Quit Smoking is the title of the second episode of Season 1 of My Name is Earl. Earl decides that the next thing he needs to make right is to quit smoking. However, Randy and Catalina are of the opinion that Earl needs to face his fear of Donny Jones, even if it kills him. Coincidentally, Joy is planning to kill Earl in order to inherit his money.
Episode guide[]
- You know the kind of guy who does nothing but bad things then wonders why his life sucks? Well, that was me. Every time something good happened to me something bad was always waiting around the corner. Karma. That's when I realized I had to change. So I made a list of all the bad things I've done and, one by one, I'm going to make up for all my mistakes. I'm just trying to be a better person; my name is Earl.
Earl crosses off Donny
While Earl tries to work out what number on his list to try to cross off next, Joy complains about the fact that he won the lottery just after she divorced him. Convinced that she is the rightful owner of half of the money, she sets off to kill Earl, and purchases a weapon from a gun store after finding Earl's "video will" in which he says that, should he die, Joy should get all of his possession. After an attempt to shoot Earl fails Joy sends Darnell with a plate of poison cookies to kill Earl. However, Darnell explains the situation to Earl including the video will, stopping Earl from eating the cookies.
Earl and Donny's mom tried smoke patches.
Back at the Motel, Randy gives Earl a tape he bought for 32 cents from a yard sale to help him cross off number 102 on his list - Harmed and possibly killed innocent people with second hand smoke. Earl agrees to try the tape after finishing off his current pack. In the meantime, Earl allowed Catalina to pick an item from the list and she chose number 112 - "Let Donny Jones serve jail time for a crime I committed". However, Earl, being afraid of Donny, opted out of doing number 112, claiming that he could only do one thing at a time. Trying to quit smoking forced Earl to smoke more and, despite his futile efforts to hide it from his brother, Randy found out he has still been smoking. Randy and Catalina told Earl that they found out where Donny Jones lived and said that he should go and see him. Earl refused, but the two tricked him into going by arriving at Donny's house and locking Earl out of the car.
Earl was forced to go inside when Randy honked the horn, attracting attention, and endeavored to explain his list to Donny. Donny, who found religion in jail, said that whoever robbed the donut store (for which Donny was framed and incarcerated) sent him a blessing in disguise. Earl explained that it was he who robbed the donut store in the hopes that Donny would forgive him after finding religion. At first seeming angry, Donny said that he would probably have ended up in prison anyway since he once was a sinner, and told Earl to cross him off his list.
Earl and Donny's mom tried smoking carrots.
However, Donny's mom was less forgiving. Angered that Earl forced Donny to go to prison for two years, she hit him several times with her large-print edition of the Bible. Earl later sees her smoking, and decides to help her quit before it kills her. He takes her back to the Motel and straps her to a chair, telling her that he will give her two more years with her son by keeping her alive for longer. He agrees to quit with her, and over a few days spent together in Randy and Earl's Motel apartment, the two appear to have quit the habit.
Earl takes Donny's mother back to her house and she has a happy reunion with her son. Convinced he has helped, Earl crosses her off his list. Joy approaches him one final time with a gun but, just before she shoots Earl he tells her that he has recorded a new will leaving her with no money. Dissatisfied, she leaves.
Notes[]
- Earl's 'video will' was recorded over another video where we hear a woman scream "Aunt Millie's walking!" just before the scene cuts to Earl and Joy talking about their stolen video camera.
- Though Joy believed she would inherit Earl's lotto winnings if she killed him, she would invalidate the inheritance by the fact that she would have been his killer. This is known as 'The Slayer Rule' and prevents a will's recipient inheriting the inheritance if they were the one to kill them.
- The bumper sticker on the car outside of Donny Jones' house reads "Jesus is my airbag".
Flashbacks[]
- A flashback showing that Donny Jones was crazy, with Donny tackling a young paper boy.
- The explanation of why Donny is sent to prison is shown through flashbacks.
List[]
- List items introduced in this episode:
- List items reintroduced in this episode:
- - #86 Stole a car from one legged girl
- List items introduced and crossed off in this episode:
- - #112 Let Donny Jones serve jail time for a crime I committed/Took Donny away from his mother for two years
- List items reintroduced and crossed off in this episode:
- - #102 Harmed or possibly killed people with second hand smoke
Featured music[]
- "La Grange" (Wes Cunningham version) by ZZ Top
- "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" by Tex Williams
- "Livin' Thing" by Electric Light Orchestra
Memorable quotes[]
- Earl Hickey: [voiceover] Quittin' smokin' is kinda like going to prison. If you can last three days, you'll be fine. Me and Donny's mom tried everything. We listened to the tapes, then we tried the patches, then we heard somewhere to try carrot sticks. We tried it, but we couldn't get the damn things to light.
- Joy Turner: [after finding Earl's video will] Darnell, run down to the Video Hut and rent me a VCR!
- Earl Hickey: So you're all churched up now, huh. Good for you. Giving up all that hurting people.
- Donny Jones: Turn the other cheek now.
- Earl Hickey: And you got a tattoo of the Red Sea to prove it.
- Donny Jones: Wanna see it now. [he goes to pull down his pants]
- Earl Hickey: No, I'm still gonna pass on that.
- Earl Hickey: Why are we stopping?
- Randy Hickey: I think we got a flat in the back.
- Catalina: Yea, I heard it too.
- Earl Hickey: Damnit! I just got those tires five years ago.
- Earl Hickey: I was gonna focus on quitting smoking. But it turns out quitting smoking is stressful. And when I'm stressed-out, I smoke.
- Earl Hickey: Those are poisoned.
- Randy Hickey: How poisoned?
- Catalina: This is the sweetest, most justified kidnapping I've ever seen.
- Randy Hickey: How many have you seen?
- Catalina: Five or so.
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[]
Guest starring[]
- Kathryn Joosten as Donny's Mom
- Jack Axelrod as Old Man
- Scott Lincoln as Gun Store Owner
- Andrew Wasser as Prisoner
- Joshua Levine as Donut Store Clerk
- Roy Lee Jonesas Policeman
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My Name is Earl Season 1 | Season 2 >
| ||||||
| #00 Bad Karma | ||||||||
| #01 | Pilot | #07 | Stole Beer from a Golfer | #13 | Stole P's HD Cart | #19 | Y2K | |
| #02 | Quit Smoking | #08 | Joy's Wedding | #14 | Monkeys in Space | #20 | Boogeyman | |
| #03 | Randy's Touchdown | #09 | Cost Dad the Election | #15 | Something to Live For | #21 | The Bounty Hunter | |
| #04 | Faked My Own Death | #10 | White Lie Christmas | #16 | The Professor | #22 | Stole a Badge | |
| #05 | Teacher Earl | #11 | Barn Burner | #17 | Didn't Pay Taxes | #23 | BB | |
| #06 | Broke Joy's Fancy Figurine | #12 | O Karma, Where Art Thou? | #18 | Dad's Car | #24 | Number One | |