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Fox Home Entertainment presents

My Name Is Earl: Season Two (2006-2007)

"Maybe someday I'll need unwanted hair ripped off my body and you'll be the one to hold me down."- Earl Hickey (Jason Lee)

Stars: Jason Lee
Other Stars: Jamie Pressly, Ethan Suplee, Nadine Velazquez, Eddie Steeples
Director: various

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (adult situations)
Run Time: 11h:58m:00s
Release Date: 2007-09-25
Genre: television

Style
Grade
Substance
Grade
Image Transfer
Grade
Audio Transfer
Grade
Extras
Grade
A- B+A-B- B

 

DVD Review

After impressing in numerous independent films, actor Jason Lee finally got a shot at the big time with a starring role in NBC's My Name is Earl. Following a successful first season, Lee's show rolls on to a second batch of episodes that takes things to another comedic level, buoyed by a strong cast, including Ethan Suplee and Emmy-winner Jaime Pressly.

Picking up where the comedy left off from the first season, Season Two begins with Very Bad Things, the first of seven on Disc 1, and focuses on No. 183 on Earl's list, "Never took Joy's side." This is a great showcase for Pressly's comedic talents as we flashback to some incidents during Joy and Earl's marriage. Jump for Joy is more great Pressly fun as she faces the music for stealing the Bargain Bag delivery truck. She's in for a huge shock when the judge announces it's her "third strike" and Earl enlists the help of the richest man in Camden County, Richard Chubby (Burt Reynolds). In Sticks and Stones, Earl atones for making fun of Maggie Lester, a junior high classmate who had a mustache.

Larceny of a Kitty Cat finds Earl trying to find Sebastian, a kitty he kidnapped from a breeders' show so Joy's cat could win. After finding Sebastian, Earl has to deal with the cat's nutty owner, played by Amy Sedaris. Van Hickey gives us guest star Giovanni Ribisi and Earl's quest to give a second chance to Tom Sparks, the lead singer that Earl fired from his band years ago. In Made a Lady Think I Was God, Earl remembers the heavenly sign he gave Millie Banks (Roseanne Barr) during his marriage to Joy. Wrapping up Disc 1 is Mailbox, in which Earl tries to atone for the times he used his mailbox as a trash can.

Disc 2 has Robbed a Stoner Blind, taking us back to when Randy and Earl broke into Woody's (Christian Slater) apartment to use his air-conditioning and wound up robbing him when they realized he was a stoner. In Born a Gamblin' Man, Randy is finally ready to tell Catalina (Nadine Velazquez) that he loves her, while Earl is busy making Kenny (Greg Binkley) a bit more manly. South of the Border Part Uno and Part Dos involve Catalina deported to Mexico and Earl and Randy's attempt to get her back to the US. Our Cops Is On is a bit of a dated satire of that TV show, and Buried Treasure focuses on yet another crime Earl committed in the past, and Kept a Guy Locked in a Truck finishes out this disc.

The third DVD begins with Foreign Exchange Student, a flashback to Randy and Earl's school days and a new French student named Pierre. In B.L.O.W., Joy learns from her deaf lawyer (Marlee Matlin) that she has a half-sister named Liberty Washington (Tamala Jones), and The Birthday Party sees Randy throws a bash for Earl, causing him to reflect even more on the bad things he's done in the past. We get a look back at Joy's first pregnancy in Guess Who's Coming Out of Joy, while Harassed a Reporter finds Randy and Earl making amends with a small-time news reporter named Nicole Moses (Leigh-Allyn Baker). Two Balls, Two Strikes features the return of Richard Chubby, but, more effectively, introduces us to his son "Little Chubby" (Norm MacDonald). The last episode on this disc, GED, finds Earl depressed when he's denied a credit card. To find the money he needs, Earl becomes a substitute teacher, in what is arguably the funniest episode of the season.

Disc 4 only has a pair of episodes, but they wrap up the set quite nicely. Get a Real Job focuses on Randy and Earl's first day at their new job, stock boys for appliance salesman Mr. Waadt (Chelcie Ross). The finale, The Trial, takes us to Joy's trial, but also has Earl putting himself on his own list in order to better himself. This is a great way to finish out the season, and we even get a nifty cliffhanger.

Rating for Style: A-
Rating for Substance: B+

 

Image Transfer

 One
Aspect Ratio1.78:1 - Widescreen
Original Aspect Ratioyes
Anamorphicyes


Image Transfer Review: All 23 episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen format, and while they can't stand up to the HD television presentations, the transfers are excellent nonetheless. Images are very sharp and detailed, helped along by a bright color scheme. There's no dirt or grain to complain about, with only the slightest bit of edge enhancement evident.

Image Transfer Grade: A-
 

Audio Transfer

 LanguageRemote Access
Dolby Digital
5.1
Englishyes


Audio Transfer Review: The audio is Dolby Digital 5.1, and is nothing special, but still surprisingly active. The surrounds are used quite a bit for music and some of the show's bumbling action, but the most important aspect here is the crisp, clear dialogue.

Audio Transfer Grade: B- 

Disc Extras

Full Motion menu with music
Scene Access with 115 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English, Spanish, French with remote access
16 Deleted Scenes
1 Documentaries
8 Feature/Episode commentaries by 1. Sticks & Stones - Series creator/executive producer Greg Garcia, writer/producer Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, and Giovanni Ribisi.2. Larceny of a Kitty Cat - Series creator/executive producer Greg Garcia, write
Packaging: Nexpak
Picture Disc
4 Discs
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extra Extras:
  1. Karma: Take 2 Blooper Reel
  2. Web Cam - Testimonials from the main characters.
  3. My Name is Earl as a Telenovela
Extras Review: This extras collection is pretty impressive, beginning with eight audio commentaries spread out among various episodes. The participants vary as well, but there's always a nice blend of cast and crew involved, with series creator/executive producer Greg Garcia talking in almost every one. There are many funny moments, but we also learn a thing or two about the shooting of a sitcom.

There are also a total of 16 deleted scenes, also spread out among the 23 episodes, with an introduction by Garcia. The intro is interesting, with Garcia telling us that most of the footage shot was actually used, so the deleted clips are very short.

We also get a Karma: Take 2 Blooper Reel that's almost 10 minutes long and is downright hilarious. The Stoner Files: Robbed a Stoner Blind—From Start to Finish is a 38-minute behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Robbed a Stoner Blind episode. We get interviews with a bunch of the crew and hear from guest star Christian Slater.

There are six segments under the "Web Cam" tag, and during each, the main characters talk directly to the camera. They aren't the funniest extras, but they're still worth a look.

Wrapping things up is My Name is Earl as a Telenovela, which lasts just under a minute and is a funny "trailer" that mimics those of Mexican soap operas.

Extras Grade: B
 

Final Comments

Riding the wave of an impressive cast and creative selection of guest stars, My Name Is Earl has enjoyed a pair of successful seasons. The second collection of shows is now available on Fox's nice four-disc set, featuring excellent audio and video and a surprisingly healthy extras collection.

Chuck Aliaga 2007-09-27