Midnight Bun is the 10th episode of Season 3 of My Name Is Earl, and the 57th episode overall. An impatient Joy prepares to give birth and pressures Darnell to expedite the process. Earl and Randy are teamed up against their will to catch Frank, who escaped from a prison van under Randy's watch. Meanwhile, escapee Frank seeks to collect his hidden loot while Catalina baby-sits Joy's children. Joy and Liberty fight over how Liberty and Ray-Ray's baby will be born.
Episode guide[]
Randy tells Earl that Frank couldn't have gotten far. He must be near the ice cream shop, which is next to the train station, the costume shop, and the bong shop that sells fake IDs. The battle for who's in charge continues for Joy, too, as she checks herself into the hospital and demands labor inducing drugs. Darnell reminds her that she gave Liberty her word that she would have a natural childbirth, but Joy points out that her word means nothing.
While Joy and Darnell are at the hospital, Catalina watches the kids. She takes them to a stinky motel room, but doesn't know what to do with them because she's not good with kids. Being out of prison feels great to Earl, but Randy refuses to remove his handcuffs. He's lined up a K-9 tracker to find Frank, but Earl already learned from Paco that Frank's probably returning to the trailer to pick up the money he stashed there. Randy refuses to let Earl drive, and the K-9 dog runs away.
Joy is ushered into a luxurious birthing suite, which also offers spa services that Joy mistakes for lunch. All expenses will be paid by Liberty and Ray-Ray. Earl and Randy stake out the trailer. Randy passes the time by pretending to have a cell phone. When Earl starts honking the horn, Randy remembers the time he was attacked by gooses, and finally breaks down, handing Earl the key to the handcuffs.
Liberty and Ray-Ray show up at the hospital to inform Joy that she'll have the baby without drugs in a birthing pool. They are shocked when a doctor shows up with a huge syringe to induce labor. A former pro-wrestler, Liberty dives for the syringe, which winds up sticking into Darnell's abdomen. Without her shot, Joy decides she's going home.
The kids teach Catalina how to be a kid, but not how to be a good sport. When an ice cream truck pulls up to the trailer park Earl leaves the car to get some, so Randy fires on him with the bean bag gun. When he returns to the car with a creamsicle, Randy's crying. Earl's right - Randy sucks at everything and can't be in charge. Earl points out that Randy's good at being in charge of toys, but not animals, since the K-9 ran away.
Earl spies Frank entering the trailer. Earl knows that Frank is looking for his money, but Frank insists he's looking for his gun, which he uses to take Earl and Randy hostage. When Joy and Darnell return home, they find Earl and Randy chained to the freezer door. Frank makes Joy help him move the stove to retrieve his money, and her water breaks. Liberty and Ray-Ray arrive to say that they have called the cops to retrieve their stolen property - the baby.
Frank wants to turn himself in, but Earl knows that they can't involve the cops or the Warden will get in trouble with his wife, the Governor. After Earl's pep talk, Frank points his gun at Joy's belly and sends Darnell and Ray-Ray to ditch the cops. Joy starts screaming, and Darnell asks for scissors and a chip clip to deliver a baby girl, moving everyone, including Frank. When Frank runs for it, Randy breaks off the freezer door, so that he and Earl can chase him.
The K-9 returns in the nick of time to take down Frank. Randy learns that it's okay to not be in charge, he's good at some things. Earl claims he can only be in charge with Randy on his team. Later, Joy gives Liberty Frank's money for her new daughter, for college or a boob job in case she's not smart. Darnell cooks up a victory dinner for everyone at the Crab Shack.
Notes[]
The title is an allusion to the movie Midnight Run(1988), starring Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin, and the fact that Joy is pregnant.
Flashbacks[]
List[]
Featured music[]
- "Keep Pushin'" by REO Speedwagon
- "Ooh Child" by The Five Stairsteps
Memorable quotes[]
- Joy: Can you believe this fancy menu? I swear, it's like I've died and gone to Chili's.
- Male Nurse: Where's the mama in a hurry?
- Liberty: What the hell is that?
- Joy: It's just my insulin. You know I'm epileptic.
- Joy: You better put that gun down. If you kill a hot blonde, nine months pregnant with her biracial half-sister's biracial baby, Nancy Grace'll convict you in the media before the first commercial break.
- Frank: Bingo, I got my money. Look out whorehouses of Mexico.
- Darnell: Cops' gone. Do I have permission to use the restroom now?
- Frank: I don't care what you do homeslice cause I'm about to go to the...
- Liberty: I see fingers!
- Frank: Thanks for the pep talk Earl. You know people, people don't realize that hostage situations are stressful on both sides of the gun.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Jason Lee as Earl Hickey
- Ethan Suplee as Randy Hickey
- Jaime Pressly as Joy Turner
- Nadine Velazquez as Catalina
- Eddie Steeples as Darnell Turner
Recurring cast[]
- Craig T. Nelson as Warden Jerry Hazelwood
- Michael Rapaport as Frank Stump
- Raymond Cruz as Paco
- Louis T. Moyle as Dodge
- Trey Carlisle as Earl Jr.
Guest starring[]
- Tamala Jones as Liberty Washington
- DJ Qualls as Ray-Ray Washington
- Jill Benjamin as Nurse
- Jennifer Echols as Nurse
- Andy Mackenzie as Prisoner #2
- Edward James Gage
- Michael A. Miranda