My Name Is Earl (TV Series) The Birthday Party (2007) User Reviews

Perhaps the best of the season?

[t_smitts · 10/10 · 23 September 2007]

It's not the first birthday Earl's had since he started his list (That was the one Joy and Crabman scheduled their ill-fated first attempt to get married on in "Joy's Wedding", remember?) but it's been over a year since Earl resolved to turn over a new leaf and he thinks it's a good time to reflect on all the good he's done in the past year. Unfortunately, his family and friends seem to think otherwise, constantly bringing up his past misdeeds.

This was a fun episode, one that's centered on how much Earl's changed how much everyone recognizes it (or not).

As usual, things work out in the end. I'd rather not say how but I will say there's some nice touches along the way. Having Earl's dad specifically mention that Earl's done a lot of good in the past year is particularly satisfying, given how estranged they were when we first met him in "Cost Dad the Election". Any episode where Silas Weir Mitchell returns as Earl's friend Donny Jones is always welcome. Plus there's a cool little horror movie moment when Earl is confronted by Didi, his one-legged one-night-stand. This episode also happens to explain why she's so mad at Earl to begin with. (Did he ever give her back her car, anyway?).

Maybe not as thoughtful as the typical episode when Earl crosses something off his list and learns a lesson along the way, but one that nonetheless leaves you feeling good at the end.

(P.S. Check out Nescobar-A-Lop-Lop continuing his compulsion to steal pens.)

#178--Tried to Do An Episode without a Story

[zsenorsock · 5/10 · 16 February 2007]

This is an uncharacteristically weak episode that's mostly devoid of story and constructed mostly of comedy vignettes as Earl celebrates his birthday at the Crabshack.

Proud of a year of doing good, Earl is constantly reminded of all the bad things he's done in the past--the practical jokes he's played on Randy, the way he made fun of Joy when she was pregnant, the way he mixed up the Crabman's pot brownies and his regular ones, the time he peed in the middle of his parents' living room, etc. etc. We do get to see Beau Bridges back as his dad, Earl Hickey Sr. and the return of many favorites such as the one legged girl, Donnie Jones, the guys from Earl's "english as a second language" class and more, but the construction of this episode is pretty much one joke after another at the sacrifice of story and character. And once again Catalina is left with nothing to do.

In the end, the results are disappointing, especially for a "sweeps" show. Some of the jokes are funny, but in the end this episode points out how important story and character are to the success of "My name is Earl".