Belated Earl

This my the better late than never My Name is Earl post--watched online with a herky-jerky DSL connection. The good news is that by the end of the episode, Earl came out of his coma. The even better news is that means no more sit-coma. Earl's coma-induced fantasy life came complete with a "jump the shark" moment with the introduction of the precociously cute black cousin Wendell and Earl playing his own twin brother (who oddly enough bore more resemblance to the late Charles Nelson Reilly). The best news was the reappearance of Noah Crawford as young Earl.

While ABC may be raking in the GLAAD nominations, there's probably not a lot of love coming from the disabled sector--what with Gabrielle's catfight with some wheelchair bound guys several weeks ago on Desperate Housewives and last night's episode of My Name is Earl which saw the still comatose Earl (Randy to Patty: "Earl's still got a touch of coma." Patty to Randy: "I missed a lot of my 30s like that...") being wheeled around in a shopping cart and then transferred to a souped wheelchair compliments of one of Patty's former managers ("It had everything a crippled pimp would want...").

Randy searches through Earl's list trying to find an item that comatose Earl could cross off. Turns out, it just happens there's an item that has to do with making things right with a pair of paraplegic siblings, Tiffany and Brett, from whom Earl and Randy stole wheelchairs and went joyriding as youngsters. As Randy uses his degree in Joystick from the University of PacMan to maneuver Earl around to help Tiffany make T.R. jealous ("When he kisses me, he sends shivers halfway down my spine!") and help Brett's team not forfeit in the game of Killerball ("Over my half dead body!") all to REO Speedwagon's Roll with the Changes.

Just the right touch of irreverent politically incorrect redneck humor coupled with simpleton sweetness. Earl is back--thank God for that!