From creator Greg Garcia, the four-disc DVD set of the second season (all 22 episodes) of this very successful and award-winning series is being released to coincide with the season three premiere.  My Name is Earl debuted strongly in 2005 and never looked back, garnering a huge audience and combined with 30 Rock and The Office now makes Thursday nights on NBC truly Must See TV again.

Earl is about a lowlife, redneck moron named Earl Hickey (Jason Lee), who decides to abandon his selfish life of petty crime (and abandon his treating of other people like garbage) after losing a winning $100,000 lottery ticket (he was hit by a car right after he scratched it).  While recovering from the injuries sustained from the car, he hears Carson Daly on television talking about living your life according to karma, so Earl decides to write a list of all the bad things he’s done and sets out to rectify each one.  And right away, karma helps him out in a big way.  That missing lottery ticket finds its way back to Earl and he has $100,000 to help finance his quest.

Earl’s brother Randy (Ethan Suplee), a very, very simple man, comes along for the ride and stays in Earl’s motel room with him as he sets out to right the wrongs he’s committed.  Along the way, Earl and Randy recruit or try to do something for their friends’ like the motel’s maids Catalina (Nadine Velazquez), Earl’s ex-wife Joy (Jaime Pressly) and her boyfriend Crab Man (Eddie Griffin), as well as a host of other friends, family and people who Earl has wronged in some way or another in his life.

The second season does not mess with the successful formula created by the first season.  Each episode is another item on Earl’s list he’s trying to cross off.  The only truly big difference in this second season is the long story arc (over most of the season) involving Joy and her problems with the law after getting annoyed with a store and doing something really stupid.  Randy’s continuing feelings for Catalina also get a lot of attention through the season as well.  There were also a couple episodes where they ran with a concept like having the show Cops as cast in Earl’s neighborhood and mainly focusing on Earl and his pals, but for the most part it is a very consistent formula for each episode.

CRITIQUE

Even though I was very surprised by how good the first season was I figured this show would lose steam and I’d tire of it but to my surprise it managed to not only sustain my attention but bring consistent laughs and energy.  This is a hilarious, sharp and very clever series that manages to consistently engage and entertain.  It features some terrific writing and some very funny and endearing performances.  There is definitely a reason this show has taken off so quickly and cemented itself as a must-see comedy.

The show is very offbeat and quirky, yet it also manages to work in very broad comedy which is what turned it into a mainstream hit (unlike shows like Arrested Development which struggled to gain a wide audience, even though there are many similarities between the two).  This is a show accessible to everyone and it is a direct reflection of its success.

The writing is top notch; the show has a cast of great comedy writers.  Earl somehow manages to not be repetitive even though this second season where each episode is so similar, in that it has Earl trying to right a wrong and cross it off his list.  The series takes its time to build up character not just in Earl but in Randy and especially Joy and her boyfriend.  Joy takes a forefront this season and it really helped make this season even better than the first.

The character development helps build an emotional investment in all of these characters and helps with continuity despite the repetitive episode arcs.  The direction is also first rate, infusing the episodes with energy and verve when it is most needed (even though some of the concept episodes didn’t work that well, it still showed the creators are willing to take risks and be original).  And they really nail the redneck aspects of the show, never going to far overboard but definitely having a lot of fun with it.

The performances are all very good on the show, from the lead down to the guest stars everyone truly invests into the characters.  The characters feel lived in and real and that is a direct reflection on this excellent cast.  Jason Lee brings an absolutely perfect vibe to Earl, full of laid back charm and happy-go-lucky emotion.  He never lets Earl become just a caricature and he truly breathes life into what could have easily been a very oft-putting character (this casting choice is really what makes this show work).

Moreover, Ethan Suplee is just perfect as Randy, constantly providing comic relief with his hilarious take on this very simple and moronic guy.  But the real firecracker of the show and the true reason for its huge success in this second season is Jaime Pressly as Joy, who just infuses every scene with energy and comedic intensity.  She won the Emmy for this season and for good measure.  You really notice when she’s on screen and miss her when she’s off.  The supporting cast is also excellent bringing in pitch-perfect performances and no one seems to miss a beat.  Even the guest stars really get into character and never seem to be grandstanding, like returning guest stars Giovanni Ribinsi and Brett Butler, and new guest stars like Amy Sedaris, Christian Slater and Roseanne Barr.

This is a terrific show that looks to be around for quite a while (as long as they keep churning out hilarious and clever seasons like this great second one).

THE VIDEO

The transfer (1.78:1 widescreen) is hard to gauge as Fox screeners are always of a low quality before they send out the finished product.  There is some grain and rough spots in the episodes in the screener as well as some color tone issues, but my guess is the finished product will look good.

THE AUDIO

My Name is Earl is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and the presentation is adequate because the dialogue is crystal clear and (really) that is all you need for a show like this.  The surround and the subs will definitely not be getting a work out, but the balances all seemed perfect.

THE EXTRAS

Just like the first season release, there are a ton of extras included and most of them are quite entertaining and fun.

There are Eight Audio Commentary Tracks over different episodes featuring most of the cast and crew.  These are actually a great listen.  Creator Greg Garcia nails down all the technical and behind-the-scenes information while the cast mostly comes on board to bring along funny side stories or just to have a ball (the best track features Lee, Suplee, and Ribinsi who are like their own comedy troupe).  All of these are worth a listen for fans of the show.

There is a very funny blooper reel called Karma: Take 2 that gives you a great idea of what a blast everyone has on set.

The Stoner Files is a behind-the-scenes making of featurette which mostly follows the making of one particular episode to give you a good sense of what goes into making an episode.  This was a terrific extra that by-passes all the promo crap that mostly goes into these making-of spots and focuses in tightly on the goings-on with just one episode.

There are also some funny webcam bits with the cast and a mock trailer for an episode presented as a Mexican telenovela which is pretty funny (but gimmicky). 

There are also a bunch of Deleted Scenes spread over the discs with introductions by Garcia that doesn’t exactly add up to anything special (very obvious why they weren’t included).

FINAL THOUGHTS

My Name is Earl is a surprisingly funny, sometimes touching, and always entertaining series featuring some great performances and terrific writing.  The show deserves all of its recent accolades and teamed with 30 Rock and The Office it gives NBC a “can’t miss” Thursday night of comedy.  This four disc DVD set features some terrifically funny and engaging extras.