My Name Is Earl/Cost Dad the Election

Cost Dad the Election
1x09
Airdate	November 22, 2005
Production Number	1ALJ08
Written by	Bobby Bowman
Directed by	Chris Koch
← 1x08 Joy's Wedding	1x10 → White Lie Christmas
My Name Is Earl — Season One

Cost Dad the Election is the ninth episode of the first season of My Name Is Earl, and the ninth episode overall. Earl tries to help his father win the mayoral vote after having ruined his chances previously.

Guest Stars: Beau Bridges (Carl Hickey), Nancy Lenehan (Kay Hickey)

Plot Overview

Earl decides to try and do number 86 on his list; 'Stole a car from a one-legged girl'. However after getting chased off by her 'no-legged' boyfriend and beaten with a 'Marty Park for mayor' sign, decides that Karma wanted him to resolve number 4 on the list; 'Cost Dad the Election'.

Earl reflects on his poor relationship with his father, Carl Hickey. Remembering the pranks he played on his father and the amount of times that he bailed him out after his criminal schemes with randy got him locked up, until he gave up and stopped paying bail. The incident that hurt his father the most was when he ran for mayor to stop the plane route over the town getting moved by candidate Marty Park from over the golf course to over the residential area. Things were looking good for the campaign until Earl assaulted a police officer for tazing Joy and Marty Park used a video of the event in a smear campaign against Carl, causing him to lose in a landslide.

In present day Earl visits his parents only to find that his dad still won't talk to him, and that Randy has secretly been visiting his parents every Sunday for a poker game. Earl tries to explain his new mission in life to his father, and offers to help him win the election this year but to no avail.

Earl decides to enter his dad into the race anyway, and the next day Carl turns on the TV to see a mayoral debate between him and Marty Park, only Earl is taking his place. Carl goes down to the studio to stop the debate and tells the electorate not to vote for him. He explains that he only ran 4 years ago to stop the planes flying over, but he'd gotten used to it. However he only served to remind people how much they hated the planes, so the next day after being contacted by so many people about it he decided he would run for mayor after all. Even then Carl refuses to forgive Earl.

Upon finding out that polls indicate that his father will lose the election Earl decides to become a voter registrar to gather the votes of all of the unregistered voters in town. Unfortunately Randy manages to let the vote registration forms fly away in the car, and when Earl gets out to pick them up he's confronted by the same police officer from 4 years before who he proceeds to assault again to try and get to the forms. As before, Marty Park uses a video of the event to smear Carl Hickey's campaign, causing him to lose for a second time.

Earl get's bailed out of jail by his dad and he tries to explain what happened and all the good he's been doing on his list, but his father still won't listen. After Carl drives away, Earl noticed that he was just bailed out again. He realizes that he can't solve the problems with his father so easily, but will keep on working away at it until he can cross number 4 off of his list.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The List: Earl fails an attempt at number 86 'Stole a car from a one-legged girl', and starts on his way to crossing off number 4 'Cost Dad the Election'.
• This is the first episode in which nothing was crossed off the list.

Characters

• Earl's Parents: We find out that Earl's parents are Carl and Kay Hickey.

Referbacks

• 1x02 - Quit Smoking: Earl considers doing number 86 'Stole a car from a one-legged girl' at the start of the second episode.

Trivia

The Show

• Music this episode
  • Eddie Grant - Electric Avenue (Played again later in the episode)
  • Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground
  • Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
  • Wall of Voodoo – Mexican Radio
  • Nick Drake - Time Has Told Me
• High-Def Easter Egg: When Carl's father begins campaigning for mayor the second time, look at the posters he has arrayed in front of his store. Besides the printed posters, one hand-lettered sign at the far left declares "Carl Hickey Loves High Def." This sign is, of course, only visible to those who watch the episode in a high-def ratio.

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