The WORST episodes of My Name Is Earl

Every episode of My Name Is Earl ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of My Name Is Earl!

Earl Hickey's life has been full of poor choices and mistakes, and upon discovering that he is the holder of a winning lottery ticket, Earl is hit by a car and the ticket blows out of his hand as he lies unconscious in the street. While recovering in the hospital and watching television, Earl has a karmic epiphany, thanks to Carson Daly, who attributes his success to doing good for others. A light bulb goes on in Earl's dim head, and he sets out to right every wrong he has done. He will turn his good fortune into a life changing event, as he sets out to right all the wrongs from his past. Despite his seemingly limited intelligence, he is oddly effective and has a voice and style of his own.

Last Updated: 8/31/2024Network: NBCStatus: Ended
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Creative Writing
star
6.77
1066 votes

#1 - Creative Writing

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/18/2007

Earl is given an assignment after attending a prison class which focuses on creative writing: to write a story. Soon Earl realises that writing is harder than he thought.

Directors: Chris Koch
Writer: Bobby Bowman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
I Won't Die With a Little Help from My Friends (2)
star
7.10
443 votes

#2 - I Won't Die With a Little Help from My Friends (2)

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 4/3/2008

Nothing can get Earl out of his coma, so Randy turns to a young faith healer from their past. However, the boy says that he no longer heals people because he discovered how Earl lived his life after he "healed" him the first time.

Directors: Marc Buckland
Writer: Bobby Bowman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Larceny of a Kitty Cat
star
7.24
1019 votes

#3 - Larceny of a Kitty Cat

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/12/2006

Earl scratches number 56 off his list when he must return a prize winning cat back to its owner after sabotaging a cat show in Joy's favor. Meanwhile Randy forms an attraction with the cat’s owner.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Gangs Of Camden County
star
7.31
1169 votes

#4 - The Gangs Of Camden County

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/4/2007

Earl is offered a deal to receive a lesser sentence if he can resolve problems between rival gangs. But, he finds the task harder than he expected. Meanwhile, Randy looks for ways to join Earl in prison.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Guess Who's Coming Out of Joy
star
7.32
917 votes

#5 - Guess Who's Coming Out of Joy

Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/22/2007

With Joy now pregnant again, Earl looks back on her pregnancy during their marriage, and how his father was responsible for one of his first truly good deeds.

Directors: Mike Fresco
Writer: Greg Garcia
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Girl Earl
star
7.33
831 votes

#6 - Girl Earl

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 5/8/2008

Inspired by Earl, Billie starts a list of her own and when Earl is getting annoyed by Billie's little habits, he decides to focus on working on the list instead. He picks a task that is on both of their lists, atones for the injury of a champion grocery-bagger and discovers a unique talent of his own. But Earl soon finds out that they have different ways of interpreting Karma.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Writer: Ralph Greene
Watch Now:Amazon
My Name Is Inmate 28301-016 (2)
star
7.34
553 votes

#7 - My Name Is Inmate 28301-016 (2)

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/27/2007

Earl begins his prison sentence. Meanwhile, Joy tries to repay Earl by taking care of Randy (who is struggling to adjust) and a prison bully is looking for Earl.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Didn't Pay Taxes
star
7.34
1075 votes

#8 - Didn't Pay Taxes

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/2/2006

Earl attempts to cross off another deed of his list. This time trying to repay the government after failing to pay his taxes in the past.

Directors: Craig Zisk
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Our Other Cops is On! (1)
star
7.36
1114 votes

#9 - Our Other Cops is On! (1)

Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/1/2007

It's a trip down memory lane for Earl, Randy, Joy, Darnell and the Crab Shack regulars when they remember their 15 minutes of fame watching a 2003 repeat of the TV show `Cops', which was filmed in Camden County.

Directors: Ken Whittingham
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Foreign Exchange Student
star
7.36
1023 votes

#10 - Foreign Exchange Student

Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/1/2007

Earl goes for #44 on his list trying to help Pierre, a French foreign exchange student, he made fun of when they went to school together. Earl flies him back to the US and he tries to hook Pierre up with a girl he had a crush on as a child. Meanwhile, newlyweds Randy and Catalina find their marriage changes in ways they would never imagine.

Directors: Marc Buckland
Writer: Mike Marino
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Barn Burner
star
7.36
1311 votes

#11 - Barn Burner

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/5/2006

When trying to enroll her children into the Right Choice Ranch for troubled youth, Joy is denied enrollment because of a barn burning incident at the hands of a younger Earl. Earl, Randy and Catalina travel to the camp to make amends for the barn burning by building a pen for the camp’s ostrich. Earl learns the real reason behind the barn burning incident and decides that every incident on his list after the fire should be shared by Randy. Recap: The episode begins as we find Randy playing the crane game in the Crab Shack. There is a live rat inside, and Randy wins it. Unfortunately, he gets bitten as it was having it's way with Grover when Randy so rudely pulled it out. Joy complains to Darnell about the kids, saying they are even too bad to visit the "Right Choice Ranch", a place where Earl and Randy went as kids. Darnell says he is busy, but Joy reminds him that he's only delivering crabs, not doing a transplantectomy. Earl doesn't want to deal with the kids and tries to avoid Joy, but the Ranch is on his list - he burned a barn down throwing away a cigarette. He decides to go, and tries to keep it a secret because Randy is afraid of birds. When asked where they are going, Earl only offers that "they do not have funnel cakes." Upon arrival, Randy cunningly tries to avoid the birds at the Ranch (but ends up playing dead and begs two children to call the cops) while Earl volunteers to help build an ostrich pen. After seeing how much the kids enjoyed seeing his good example (and Catalina), Earl realizes that if he hadn't burned down the barn, Randy would probably have a better life. Earl decides to add Randy to the list, but Randy isn't happy about that. After some arguing, a mishap lands a nail through Earl's hand. We remember Randy's fear of blood, and he admits that it was his fault the barn burned down. Turns out he dropped an oil lamp by the still lit cigarette after a bird scared him. Earl realizes that Randy is responsible for everything -

Writer: Greg Garcia
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
B.L.O.W.
star
7.39
867 votes

#12 - B.L.O.W.

Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/8/2007

Earl takes on number 101 on his list, "Stole a girl's identity." The girl turns out to be Joy's half-sister that she never knew about and the one person that could possibly help her get sympathy from the jury. The problem, Joy and Liberty are enemies.

Directors: Victor Nelli Jr.
Writer: J.B. Cook
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Burn Victim
star
7.39
1155 votes

#13 - Burn Victim

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/29/2007

Earl helps the Warden solve another jail house problem between an inmate and his victims. Later Earl realizes that planning a prom for the inmates might deplete his lottery winnings.

Directors: Gail Mancuso
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Frank's Girl
star
7.39
1022 votes

#14 - Frank's Girl

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/25/2007

It's conjugal visiting day at the prison and since no one is visiting Earl, Frank wants Earl to explain to his girlfriend why he cannot see her today. Things don't go as planned and Frank's girlfriend dumps him because of Earl. Earl is blames himself and vows to get them back together.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Mailbox
star
7.40
952 votes

#15 - Mailbox

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/9/2006

Catalina helps Earl cross off No. 75 on his list "Used a mailbox as a trash can" This leads to the discovery of two undelivered letters one is a declaration of a man's love the other reveals Darnell's secret.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
We've Got Spirit
star
7.42
1074 votes

#16 - We've Got Spirit

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/16/2008

To cross Randy off his list, Earl takes his brother to cheerleading camp. Once there, the tight cheer pants and their lack of flexibility are not their only problem. They also have to deal with Kimmi Himmler (guest star Jenna Elfman), the camp owner with a deeply scarred face and milky eye - both a result of a badger accident suffered while cheering in high school. When Himmler wants the brothers out of her camp, Earl goes to drastic measure to make sure that Randy's cheerleading dreams will come true. Elsewhere, Joy is hurt when her son Dodge indicates that Catalina is the most beautiful woman in Camden.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Very Bad Things
star
7.42
1000 votes

#17 - Very Bad Things

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/21/2006

When Joy and Darnell get into an argument over her surprise birthday, Earl jumps at the opportunity to cross off number 183 on his list “Never took Joy’s side”. Meanwhile Joy runs into various problems after trying to return a television set she recently purchased.

Directors: Marc Buckland
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Van Hickey
star
7.42
976 votes

#18 - Van Hickey

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/19/2006

Earl tries to make amends with Tom (number 50), the older man they let be the lead singer in his band but then kicked out before their first performance. While trying to arrange a reunion show Earl must also deal with Number 51, "Slept with Ralph's mom."

Directors: Craig Zisk
Writer: J.B. Cook
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Boogeyman
star
7.43
1057 votes

#19 - Boogeyman

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/30/2006

Earl decides to cross off "made a kid scared of the boogeyman" from his list. Earl soon discovers just what kind of lasting affect he had on the little boy.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Reading Is A Fundamental Case
star
7.44
937 votes

#20 - Reading Is A Fundamental Case

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/4/2008

Earl remembers a list item he crossed off while reading to the children of Camden County. While going down memory lane, Earl recalls that his old friend Raynard kept company with a raccoon while living in the great outdoors.

Directors: Michael Fresco
Writer: Mike Mariano
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
The Frank Factor
star
7.44
1225 votes

#21 - The Frank Factor

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/11/2007

Joy visits Earl in prison and they are surprised to meet an old friend who is also in prison. The three reminisce about their past and how they met.

Directors: Greg Garcia
Writer: Greg Garcia
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Bad Earl
star
7.44
1029 votes

#22 - Bad Earl

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/10/2008

Earl is having difficulty re-adjusting to life on the outside. He returns to his old ways after he encounters Ralph. Randy plans an intervention for Earl on Christmas morning.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Stole a Motorcycle
star
7.44
1003 votes

#23 - Stole a Motorcycle

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/10/2008

While Earl is still in a coma, Randy starts to believe that he can help Earl get better by crossing things off the list.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Sold a Guy a Lemon Car
star
7.45
1049 votes

#24 - Sold a Guy a Lemon Car

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/6/2008

Suddenly at the top of Earl's list a life-or-death item appears right after a new mysterious man moves in next door. Meanwhile, a science fair has Joy all worked up to the point of obsession. She' so fixated on winning the fair so she can buy something special with the prize money.

Directors: John Putch
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Randy in Charge (...Of Our Days and Our Nights)
star
7.45
1096 votes

#25 - Randy in Charge (...Of Our Days and Our Nights)

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/8/2007

The Warden ask Earl to make a skit called 'scared straight' that will stop kids from committing crimes and stay out of jail. Meanwhile, Randy uses his authority to make Earl's life difficult in prison.

Directors: Eyal Gordin
Writer: Mike Mariano
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV