I basically said all I had to say about last night's "My Name Is Earl" in Wednesday's column -- short version: the Zucker commercial was the funniest thing about it -- but anyone who wants to weigh in with their own opinions, feel free.
Friday, April 04, 2008
My Name Is Earl: Coma, C-O-M-A, coma
I basically said all I had to say about last night's "My Name Is Earl" in Wednesday's column -- short version: the Zucker commercial was the funniest thing about it -- but anyone who wants to weigh in with their own opinions, feel free.
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18 comments:
It reminded me of the three-camera episode of Scrubs: That really sucked, too.
An hour of my life I can never get back.
I've always enjoyed Earl, but I can't believe how awful that episode was. Everything seemed off. What was the deal with Catalina? She wasn't wearing make-up (or maybe they were going for the natural look) and her hair was just hanging there.
Of course the worst part is that is wasn't funny.
I know they can't all be home runs, but I'd prefer we avoid any more game-ending triple plays like that ep was. Yeeouch.
Just not good.
Luckily all the... better comedies return next week, so even if Earl remains in a slump, one of The Office, 30 Rock or Scrubs should make me laugh.
This ep was way too long ... I know it was technically two eps, but I wish they had just made it one 30 min episode and only used the funny parts.
Just a couple of questions:
1. Is this the first episode they mentioned that Officer Hoyne was twin brothers with the "slim" fellow who worked at that appliance store where Earl got a job with the cast of "Rudy"? I know they are both played by Billy Gardell, but I'm just wondering if they were trying to explain how he was playing multiple characters.
2. Did they get a new kid to play Young Earl in the flashbacks to his childhood tv watching? I hope not, since I think Noah Crawford looks just like Jason Lee?
While I didn't find the episode to be all that funny (with the exception of Crab Man's line about people spontaneously combusting all the time, thus explaining the amount of shoes hanging from power lines - that just cracked me right up) I will admit to tearing up a little when Randy said that he hoped Earl had "crossed enough off his list to get into heaven".
And like aypnancy, I'm curious if this is the first time they've explained Officer Hoyne and the warehouse guy's remarkably similar appearance.
I rather liked this episode. It may not have been the funniest episode, and there were some jokes that didn't work at all, but I enjoyed seeing all the supporting characters working well off each other. And the sitcom bits was a nice way to keep Jason Lee and Alyssa Milano on the show. I also like the way it looks like the show is going to finish out the season. Randy, Joy, Darnell, and Catalina will be helping Earl cross off his list to help Earl out of his coma, while Earl continues to live in his sitcom life. And I really hope Alyssa Milano stays on and becomes a regular next season. It's nice to see Earl with someone, and Alyssa Milano if just awesome.
(Tracey)
Thanks to Kelly for reminding me about that power lines comment: that one had me howling too. But overall I found this ep a bit disappointing. The ideas weren't terrible, but the execution was empty and failed to find the humor in their own ideas.
The subplot about the healer kid was not a bad idea, really, but they didn't seem to have much fun with it.
The idea of Earl having a 60s sitcom dreamworld was not terrible, but I got the feeling that the writers never actually watched a 60s sitcom, because they really didn't work that angle well.
Paris Hilton was just plain appalling; I don't know why they bothered. She didn't even deliver her trademark "that's hot" line well -- she delivers it better on a promo for one of our local TV stations (and she doesn't deliver it well there either). She's just painfully, painfully conscious of the camera.
I've always felt that Earl's weakest episodes were the ones where they go into some sort of fantasy or dream world. Last night's episode sealed the deal for me.
That was far from the worst Earl episode, but it wasn't great. The bits with the supporting characters were funny (Crabman's line being about the best), but the fantasy sitcom world really sucked the oxygen out of the episode.
The problem was the main character was in a frickin' coma! If Earl had been out and about, it would have been much funnier. And why have Alyssa Milano as a guest star, if she's only in the coma-land? That was a waste of a guest star spot.
I did laugh at Crab Man, too, and few other points...but the kid faith healer was just stupid.
Oh, and did anyone else recognize Indian doctor as Indian doctor from "Jericho"? Now that's some typecasting. I bet he's dying to play ANYTHING but a doctor with an accent.
True, but his "All there's left to do is pray. Bet you wish you had more than one God now!" was pretty awesome.
(Actually, I didn't realize he was Dr. Kenchy. So, at least he gets to play his Indian doctors in very different ways.)
I groaned when I saw that the ad for the next episode contained more of the same '60s sitcom stuff, because it was not funny at all.
Ok, after very little "research" (Fine, I just went to IMDB), I found out they aren't the same two Indian Doctors. No wonder I didn't recognize him!
Interestingly, Dr. Kenchy has played 7 other doctors, 2 cabbies, and 1 doorman!
aypnancy wrote, "Is this the first episode they mentioned that Officer Hoyne was twin brothers with the "slim" fellow who worked at that appliance store where Earl got a job with the cast of "Rudy"? I know they are both played by Billy Gardell, but I'm just wondering if they were trying to explain how he was playing multiple characters."
No. I vaguely recalled it mentioned before, and it must have been in "Our Other Cops Is On" where the cop first appears. I think mentions to the cameraman that his brother works in an appliance store.
I agree it was a weak episode throughout, but the weakest was the ending. Are they planning to leave Earl in a coma for a while? While I like the idea of Randy crossing items off the list, alone or with Joy and the others, it would have been plenty for the hour-long episode. We didn't need a half hour to get Earl to the hospital.
I don't know why Alan's so disappointed in the show. It's not great, but it's solid, and not unfunny and forgettable like ABC's sitcoms. I never got the impression they tried to be great, so their failing isn't a problem. I'm more annoyed with the shows like "It's Always Sunny..." and "South Park" which are funny, but always seem to fall short of what they aim for.
Besides the "Scrubs" episode of "My Life in Four Cameras," did anyone else feel like this was a cross between that and the coma episode in the last season of "The OC," both of which did this episode betteR?
All I have to add is watching this episode actually made me have a dream the contained Miss Hilton. For that, I can never forgive Greg Garcia.
This episode was astonishingly lousy - a fact made all the more apparent by the show's long absence. Another writer (linked by TV Tattle, I think) noted how crude the show has become of late. That too is true, but as the episode strays farther from its original episodic premise, it suffers. Once intriguing, the character of Joy, and the actress who plays her, is now simply obnoxious. Lee's charm is beginning to wear thin, as is Randy's willful obstinancy. They need to cancel the show and spin off Crab Man.
Best. Line. Ever.:
"I'll bet you wish you had more than one god to pray to now."
Weak ep. but that's one of the greatest lines!!!
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