My Name Is Earl/Teacher Earl

Teacher Earl
1x05
Airdate	October 18, 2005
Production Number	1ALJ04
Written by	Victor Fresco
Directed by	Chris Koch
← 1x04 Faked His Own Death	1x06 → Broke Joy's Fancy Figurine
My Name Is Earl — Season One

Teacher Earl is the fifth episode of the first season of My Name Is Earl, and the fifth episode overall.

Earl teaches an English class, and an old friend gets out of prison.

Guest Stars: David Aranovich (Russian Busboy), Sunkrish Bala (Doctor), Noah Crawford (Young Earl), Pramod Kumar (Vali), Wahn Lee (Kim), Tanner Maguire (Young Ralph), Giovanni Ribisi (Ralph Mariano), Phoenix Smith (Young Randy)

Plot Overview

Earl wants to cross off number 27 on his list: Made fun of people with accents. To do this best, he takes Catalina's advice and decides to "teach foreigners to speak American", heading an English course for immigrants.

Outside of class an old Friend of Earl and Randy's gets out of prison and meets up with them at Earnie's Crab Shack. Ralph, played by Giovanni Ribisi, was tought the ways of crime by Earl, and his spell in prison didn't seem to curb his desire to break the law.

Earl realizes that his Karma may be effected by Ralphs actions, and doesn't want to find out if it does. So he takes back the wedding dress that Ralph stole, and pays the shop back for the items Ralph lifted. While cleaning the beer cans out of the pool Joy comes to complain about Earl teaching her nail decorating business rival Kim Lee how to speak English. While Earl argued with his ex-wife, Ralph heard Earl mention his list. Earl hadn't wanted Ralph to know he'd gone straight, but had no choice but to explain his list and his lottery win. Ralph decides to join Earl on the straight and narrow to try and get a better life. Earl gets Ralph a job in the local lamp store so he can earn money legally.

Back in class Earl attempts to teach directions. He trys to teach them how to describe how to get to where Earl lives, with little success.

When he gets back to the motel Ralph shows him his new place, right next door to Earl. However upon entering Earl notices the many stolen lamps lighting the motel room. Ralph's justification was that he'd been good all morning, and didn't win on any of 20 lottery tickets. After that Earl tells Ralph that he can't hang around with him any more if he's going to keep stealing things.

Randy however, with the promise of a hand dolly ride with Ralph in mind, decides to keep hanging out with him.

Just before leaving for class, Earl gets a phone call from Ralph telling him that Randy got stuck in the chimney of a house they were attempting to rob and they needed Earl's help. Earl goes off to help Randy, while next door Ralph hangs up the phone and knocks out Randy with a lamp. Randy wakes up to Ralph fruitlessly searching Earl and Randy's room to find the lottery winnings. When he can't find them, he decides to go the extreme of torturing Randy with a scalding hot shower. Randy eventually gives in and tells Ralph that the money is in a safe deposit box, and that Earl keeps the key on him.

Earl returns from searching an empty chimney only to be knocked out by another lamp. He wakes up tied to Randy who informs him that Ralph had taken the key and disguised himself as Earl and gone to the bank.

Earl wonders why Karma has failed him and Randy suggests calling to Karma for help. After a second time of doing so the door opens revealing Earl's English class. Wondering where Earl was, they followed the directions he had tought them to get to "where Earl lives". Earl realizes that he had managed to get through to them and that Karma had rewarded him. He calls the bank who then called the police who stopped Ralph but didn't manage to catch him due to there only being two officers, when the third was Kim Lee's husband who was "busy with a family emergency", being an argument between his wife and Joy.

Back in the Crab Shack Ralph gives the deposit box key back and apologize to Earl. He ask Randy for a game of pool, but Randy decides to stay with Earl to help him with his list.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The List: Earl crossed 27: Made fun of people with accents off the list.

Characters

• Randy: Realizes that he needs to stick with Earl and help him with his list.
• Catalina: Has only been speaking English for a year.

Trivia

• Music this episode
  • Bad Company - Bad Company
  • Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' With Disaster
  • Bob Marley & the Wailers - One Love
  • Jerry Reed - Amos Moses

Quotes

• Earl: The last time I stood in front of a room full of foreigners, I was robbin' the DMV.
• Ralph: Feels good to hug a man and know it doesn't have to go anywhere.

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