement

Referbacks

Earl flashes back to his childhood when he, Kenny , and their classmates were playing kickball, and when Kenny was about to win, Earl threw the kickball at his testicles.

Earl flashes back to a day when Randy drank more than four beers, when Randy shaved a cat.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• Emmy: This episode won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards.

Deleted Scenes

• Earl, Randy, and Kenny are waiting to get in to the gay bar when college students come to a stop in their convertable. One of them shouts "fags!" Earl walks over, pulls out the shouter, and punches him, telling him to learn about tolerance. Kenny stops him, and Earl gets the guy's name to put "Punched a college guy" on his list. Due to this being a deleted scene, it is not considered canon. Additional Cast: Michael Avery as the college guy.

Quotes

• Earl: Some people might think gettin' so drunk you accidentally marry a woman that's six months pregnant is a good reason to stop drinking. Personally, I think it's a good reason to keep drinking.

• Earl: I'm here to help ya.
  Kenny: I don't need your help.
  Earl: You just gave up a chance to have free sex with a daytime hooker. You need my help.

• Earl: (handing Randy some money) Here, go get us a couple cheeseburgers from the machine.

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