| "Pilot" |
| My Name Is Earl episode |
| Episode no. |
Season 1
Episode 1 |
| Directed by |
Marc Buckland |
| Written by |
Greg Garcia |
| Production code |
001 |
| Original air date |
September 20, 2005 |
| Episode chronology |
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"Quit Smoking" |
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| List of My Name Is Earl episodes |
"Pilot" is the pilot and the first episode of the first season of the American sitcom My Name Is Earl. "Pilot" originally aired in the United States on NBC on September 20, 2005.
Earl J. Hickey, a small-time thief with a messed-up life, narrates events of the last seven years. In 1999, while drunk, he married a pregnant Joy. In 2000 Dodge (so called because his real father drove a Ford) was born. In 2001 Joy gave birth to a black boy, Earl Junior (presumed to be Darnell Turner's child).
In 2005 Earl wins $100,000 with a scratch-off lottery ticket, but is immediately hit by a car and watches the ticket blow away. While he recovers in the hospital, Joy divorces him, and Earl is introduced to "karma" while watching Carson Daly. He decides to try to make up for all the bad things he has done and makes a written list of 259 items. After leaving the hospital he picks up trash to atone for item #136, "I've been a litterbug", and finds his lost $100,000 scratcher. Figuring karma works pretty well, he resolves to continue making up for items on the list.
He starts with #64: "Picked on Kenny James" in elementary school. Earl, Randy and Catalina find Kenny's parents' house, and Earl sends Randy to find out from them where Kenny lives, because Randy is a good liar as long as he has 4 beers. Randy poses as former class president looking for Kenny, but received a beer from Mr. James. Randy mutters "dibs" when he sees Mrs. James while he is mildly drunk, and makes his escape with the address.
Over the next few days Earl spies on Kenny to figure out how best to help him. Kenny has a good job as an assistant manager, a powder blue Renault Le Car, and a nice house, but nobody to share his life; so Earl decides to get him laid, by hiring Patty the Daytime Hooker. When Kenny refuses free sex, Earl talks to Kenny in person. Kenny is still afraid of Earl and Randy, telling them to take what they want and leave, but Earl persists in trying to help. When Randy finds homosexual pornography in Kenny's nightstand, he and Earl flee the house.
Earl decides not to help Kenny because he is gay, but when he returns to his motel room Joy hits him with a telephone, angry that Earl didn't bother telling her that he won the lottery. Earl thinks this is Karma's way of telling him to give Kenny another shot.
Finding Earl waiting for him at home, Kenny tries to use Mace on Earl, but accidentally sprays it in his own face. Earl pours milk into Kenny's eyes to soothe the irritation, then asks Kenny why he doesn't have a man. Kenny answers that nobody knows he is gay, and he is afraid to go to a gay bar. Earl agrees to come with him, and persuades Randy to go along by telling him there will be bubbles. When Earl offers to talk to someone for Kenny, Kenny states he'll do it. Kenny then states that he always feared what people would think of him for being gay, but since Earl, the one man Kenny feared more than anyone, accepts him for who he truly is, then he should accept himself. Kenny thanks Earl for giving him his confidence back and says he can cross him off his list and goes to talk to someone. Earl crosses off #64 while Randy, after 15 beers, dances with a man.
[edit] Awards
Marc Buckland won an Emmy for directing "Pilot."[1] Greg Garcia also won an Emmy in the writing category.[2]
[edit] Deleted Scenes
Included with Season 1 DVD: Additional Cast: Michael Avery "College Guy"
As they are about to enter the gay bar, Kenny thanks Earl for buying the shirt that he was wearing. A group of college students in a convertible stops and one shouts "fags" out the window. Earl walks up to the guy, pulls him out of the car, punches him in the face, and tells him to learn about tolerance. Kenny stops Earl, and Earl asks for the guy's name to put on his list, explaining that he must make up for his mistake. The guy says his name is Marc.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
