My Name Is Earl: Season 1
2005 · 24 episodes · ★ 8.1
What Season 1 of My Name Is Earl
Earl Hickey is a small-time crook living in Camden, a fictional county in rural America. After losing the 100,000-dollar lottery ticket in a hit-and-run and being kicked out by his wife, who tricks him into signing the divorce papers, he learns through karma that his misfortunes are the result of his own actions. He then decides to write a list of all his bad deeds so he can make amends for each one. Every task forces him to face old acquaintances, past grudges and the consequences of his mistakes, with his ex-wife Joy, his brother Randy and his friend Donny as the main celebrities.
Season 1 Episodes
1x01 Pilot
Today is the first day of the rest of Earl Hickey's life. After coming into a $100,000 scratch-off lottery ticket and losing it just as fast upon being hit by a car, Earl has an epiphany in the hospital--to make up for all the terrible things he's done in the past. With his brother Randy and a motel maid named Catalina, Earl writes up a list of every misdeed he was a part of. Earl sets out to do just that, starting with #64--Kenny James, a boy he picked on in elementary school.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Writing: Greg Garcia · Starring: Noah Crawford, Dale Dickey, Willam Belli, Leo Fitzpatrick
1x02 Quit Smoking
Earl must make amends to Donny, an intimidating thug who spent two years in jail for a robbery Earl committed. Oddly enough, the only way he can do this is by helping Donny's mom quit smoking. Meanwhile, Joy discovers she's the beneficiary of Earl's will and decides to kill him!
Directing: Marc Buckland · Starring: Kathryn Joosten, Silas Weir Mitchell, Jack Axelrod, Tracy Ashton
1x03 Randy's Touchdown
Back in their high school days, Earl ruined Randy's chance to score a touchdown during a key football game; now Earl must figure out a way to make things right.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Writing: J.B. Cook · Starring: Dennis Burkley, Gregg Binkley, Louis T. Moyle, Trey Carlisle
1x04 Faked My Own Death
When Earl meets a tough biker chick at a Halloween party, it looks like a match made in heaven--but when the costumes come off, the mismatch becomes apparent and Earl takes drastic measures to get out of the relationship. Now, years later, Earl must find a way to make amends for deceiving the girl.
Directing: Tamra Davis · Writing: Hilary Winston · Starring: Beth Riesgraf, Montel Williams, Dax Shepard, Frances Callier
1x05 Teacher Earl
Earl decides to teach English as a Second language to cross "Made fun of people with accents" off his karma list. While Ralph an old friend is released from prison, Earl tries to convince him in the ways of karma however Ralph ends up kidnapping Randy trying to get his hands on Earl’s lotto winnings.
Directing: Chris Koch · Starring: Noah Crawford, Sunkrish Bala, Giovanni Ribisi, Patty Maloney
1x06 Broke Joy's Fancy Figurine
In order to replace a fancy figurine that he broke, Earl lends a hand to help Joy's former adversary and her daughter win a mother/daughter beauty pageant . However, Joy enters the pageant also with her "dead" mother trying to win that same figurine, hoping to trade it for a hot tub.
Directing: Lev L. Spiro · Writing: Danielle Sanchez-Witzel · Starring: Ellen Albertini Dow, Missi Pyle, Chloë Grace Moretz, Timothy Stack
1x07 Stole Beer From a Golfer
Earl attempts to help Scott get over his preoccupation with golf--an obsession caused when he and Randy started fixing Scott’s golf game to get free beer. But after becoming so thoroughly entangled in Scott’s personal life that he drives Randy away, Earl realizes that he may be the one with the obsession.
Director: Chris Koch · Writer: Michael Pennie · Starring: Johnny Galecki, David Reivers, Jeremy Kilpatrick, Kristina Hayes
1x08 Joy's Wedding
Darnell and Joy decided to tie the knot while Earl learns thru Randy’s invitation that he is not invited. To make things worse Joy has scheduled the wedding on Earl’s birthday so that all of their friends will be unable to celebrate with him. A drunken Earl crashes the party accidentally breaking Joy’s nose and now is forced to add “ruined Joy’s wedding” to his list.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Writing: Greg Garcia · Starring: Dale Dickey, Louis T. Moyle, Trey Carlisle, Bill Suplee
1x09 Cost Dad the Election
Earl tries to cross of number four off his list “Blew dad’s chance to be elected mayor”. Four years earlier, Carl Hickey ran for mayor to redirect a proposed airplane traffic route over his house and away from the wealthy part of town. Earl unfortunately ruins any chances of his father winning when caught in on tape assaulting a police officer. Earl must now help his father get elected and mend his relationship with his father.
Directing: Chris Koch · Writing: Bobby Bowman · Starring: Noah Crawford, Nancy Lenehan, Beau Bridges, Bill Suplee
1x10 White Lie Christmas
As the holiday season comes under way a few secrets are exposed when Earl attempts to cross number seventy-four off of his list: "always ruined Joy's Christmas." Earl, Randy, and Catalina enter a radio contest to win a brand new car for Joy to make up for all of the thoughtless Christmas presents Earl gave her while they were married. While Randy and Catalina vie over the car, Earl finds out that Joy's parents believe that he's still their son-in-law and that he's just returned from the war in Iraq. Joy is afraid to tell her father, an alleged racist, that she is now married to Darnell, so Earl plays the part, afraid of ruining another one of her Christmases.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Writing: Timothy Stack · Starring: Brett Butler, Blake Clark, Harland Williams, Louis T. Moyle
1x11 Barn Burner
When trying to enroll her children into the Right Choice Ranch for troubled youth, Joy is denied enrollment because of a barn burning incident at the hands of a younger Earl. Earl, Randy and Catalina travel to the camp to make amends for the barn burning by building a pen for the camp’s ostrich. Earl learns the real reason behind the barn burning incident and decides that every incident on his list after the fire should be shared by Randy.
Directing: Ken Whittingham · Starring: Noah Crawford, Louis T. Moyle, Trey Carlisle, Abdoulaye N'Gom
1x12 O Karma, Where Art Thou?
When Earl and Randy try to return a stolen wallet they find out taking the money had cost two newlyweds their honeymoon. In an attempt to make things right Earl takes over for the groom at his fast food restaurant. After time Earl finds out the boss is a jerk and Earl wonders how such a man with a luxurious house and beautiful wife could not be affected by the only thing he believes in, Karma.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Writing: Greg Garcia · Starring: Jessica Cauffiel, Lindsay Hollister, Jeremy Howard, Jon Favreau
1x13 Stole P's HD Cart
Earl crosses another number off the list when he returns Pops’ Weiner Hot Dog cart he and Ralph stole in his youth. The good deed does not last long as Ralph, who works for a competing franchise sets fire to Pops cart. Earl now must set things right with a bizarre plan while recruiting Randy, Joy, Catalina and Darnell to assist him.
Directing: Chris Koch · Writing: J. B. Cook · Starring: Lou Wagner, Terence Bernie Hines, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Patricia Belcher
1x14 Monkeys in Space
Earl tackles number eighteen on his list when one of his old friends is arrested. Remebering that he told an inappropriate story at his birthday party he must give him one great day to make up the the terrible one before he was sent to prison.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Writing: Greg Garcia · Starring: Tim DeKay, Dona Hardy, Booth Colman, E.J. Callahan
1x15 Something to Live For
Earl takes his car troubles as a sign that it is time for him to redeem himself for a long run of stealing gas out of a complete stranger's car.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Writing: John Hoberg, Kat Likkel · Starring: Adam Goldberg, Peter Spruyt
1x16 The Professor
Earl's nervous about returning a laptop computer he stole from a college professor, mostly because he's uncomfortable around smart people. When the professor turns out to be a beautiful woman, he feels even more ill at ease, until she flatters him and asks him to speak about his list in front of her class. Meanwhile, Randy experiences fraternity life---and absolutely loves it.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Writing: Danielle Sanchez-Witzel · Starring: Noah Crawford, Christine Taylor, Samm Levine, Anthony De Marco
1x17 Didn't Pay Taxes
Earl attempts to cross off another deed of his list. This time trying to repay the government after failing to pay his taxes in the past.
Directing: Craig Zisk · Writing: Michael Pennie · Starring: Tim DeKay, Yvette Cruise, Bill Suplee, Thomas Crawford
1x18 Dad's Car
It's Mother's Day again when Earl remembers that he has never given his mother a Mother's Day gift Just as he and Randy are about to finish carrying out his long overdue gift his mother decides her repayment should include Earl doing something for his father.
Directing: Chris Koch · Writing: Brad Copeland, Barbie Adler · Starring: Noah Crawford, Timothy Olyphant, Dale Dickey, Nancy Lenehan
1x19 Y2K
When Earl is attempting to cross number 24 ("Stole a red 'Take-a-number' machine” ) off his list, Randy tries to get Earl to back down by trying to make him remember, through a flashback, how they got the machine around New Year’s Eve 1999. Darnell convinces the gang to believe that Y2K will signal the end of the world and they, happily, will be the last people on Earth.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Writing: Hilary Winston · Starring: Tatum McCann, Silas Weir Mitchell, Timothy Stack, Alejandro Patiño
1x20 Boogeyman
Earl decides to cross off "made a kid scared of the boogeyman" from his list. Earl soon discovers just what kind of lasting affect he had on the little boy.
Directing: Eyal Gordin · Writing: Vali Chandrasekaran · Starring: Malcolm David Kelley, Khamani Griffin, Tucker Smallwood, Louis T. Moyle
1x21 The Bounty Hunter
Number forty-five "Ditched Jessie to Marry Joy" is next on the list when Jessie, Earl's ex-girlfriend returns to town seeking revenge. Earl must protect Joy in a lakeside retreat while Randy fights not to reveal their location to Jessie.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Writing: Hunter Covington · Starring: Don Swayze, Tiffany Haddish, Juliette Lewis, Dana Cuomo
1x22 Stole a Badge
Earl tackles No. 127 on his list by making amends for pilfering a police officer's badge. When he discovers that the theft resulted in the cop's demotion, he tries to get the officer reinstated.
Directing: Marc Buckland · Starring: Joan Blair, Kerry O'Malley, Mike O'Malley, Clint Howard
1x23 BB
Earl attempts to cross out number 147 on his list "Shot Gwen Waters with a BB Gun." To make things right he must reunite Gwen with her estranged father which Earl finds increasingly difficult.
Directing: Victor Nelli, Jr. · Writing: John Hoberg, Kat Likkel · Starring: Noah Crawford, Miriam Shor, Dale Dickey, Jack Betts
1x24 Number One Season Finale
In the season finale, Earl decides to cross off the first number on his karma list, “Stole ten dollars from a guy at the Camden Market.” Earl to his dismay finds out that he owes much more than ten dollars, in fact he must surrender all his lotto winnings. Earl now ponders when karma is going to help him with his misfortunes.
Directing: Greg Garcia · Writing: Greg Garcia · Starring: Lin Shaye, Dale Dickey, Max Perlich, Bill Suplee
Season 1 Cast
Jason LeeEarl Hickey24 episodes
Louis T. MoyleDodge9 episodes
Noah CrawfordYoung Earl7 episodes
Bill SupleeWillie the One-Eyed Mailman4 episodes
Gregg BinkleyKenny James3 episodes
Jack AxelrodElectrolarynx Guy3 episodes
Abdoulaye N'GomNescobar-A-Lop-Lop3 episodes
Tim DeKayHank Lange2 episodes
Nancy LenehanKay Hickey2 episodes
Timothy StackTV's Tim Stack2 episodes
Giovanni RibisiRalph Mariano2 episodes
All Seasons
Season 22006 · 23 ep. · 
Season 32007 · 18 ep. · 
Season 42008 · 27 ep. · Where to Watch Season 1 of My Name Is Earl
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes are in Season 1 of My Name Is Earl?
Season 1 of My Name Is Earl has 24 episodes.
When did Season 1 of My Name Is Earl premiere?
Premiered on September 20, 2005.
Where to watch Season 1 of My Name Is Earl?
By subscription, on Disney Plus (availability may vary by country).
What is the best episode of Season 1?
According to the TMDB audience rating, episode 1x24, "Number One," has a 8.9.