My Name is Earl - "Early Release" (Episode 310)

This week, the prison sign says "Available for film locations." Earl is getting ready to leave prison, unaware that the warden has other plans for him. Joy and Catalina both arrived at the jail to pick Earl up. Randy has been practicing his "super slow running hug" and demonstrates it to the gang. Darnell wishes his kids were able to bond like Randy and Earl did, they have started a new game called "Eye poke," which is fun until one of them gets poked in the eye. Earl headed for the gate. Randy was really excited, so much so that Joy warned that he'd "piddle on the rug." There's just one little problem, he's not on the list to get out - or on the "extra pudding list." Earl went to talk to the warden. He's not letting him out. He helped out way too much and was making the warden look really good - even in front of his wife, the governor (he may be getting his own bank account soon.) Earl's mad that the warden went back on his word. The warden put Earl in solitary until he agreed to help him. Joy figures out that Earl's not getting out and leaves. So does Catalina - ruining Randy's human pyramid. Earl was finding life in solitary kind of tough. He was allowed time out for prayers, but he had to be in a box. He was also in the box for his showers and recreational time (which makes it really hard to play basketball.) Day 9 he's getting a little stir crazy, day 15 he's playing charades with himself. Day 36 he's an orchestra-less conductor, and by day 47 he's doing the robot. He finally broke - just in time, as the warden needs to get the prison ready for Christmas. Earl's decided it's time to bust outta the place.

Earl got the old gang (Paco and Frank) back together to plan their escape. Frank has a lot of ways not to try to escape (don't look too attractive when disguising yourself as an infirmary nurse, don't hide in the mattresses about to be trashed and no celebratory dances if you do manage to get over the fence.) Earl looked for weak spots while getting the jail ready for the holidays. He checked for loose drains and checked to see if the fire alarms would cause an effective distraction (he used a menorah near the thing, and it merely burst into flames. Oh, well.) and found a rat-created opening in a storage closet. It was easy for Earl to find the prison's blueprints - the warden had them in his office, laminated so he could get back from his bathroom breaks. Randy drew the plans on Earl's back and the gang planned their escape route. They couldn't figure out how to get out of the front gate. Randy told them that not everyone gets checked when leaving the prison - like priests and nuns. The prison had mass every Wednesday, and Earl used that fact to cement his plan. The guys liked the plan, but Frank had a little "insurance" - a homemade gun. He only had one bullet, so he hoped the guards would stand in a straight line. Randy accidentally fired the gun. So much for insurance. Frank used all of Earl's bedsprings to craft another bullet, just in time for breakout day. Frank and Paco staged a fight that Randy broke up and dragged them and Earl out of the barracks. Earl got help from the outside from Catalina, who  sidetracked the priest and nun, allowing Darnell and Joy to disguise themselves as clergy and go into the prison. Randy led Earl and the gang into the tunnel which led to the air vent. Randy decided to join them because he could go home whenever he wanted, "they never said what route I had to take." Darnell and Joy had their service, making lots of noise so that Earl could bust into the air duct. (This scene was the best - Darnell led off with "Brothers and...brothers, dressed as sisters." Joy's shout outs "If you give the Lord one little hey, he'll give you a hundred hos in return." and "When I say holy you say ghost! When I say butter, you say toast! When I say Springer, you say host!") Earl and Randy fell through the bair duct and landed in the warden's office. Not good. Earl pulled the gun on the warden before he could call for help.

Earl doesn't know what to do with the warden - his hostage. Joy and Darnell were still working on the original plan and had to get rid of the guard. Darnell used a vulcan death grip to drop him. How'd he know how to do that? (I'd love to know more about his past.) Joy asked Darnell if he used it on her when she wanted "round two" and he said he's "not a machine." Earl has an idea and tells the warden to take his clothes off. Darnell goes into the vent to try and find Earl. He finds Frank and Paco heading out and chastises them for leaving Earl behind. Earl can't shave his mustache off to disguise himself as the warden (who says mustaches are "so 20 years ago.") Earl was ready to snap. Just then, Darnell fell through the ceiling, allowing the warden to grab the gun. The guard outside was regaining consciousness and Joy knocked him out with the keyboard. Frank and Paco landed on the van. They were ready to go. Joy said she wasn't leaving without Earl and Darnell, so they stole the van (and her nun's habit) and made their escape. Joy put on the guard's shirt and went for his pants, noting that he needed to do a little grooming ("It's like a thimble wearing a clown wig down there.") Darnell actually knows the warden. He was a porn star, and they used Darnell's apartment (when he was Harry) for filming. The warden and Earl come to an understanding. Earl kept his silence about the warden's past and he was released - but he thought something didn't make sense. They all dod bad things, but only Paco and Frank (who ran directly into a cop car while making their escape) were paying for it. He was finally free, but he's still tied to karma. Is he going to have a new list now?