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in: Episodes, Season 4

The Magic Hour

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The Magic Hour
4x01
Season
Episode

1
List Number(s)
Airdate
September 25, 2008
Written by
Directed by

External Links:
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The Magic Hour is the 1st episode of Season 4 of My Name Is Earl, and the 70th episode overall. Joy's latest con reminds Earl of a wish he stole from a dying child named Buddy, so ten years after that, he visits the kid's mother, only to find out that Buddy is very much alive. Buddy has the vision of a movie, and he wants Earl to help him produce it.

Episode guide[]

One morning, Earl and Randy head to Joy's trailer to return a hairdryer Randy borrowed. Earl sees a kid playing a xylophone and voices his regret that he gave it up as a kid. When he gets there, he finds Joy getting Dodge and Earl Jr. ready for the grand re-opening of Mystery Funland. Joy has a plan to get the kids in for free and, with a magic marker, she draws "Make-A-Wish" on their T-shirts. Why should her kids suffer because they're healthy? All this inspires Earl to remember the time he took advantage of a Make-A-Wish kid.

One night ten years ago, a drunken Earl needed a ride home. When he spotted a giant dog (really a horse), he took advantage of the transportation, depriving dying Make-A-Wish kid Buddy of his pony ride in the 1999 New Year's Day parade. Although Buddy is almost certainly dead by now, Earl decides he can cross him off his list by doing something for his parents.

However it turns out that Buddy is still alive, and he knows just what Earl can do for him. A rabid movie fan, Buddy has written a script about international spy Max Patrick, who takes down a giant squid. He will direct and star, and Earl can produce.

Buddy has an artistic vision, and as producer, Earl must help him execute it. Buddy wants to cast someone hot yet edgy as Max's wife; Joy is perfect. Catalina is cast as a ruthless terrorist, and Randy will be the president. The only problem - Randy is the only one who can act. Claiming it's simple, Randy shows off, upsetting everyone.

Problems continue during shooting. Catalina throws a knife into Willy's eye, and Randy catches on fire. With each foible, Buddy runs to his trailer, leaving Earl to "fix it." When it's time to shoot the important final scene during the magic hour (which is when the sky turns orange as the sun is setting), morale is low. Buddy steals an onscreen kiss with Joy, so she quits, and the rest of the cast and crew follow suit.

Buddy is upset when no one shows up for the final day of shooting. Earl reiterates that everyone quit, but he's prepared to keep going. Buddy realizes that he's already got his dream shots in the can. He just needs two weeks to edit, and then Earl can throw a premiere party. Earl thinks no one will come, but Buddy knows they will.

Since "2 the Max" is the first film shot in Camden since the documentary on the chemical spill, everyone in town shows up to the premiere party... except Buddy. Earl learns from his mom that Buddy was still very ill, his frequent visits to his trailer had been so he could get treatment, and now he has succumbed to his disease. Earl is very upset, especially since Buddy won't get to see the movie he mad. Buddy's mom assures Earl that Buddy had lots of dreams, and Earl helped him with all of them.

Earl and Buddy's mom decide not to reveal Buddy's death to people until after the movie, and when watching the movie Earl realizes what Buddy's mom meant when he sees that Buddy got to meet the President, fight an octopus, get the girl and even ride in the New Year's Day parade. Everyone enjoys the movie (including Earl and Mrs. Zaks) - it's obvious that he's made something special. Inspired by Buddy, everyone decides to do the things they've always wanted to do while they still have a chance. Darnell paints, Joy designs clothing security tags, and Earl takes up the xylophone again. He might not be too good at it, but he intends to give it his best shot, and make it totally awesome.

Amigos de Garcia Productions Vanity Card[]

Amigos de Garcia - Earl S04E01-02

Notes[]

  • This marks the final appearance of William.
  • Guest star Seth Green and Jason Lee co-starred together in the film Enemy of the State.
  • Mindy Sterling also played Seth Green's mother in the Austin Powers films.
  • When Randy teaches the others how to act, he quotes the following movies - 'Taxi Driver', 'E.T. The Extraterrestrial', 'The Fugitive', 'The Elephant Man' and 'The Silence of the Lambs' as well as a speech by Malcolm X and the tagline from a Jif ad.

Burt Reynolds is mentioned in this episode, he is the actor that plays Chubby Sr

Flashbacks[]

List[]

Featured music[]

  • "The Seeker" by The Who
  • "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright

Memorable quotes[]

  • Buddy: Sup bro, You stole my pony?
  • Earl: Buddy? I thought you were dead. I saw you on the news.
  • Randy: I know what happened. He made a wish to still be alive. Why don't they all do that?


  • Earl: So, I take it you're a movie buff?
  • Buddy: Hell yeah! You spend 95 percent of your teen years in bed you're gonna watch some flicks.


  • Buddy: Have you ever seen a movie without Burt Reynolds in it?
  • Earl: Not all the way through, no.


  • Randy: (as Malcolm X) We didn't land on Plymouth Rock! Plymouth Rock landed on us!
  • Randy: (as Buffalo Bill) It puts the lotion on its skin. It does as it's told. PUT THE LOTION IN THE BASKET!
  • Randy: (as commercial spokeswoman) Choosy mom's choose Jiff.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Recurring[]

Guest starring[]


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