| “ | You know the kind of guy who who does nothing but bad things and then wonders why his life sucks? Well, that was me. Every time something good happened to me, something bad was always waiting round the corner: Karma. That’s when I realized that I had to change, so I made a list of everything bad I've ever done and one by one I'm gonna make up for all my mistakes. I'm just trying to be a better person. | „ |
| ~ Earl Hickey's famous speech in the opening monologue of season 1. |
| “ | Do good things and good things happen. Do bad things come back to haunt you. | „ |
| ~ Earl Hickey's famous catchphrase (about the concept of karma. |
| “ | Do good things and good things happen. Do bad things happen. | „ |
| ~ Earl Hickey's second famous catchphrase (about the concept of karma. |
Earl J. Hickey is the titular main protagonist of the hit TV sitcom show My Name is Earl. Born April 3, 1970, Earl was a former criminal who, after discovering the concept of karma, decided to make a list of everything wrong he ever did in his life and make up for them one by one. He has helped many people over four years of following karma, and despite having three failed marriages, being sent to prison, falling into a coma and temporarily losing his faith, he continued to make up for all the bad things he had done in his life.
He is portrayed by Jason Lee who also voiced Underdog in Underdog (2007) and played Dave Seville in the live-action Alvin and the Chipmunks movies.
As a Criminal[]
Childhood[]
Earl was supposed to be named Carl, after his father, but due to Carl's messy writing the word "Carl" looked like "Earl" in the birth certificate. Earl has apparently been a troublemaker from an early age. For example, when he was four, he punched his father's friend Rick James in the groin, and when he was 10, Earl cut a section of hair from Carl's head and glued it under his nose, making it look like a Hitler mustache when their Jewish friends came to visit. Earl played the xylophone as a child, but gave it up.
As a child, Earl actively committed many crimes. Once, whilst playing kickball, he kicked Kenny James after he made a good hit, then hit the ball into his head. He also encouraged Ralph Mariano to begin a life of crime when he showed him the "Street Piñata"; smashing a gumball machine with a baseball bat. When Earl was 11, he lost his father's two week old Mustang in a drag race. However, he told his father that he lost the car in a swamp.
When they were children, Earl and Randy went to the Camden County Fair every year ("Stole Beer from a Golfer"). As Earl and Randy grew up, their father, Carl, was absent for a lot of the time as he found it the easier way to deal with his marriage. Earl had very hairy nipples as a child, leading to him being teased heavily whilst at the pool.
When Earl was in high school, he teased Kenny James for wanting to be a cheerleader, not realizing that it was in fact Randy's dream. He had a crush on his babysitter, Rachel, but she was not interested in him and had a boyfriend over to stay at Earl's when she was supposed to be watching him. To get back at them, Earl pierced the couple's condoms and Rachel fell pregnant. As a teenage Earl tortured the Witch Lady by pulling senseless pranks on her.
Earl attended Chaz Dalton's Space Academy as a child and had a wonderful time there learning from who he thought was Chaz Dalton (but was in fact an engineer named Wayne), a man who had been to space. He said it was one of the few times in his life when he enjoyed learning. Earl and Randy stayed with their Aunt Gail over one summer and helped her out with chores. However, when Randy met a girl named Pinky and stopped doing chores, Earl became jealous and broke the two up by sending a fake note to Pinky from himself, disguised as Randy.
Earl was sent to a Catholic school due to his constant misbehavior. He bullied Wally Panzer whilst there to establish his place, nicknaming him Wally Pansy because he was chasing a butterfly with a net.
Adulthood[]
Earl and Randy continued to live with their parents into their adulthood but were, however, frequently kicked out by Carl. On one such occasion they went to live with their friend Raynard, who had a radical life of not conforming to the norm; for instance he had his bathtub in the middle of the living room. They help Raynard score with some girls by pretending that they are all in a band, and convince them to have sex with them in their tour bus. However, they do not in fact have a tour bus and so Earl stole the local Bookmobile, pretending that was the name of their band.
Earl finally moved out of his parents' house on 92nd March 1989.
Some time before he discovered karma and whilst Randy was still in high school, Earl bet that Randy's team would lose and, after encouraging Randy to mess up his game, he won a lot of money. On several occasions, he and Randy made fun of foreign people who had different accents. At some point, he urinated in the back of a police car ("Pilot"). Earl scared a young boy into believing in the existence of the boogeyman whilst trying to steal things from his wealthy parents.
In the early hours of New Years Day 1999, a drunken Earl stole a horse that was to be used by a ten-year-old Buddy who had been diagnosed with a fatal illness. In the morning he was unable to ride the horse in the New Year's Parade as he had always wanted. Four years before making the List, Earl blew his father's chances of becoming mayor. Carl was angered after seeing the hopeful mayor-to-be Marty Park change a flight route over his and the neighboring houses, so decided to run for mayor opposite Park. Meanwhile, Earl got into trouble with the police, something that was picked up by Park's campaigners, ruining Carl's chances of being elected.
Seven months before karma, Earl and Randy manipulated a golfer, Scott, into buying them beer by convincing him that he was getting many holes in one. Earl and Randy stole various drinks from a nearby corner shop on several occasions. 6 months before discovering karma, Earl faked his own death to get out of a relationship with a needy, annoying girl.
Earl had an affair with the girlfriend of Camden County's local stuntman, Sweet Johnny. Sheila and Earl devised schemes so that the two would be left alone and could continue their affair. However, it began to take its toll on Johnny who was being forced into doing more and more painful stunts. Earl saw what was happening and decided to end the affair.
Earl made friends with Zeke Cavanaugh and his brother Arlo, who moved into the trailer park. Earl and Zeke became good friends and they participated in many activities together that won them t-shirts. Randy became jealous that Earl was spending so much time with Zeke, and so hid a belt buckle of Earl's and blamed it on Zeke. In retaliation, Earl burnt all the shirts he and Zeke won together, and so Zeke and Arlo moved away.
Earl and Randy stole a church organ in the hopes that it would gain good money on the black market, not realizing that what people really wanted were real organs such as livers and kidneys. At an undefined later point, Earl also stole some tools (which happened to belong to the reverend at the church that Earl stole the organ from) then kicked over the Port-a-loo that the owner of the tools was in. Unbelievably, Earl also slept with the reverend's wife in a scam he played where he pretended to help women get their husbands out of prison.
Earl attended a Halloween party at the Crab Shack that Joy was also at. Little Chubby (who was wearing a skeleton costume) made a pass at Joy, which she declined, but by the end of the night she was so drunk she decided to take him up on the offer. She found the man in the skeleton costume (which this time happened to be Earl) and they had sex, which led to her conception of Dodge.
Despite Earl and Randy's numerous mishaps, their father Carl often bailed them out of jail. However before long he stopped, forcing Earl and Randy to stay in jail.
Marriage[]
Before making his list, Earl was in a committed relationship with a woman named Jessie. However, Joy Darville decided that she needed a husband to support her soon-to-be-born baby and managed to get Earl drunk enough to marry her on the night of meeting her. He discovered that she was already pregnant the next morning. Joy gave birth to the baby, and named it Dodge. She later gave birth to what Earl thought was his baby, but he soon discovered that Earl Jr. was the son of Darnell who had been having an affair with Joy.
Several weeks after their wedding, Darnell Turner convinced Earl and Joy that the world would end in the year 2000, and after they thought everyone except themselves had died, they all hid in a store, each claiming a section. However, they soon realized the rest of the world was still alive and went back home.
During their marriage Earl and Joy pulled many scams on people. One of these scams was against an old man, Arthur Hill, whom they conned $100 from by pretending that they were collecting money for a starving child in Africa. After they had been married for several months, Earl realized he could not support Joy by merely stealing, and so they began a scam where they would take away broken down cars, fix them so they would run temporarily then sell them on for large sums of money to unknowing people. One such person was Lloyd ("Sold a Guy a Lemon Car").
In April 2001, Ernie Belcher disappeared. An investigation was launched by the police and Earl and Randy were arrested, suspected of killing Ernie. However evidence provided by professional NASCAR racer Mike Waltrip proved them innocent and they were set free ("Inside Probe (Part 1)").
For the couple's first wedding anniversary (around the summer of 2001), Randy threw them a party at the Crab Shack. However, he just invited guests who were former boyfriends of Joy, including Earl's more successful cousin, Blake. Joy appeared to still be attracted to him, but Earl managed to save Joy from a killer bee that entered the Crab Shack, also saving his marriage. During their marriage Joy applied to be on the TV show Fear Factor by doing a series of ridiculous stunts such as licking batteries. However, before the tape could be sent off Earl accidentally destroyed it. He told Joy he had sent it and she simply assumed that they never got back to her.
In 2005 Earl appeared at Dodge's career day pretending to be a doctor. However, a police officer also in the room got a call that some hospital equipment had been stolen and he arrested Earl.
Karma[]
Earl bought a "scratch and win" lottery ticket at the start of the series which proves to be worth $100,000. However he was immediately hit by a car and watched the ticket blow away. While Earl recovered in hospital, his wife, Joy, divorced him, and Earl was introduced to the concept of karma while watching an interview with singer Trace Adkins on "Last Call with Carson Daly". He decided to try to make up for all the bad things he has done and makes a written list of 259 items. After leaving the hospital he started on his list and right away he found the lost $100,000 scratcher. Figuring karma works well, he resolved to continue making up for items on the list.
Season 1[]
He helped Kenny James, who Earl used to bully as a child, into coming out of the closet. He then decided to quit smoking to deal with #102 on the List, which he completed successfully. Earl then wanted to help Randy, his faithful brother, score the touchdown he had always wanted in high school, but Randy instead helped Earl get his car back (which had been impounded), and Randy told him to cross him off the list. Earl then made up for #84 by helping former annoying girlfriend Natalie Duckworth become more independent. He then tried to help to secure a figurine Joy won in a mother-daughter beauty pageant as a child, but in the end Joy won the figurine herself. Earl also helped restore the life of Scott after Earl and Randy manipulated him into thinking that he was a pro golfer.
Joy and Darnell decided to get married, but did not invite Earl. This angered Earl, especially as the wedding had been arranged for his birthday, and he crashed the ceremony and accidentally broke Joy's nose in the process. To make it up to her he agreed to pay for a new wedding, but as they worked together they became closer and Joy and Earl slept together. Darnell found out, but Earl talked him into staying with Joy, and the two had a happy wedding.
Earl re-entered his father for election in 2005 to try to make up for #4. He was very popular amongst those who wanted the air route changed, but after a run-in with the police Carl lost again. However, after his father bailed him out of jail Earl realized that he was coming around, as he had not done so for six years. Earl was convinced he could get his father to be proud of him if he kept doing good things.
Earl pretended to be married to Joy over the Christmas period after she lied to her parents, Buzz and Connie Darville, telling them that they were still married. A few days later Earl saw Connie standing up - despite the fact that she needed a wheelchair from "dialysis". She admitted to Earl that she had a gambling problem and had been spending lots of money from the family business that she pretended was for her treatment on gambling. The secret soon came out, as did Joy and Earl's, and an argument ensued. However when Christmas Day arrived and Dodge and Earl Jr. began to open presents, everyone quieted, happy to see the boys faces at their presents.
Earl then made a pen for some ostriches at the Right Choice Ranch after burning down a barn there as a child. However, it was revealed that Randy was the one who burnt down the barn, and Earl made him cross items off the List, until he eventually forgave him. Earl took over for Jeff Muskin at his job at a fast food restaurant so that he could have a honeymoon with his wife that Earl took away. Earl had problems with his new boss, Mr. Patrick, who ended up punching. This caused him to be kicked out of his house (after his wife found out he had been cheating) and for him to be sent to prison (for stealing from the restaurant).
He made up for stealing Pops' hot dog cart, and managed to give Hank Lange a good day before he was sent upstate to prison. He also helped a man named Philo find Something to Live For, before returning a laptop he stole from Alex Meyers, a beautiful woman who was interested in Earl, but ultimately their relationship could not work as Earl realized that he needed to focus on the List after being punished by karma.
After realizing he had never paid taxes, Earl tried several method to do so, all of which were unsuccessful. He decided to get himself fined to pay the money to the government, but ended up trapped in a water tower. He and Randy were rescued by a team of firemen and policemen, and were charged $500. He then tried to give his mother a perfect day after never giving her a god Mother's Day present, but found it difficult as his father still hated him. However, they began to bond when they started to fix up a car Earl lost over twenty years before. He also made up for #24, with the help of Donny Jones, Joy and Randy.
Earl then helped a young boy, Alby Tollhurst, overcome his fear of the dark. After being mistaken as a kidnapped of the boy, Earl's Motel room was infiltrated by tear gas which got to him and Randy. After meeting back up with old love Jessie, Earl tried to make up for leaving her and marrying Joy several years before. However, Joy revealed that she tricked Earl into marrying her, and said that Earl should not have Jessie on his List. Earl then made up for stealing a badge from a police officer, and learned that it belonged to Officer Stuart Daniels, who had been demoted to watching a rest stop on the highway after losing the badge. Earl tried to help get him promoted again, but discovered that Stuart's true passion lay with bowling, which Earl encouraged him to follow upon. Stuart did so, and Earl realized he could cross him off the List. Earl made up for shooting Gwen Waters in the ass with a BB gun by reuniting her with her father.
Finally Earl decided to get around to crossing #1 off his List, but he discovered that the $10 he stole from Paul was going to be used on a scratch card that won him the $100,000 lotto winnings. Giving all the money to Paul, he and Randy lived off nothing for several days, being kicked out of the Motel and forced to sell the El Camino. Whilst on a bus, they ran down Paul, who in hospital offered the money back to Earl, saying it had brought him bad luck, and so Earl took the money back and resumed his life as before, crossing items off the List.
Season 2[]
Joy was angered after Bargain Bag refused to refund her for an automatic television cabinet she had purchased, and so decided to steal a van from there to get her money back. She enlisted the help of Earl to sell it, but they soon discovered that there was a man in the back of the truck. Joy and Earl tried to get the man to escape without being able to identify them, but he managed to see Joy and she was sent to prison, being charged with grand theft auto, kidnapping and assault.
Earl goes to Richard Chubby, the owner of Club Chubby, and asks for the bail money for Joy, $1 million, promising to pay it back. Chubby says that he will bail Joy out if Earl gets the Club's best dancer back; Catalina. Earl talks Catalina into coming back to work, but when she discovers that it is to help Joy get out of prison, she refuses. Joy tries to do the dance for Chubby, but she is unsuccessful and Chubby goes back on his deal. Earl collapses from the stress of the situation, and so Catalina decides to go ahead with the dancing, not to help get Joy out of prison, but to help Earl.
He helped several members of Shady Grove, a community of unusual carnival people, come out into the open and not be dictated by what other people think.
Earl helped Wendy and Will reunite after #75 indirectly caused their love never to develop, then he got into gambling after trying to help Kenny James be more masculine. However, his addiction led to Catalina being late for her shift at Club Chubby, and she was deported after she was discovered as an illegal immigrant when pulled over for speeding. Earl realized his mistake and, along with Randy, went to get her back from Mexico.
After Earl decides to grow up in accordance with his list, he and Randy move out of the motel and get an apartment. Joy faces a life sentence in prison after kidnapping and imprisoning a man, and Earl decides to testify as a character witness. At the last moment Earl lies and says that it was he who committed the crime, allowing Joy to stay with her family but forcing himself into prison.
Season 3[]
After helping the Warden out with numerous tasks, Earl receives many early release certificates . The day finally comes for Earl to be released from prison. However, Earl discovers that the Warden has destroyed his early departure tickets, he turns to his friends to help him escape from prison. After sixty days in solitary confinement (making Earl go crazy), Randy and fellow inmate Frank devise a plan to get Earl out of jail. With the help of Darnell, Joy and Catalina on the outside combined with Randy and Frank’s help on the inside, Earl manages to get home freely.
Earl married Frank's former girlfriend Billie after meeting her outside prison and it would seem like a dream come true that karma gave Earl a soul mate to spend the rest of his life with. However, their marriage was pretty strained from the beginning, and Earl seemed dissatisfied with Billie.
Earl began to avoid Billie, seeing as it the best way to make his marriage work. However, once he started to cross items off his List that involved any of the women he had wronged over the years, Billie became more tolerable, and so he decided to continue to cross off items that involved women. But then she suddenly became angry and forced Earl to chose what's important when he tried to cross off the Amish community called the Camdenites for seducing their women in hope to have a pleasant and normal relationship with his wife. After he explained to Billie why she's upset all time, and that he make up to the women he hurt, he chose the list to fix his problems with her. But when Billie didn't that lightly, she assaulted her husband with a telephone and stole his list to cause havoc upon people on the list including Kevin and Willie of Shady Grove, Didi, Mistletoe the stripper, and Nescobar-A-Lop-Lop in order to make Earl see things her way. Yet her plan didn't work and she escaped to the Camdenite Village to hide out from both the angry mob of the townspeople she wronged and theLater she came back to the Palms Hotel for Earl who was there along with Randy and his new girlfriend Greta. Yet as a changed woman, she explained to Earl that her stay with the Camdenites turned her life around and made learned that you can't forced someone you loved to chose between you and the bad deeds they're trying to make up. Earl understands that karma didn't want him turn Billie into another Earl, but only to help her find her real self. And so he gets to crossed the Camdenites off his list and Billie gave Earl not only his list back, she gave him a check for $72,000 before she says to him "Maybe karma didn't want me to be your reward, but it still wants you to have one." and then she left. In the end, each of them both found where they belong.
Season 4[]
Earl decided to help Buddy, a man who Earl had stolen the opportunity to ride a horse on New Years Day, 1999. Buddy explained to Earl his passion for making films, and Earl agreed to assist him, acting as the producer, of a film entitled "2 the Max", starring Buddy himself along with Randy, Joy and Patty the Daytime Hooker. All the cast and crew became angered by Buddy's intense directing style, and decided to quit. However, Buddy managed to piece the film together and pass it on to Earl for the premiere. As the film was about to start, Earl learnt from Buddy's mother that the director had died from a long-suffering illness, and therefore could not see the final film at the premiere. Earl went ahead with the screening and everyone thoroughly enjoyed seeing the film. Buddy's passion for film inspired Earl to take up the xylophone again, something he had given up as a child and always regretted.
To cross off #87 from his List, Earl went to see Clark Clark, who he thought he had chased off his street as a child. It turned out that Clark had left because he had an affair with Earl's mother, Kay. Angered, Earl forced Kay to tell his father, who left her. However, after a few days he realized that he still loved her and went back to be with Kay ("Monkeys Take a Bath"). He then had to look after Dodge and Earl Jr. after Earl gave Joy a hot tub that was infected with a contagious disease ("Joy in a Bubble"). He then made up for stealing an RV from a war veteran, and for sleeping with Sweet Johnny's girlfriend ("Sweet Johnny"). In an attempt to make up to Kenny James for taking away his chances of attending a cheerleaders camp, Earl discovered that it was in fact Randy who wanted to attend the camp. After feeling bad for making fun of him for this, Earl reluctantly agreed to go and train in the camp with Randy, which surprisingly led to a talented team for Camden County.
Earl, Randy and Darnell prepare for the Halloween party. As Randy's birthday approached, Earl bought him a new car. However, the car was soon stolen and Earl had to go against the criminal's code of conduct and snitch to the police about what had been done. At first other criminals of Camden rejected Earl for his actions, but after they all proved to do similar things under the same circumstances, all was forgotten. Earl then planned a Halloween party for Dodge and Earl Jr. to make up for ruining theirs in the past, which at the same time helped Earl to cross another item off his List; "Took away Randy's chances of having a little brother" ("Little Bad Voodoo Brother"). He made up to Lloyd for selling him a lemon car in the past by convincing him that all people were not scum.
Whilst reminiscing about the past, he and Randy agreed that Joy was their favorite wife Earl ever had.
When a tornado attacked Camden, Earl temporarily lost The List. However, when he made up for stealing a door for the El Camino, he retrieved the List ("Nature's Game Show"). Earl read a story of "Trazan the Apeman" to a group of children, reminding him of his old friend Raynard who bore striking similarities to "Trazan". It also reminded him of #219, and so to make up for stealing a Bookmobile he went out to forest and found where he left it. However, he was shocked to find that Raynard was living in the van. He eventually convinced him to come back to civilization, but Earl realized that Raynard was not suited to the real world and so let him go back to the wild; much like "Trazan".
Earl then decided to make up for #201; Conned an old man out of $100 (a trick that he and Joy did whilst married that involved convincing the man he was donating money to save starving children in Africa). When he went to see the man, Arthur Hill, he realized that it was not just $100 that the man had been conned out of, but Joy had been taking money from the man ever since. In fact, she had even told all her friends who also were conning the man. Earl was angered and so decided to tell Mr. Hill that his money was not going to charities, and refunded him the $5000 that they had stolen from him over the years. The man was distraught but Earl was pleased that the ladies of the trailer park no longer had the corrupt money. However, when Mr. Hill saw the sorry state of the women, he gave them all money to fix their individual problems, and Earl realized that the man needed a charity as it made him feel good to help people ("Orphan Earl"). To make up for getting her pregnant, Earl decide to help Rachel teach her childish son ways of the world. However, in the end it is Randy who manages to teach Ronnie how to live in the real world, and Earl is pleased that Randy knows how to live without him.
Earl decided to admit to Joy that he destroyed her Fear Factor audition tape and it was on his list; #31. She was angered, but Earl said he would attempt to get her onto a new show, Estrada or Nada, where viewers competed with Eric Estrada. She eventually agreed and got onto the show, but was rejected. She angrily lashed out at the presenter, Brian Dunkleman, and Darnell was forced to pull her off, watched on television by the whole world. Darnell and his family had blown Darnell's cover with the Witness Protection Program as they had been seen by so many people, and had to be relocated. Earl apologized as he realized that it was all his fault, but before he could say any more he and Randy were hit by tranquilizers by US government agents and left in the trailer). In an effort to try to find Joy and Darnell Earl and Randy tried to mail themselves in a huge crate to their new address. They were unsuccessful and left in a dumpster, where Earl found a letter addressed to Joy explaining that she still had a chance on the show if enough people text messaged in support of her. After a quick visit to Jasper Earl bought phones for everyone at the Crab Shack who sent a text for Joy. She was successful and managed to get on the show, Darnell allowing her to break out of her new cover so she could live her dream. She won the show and backstage afterwards thanked Earl for everyone, and they both said they would miss one another. She left, and Earl assumed he would never see her again).
Randy gets into bed with Earl, despite having his own now that they live in the trailer, because he hears a "strange, scratchy noise" and gets scared.
Earl and Randy moved into Joy and Darnell's trailer after they were placed in Witness Protection. Randy decided to make a List of his own after winning a scratch card and losing it, similar to Earl. He gave Earl back the belt buckle he stole and had blamed on Zeke Cavanaugh. Earl realized he needed to make up for burning Zeke's t-shirts (which he had done in response to Zeke's supposed stealing of the belt buckle. Earl met back up with Zeke and they became close friends again which upset Zeke's brother Arlo. Randy and Arlo began to argue, which led to Earl and Zeke arguing, and the two pairs of brothers departed from each other ("Randy's List Item"). When Mr. Turtle returned to the trailer park Earl realized he had to take him to Darnell. He secretly contacted him and went to the Turner's new house, where he was met with stiff resistance by Joy who didn't want Earl to blow their new cover as a posh and rich family. However, when Joy's new friends met Earl they were fascinated with karma and each decided to start a List of their own. It helped them with the sleeping issues they had been having to make up for doing things wrong in the future, and Earl felt good for helping them out.
A man arrived at the trailer and asked to see Darnell. Earl denied knowing Darnell until the man revealed himself to be Darnell's father, Thomas, and the reason that Darnell was in the Witness Protection Program. Earl took Thomas to Darnell and Thomas asked Darnell to go on one last mission so he could move back to Camden. Darnell agreed and, taking Earl along for the ride, the father and son successfully completed their mission and the Turners moved back to Camden ("My Name is Alias").
Earl then helped Dodge get into Chaz Dalton Space Academy, a camp Earl had attended and greatly enjoyed as a child ("Chaz Dalton's Space Academy"). He softened the spirit of Grizelda Weezmer after she had been left resentful for hurtful names he and Randy had called her ("Witch Lady"), and reunited Randy with his old love (who in fact turned out to be Joy) ("Pinky"). He also made up with Wally Panzer, whom he had bullied as a child ("Bullies") and was forgiven by Reverend Greene for breaking a light in his car, stealing his tools and even sleeping with his wife ("Gospel").
Earl realizes that he is, in fact, Dodge's father.
When the episode of Inside Probe aired which finally revealed what happened to Crab Shack owner Ernie Belcher, Earl watched along with Randy, Joy, Darnell and the rest of the Crab Shack inhabitants. When they learnt that Ernie drowned in wet cement in the women's restrooms, they all went to pay their respects to him).
Dodge didn't want Darnell to attend his schools Career Day, instead wanting Earl who he thought was his real dad. Joy never told him the truth about his real father, who was Little Chubby. Earl confronted Chubby, wanting Dodge to have a better life, but Chubby threatened to kill Earl if he didn't leave it alone. As Earl attempted to get DNA to prove Chubby's connection to Dodge, Chubby began to attack Earl; shooting at him, evicting him from the motel and freezing his bank accounts. With the help of Darnell Earl was able to get a DNA sample, but the results that came back were not what he expected. They proved that in fact Earl was Dodge's biological father, having slept with Joy before they knew each other, as they were both at a costume party at the Crab Shack years ago, and Earl and Little Chubby wore the same costumes.
Trivia[]
- Earl Hickey has appeared in every episode of the series 1,2,3 and 4
- Earl's birthday is April 25, 1970, the same day as Jason Lee's. Earl's birthday has appeared in two episodes of the show; Joy's Wedding and The Birthday Party.
- A running joke in the show is that every time Earl's picture is taken, his eyes are closed. This is considered to be a nod to the movie Forrest Gump in which every photograph of Forrest (Tom Hanks) shows him with his eyes closed.
- The close-up of Earl's driver license shows he lives in Pimmit Hills Trailer Park, Space C-13, Camden County. His date of birth is 4/25/1970 (Jason Lee's birthday), his height is 6'1", his weight is 190, his eyes and hair are brown, and he is an organ donor. It's a class 1 license, #023052378, expiring on 4/25/2009, issued on 4/25/1970.
- In "Inside Probe (Part 1)", Earl's middle name is said to be Jehoshaphat.
- On Raising Hope, another TV series made by show creator Greg Garcia, we see a news reporting talking about a man who finally finished his list of wrongs. It is possible he was talking about Earl, which if true, means he has finished all his list items.