History Series / MyNameIsEarl

* HalfwayPlotTwist: At first, it seems like "Van Hickey"'s gonna be a simple GettingTheBandBackTogether plot where Earl has to make amends with Tom Sparks, the elderly lead singer of the band he once formed with Randy and Ralph, called "Phish Tahko". You see, right before their first (and only[[note]]the others got drunk afterwards, and sold their instruments to get more beer[[/note]]) live performance at the Crab Shack, Ralph held a vote to kick him out for being too old, as the band was mainly formed to score chicks. [[spoiler:And then when Ralph wants to immediately kick him out again, Tom points out he's on the List... right above "Slept with Ralph's Mom"[[note]]The guys scored some chicks, and spent the night at Ralph's house. Earl's intended girl blacked out, and the only other person awake was... [[CaptainObvious well, guess.]][[/note]]]]

%%* EasyAmnesia: Sweet Johnny.

* HalfwayPlotTwist: At first, it seems like "Van Hickey"'s gonna be a simple GettingTheBandBackTogether plot where Earl has to make amends with Tom Sparks, the elderly lead singer of the band he once formed with Randy and Ralph, called "Phish Taco". You see, right before their first (and only[[note]]the others got drunk afterwards, and sold their instruments to get more beer[[/note]]) live performance at the Crab Shack, Ralph held a vote to kick him out for being too old, as the band was mainly formed to score chicks. [[spoiler:And then when Ralph want to immediately kick him out again, Tom points out he's on the List... right above "Slept with Ralph's Mom"[[note]]The guys scored some chicks, and spent the night at Ralph's house. Earl's intended girl blacked out, and the only other person awake was... [[CaptainObvious well, guess.]][[/note]]]]

%%* HappilyMarried: Joy and Darnell.

!!This show provides examples of:

'''Randy:''' Who do you think would win in a fight -- [[Series/TheMuppetShow Muppets]] or Series/SesameStreet?\\
'''Earl:''' I don't really think they'd fight; they're both pretty peaceful.\\
'''Randy:''' What if they had to, like in [[Film/{{Highlander}} that head-chopping-off movie where there could be only one?]]\\

'''Randy:''' Okay. Muppets or [[Series/FraggleRock Fraggles]]?\\

Most episodes show how Earl deals with one entry on his list, helped (and sometimes hindered) by his friends, most often his simple brother Randy, hotel cleaning lady Catalina, his ex-wife Joy and her new husband Darnell. Any given item on his list is likely to be more complicated than a simple "stole 10 dollars" where it causes additional problems for the person involved and Earl goes to extremes to repair the damage he caused. He initially starts out of [[LaserGuidedKarma karmic fear]], but he finds that dedicating himself to the list and doing good things changes him. It causes a similar ripple effect through [[CityOfAdventure Camden]].

Most episodes show how Earl deals with one entry on his list, helped (and sometimes hindered) by his friends, most often his simple brother Randy, a new friend Catalina and sometimes even Joy and Darnell. Any given item on his list is likely to be more complicated than a simple "stole 10 dollars" where it causes additional problems for the person involved and Earl goes to extremes to repair the damage he caused. He initially starts out of [[LaserGuidedKarma karmic fear]], but he finds that dedicating himself to the list and doing good things changes him. It causes a similar ripple effect through [[CityOfAdventure Camden]].

* TheInternetIsForPorn: ''Inside Probe 2'' -- "For anyone out there who is not aware of the vast array of pornography on the Internet, you are about to become far less productive"
** Also, Randy calls laptops "porn-machine".

* JugglingLoadedGuns: Chubby carries a loaded pistol and an identical looking water pistol filled with vodka that he uses to freshen patron's drinks (and occasionally squirts directly into his mouth). He is shown shooting at least one patron's glass and (between episodes) the inevitable happens and he shoots himself in the head.

* PoliceAreUseless: The Camden County police are shown to be goofy and incompetent at best and outright corrupt at worst. This is likely done to explain why Earl isn't in prison despite commiting numerous felonies.

** Despite the premise of the show being Earl making up for the bad he has done in his life, there are some list items he simply cannot make up for and cross off. Earl decides to check up on a brain-damaged man every day because his inability to make new memories means Earl cannot make it up to him. It is also revealed that Earl would have run into a list item he couldn't cross off in the GrandFinale.
** Earl's list supposedly contains every bad deed he's ever done. Except it doesn't. Naturally, a lifelong bully and criminal isn't going to remember every single bad thing he did and his actions will have affected people in ways he never knew. Thus, there are things that Earl has to add things to the list that he's either forgotten about or didn't know about. Additionally, Earl may be a good person now, but he still occasionally does something bad that he has to add to the list.

[[JerkassRealization It occurs to Earl]] that the reason his life sucks is because he's been nothing but a [[{{Jerkass}} dick]] doing bad things to a lot of people, and that maybe he would have better luck if he [[TheAtoner made up for them]]. To that end, he prepares a list of all of the bad things he can remember doing, and starts finding a way to make up for them, one by one. Starting on his first item of picking up litter (because he used to litter a lot), he walks to the trash and comes across his missing lotto ticket. This is evidence to him that karma really does work, and he sets out to scratch every item off the list. [[OneHourWorkWeek The Lotto money allows him to focus all his attention on his list]].

* BoobsOfSteel: Referenced by Randy in regards to Joy.
-->'''Gym Patron:''' How big is your bully?\\
'''Randy:''' About 'this' tall, about 'this' wide, ''[pantomimes feeling her chest]''about a 32 C.\\
'''Gym Patron:''' Wait? Your bully is a girl?\\
'''Randy:''' Yeah, but a really tough girl... ''32 C!''

[[caption-width-right:350: Karma's a funny thing...[[note]] Clockwise from top-left: Darnell, Randy, Earl, Joy and Catalina [[/note]]]]

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: Despite the premise of the show being Earl making up for the bad he has done in his life, there are some list items he simply cannot make up for and cross off. Earl decides to check up on a brain-damaged man every day because his inability to make new memories means Earl cannot make it up to him. It is also revealed that Earl would have run into a list item he couldn't cross off in the GrandFinale.