My Name Is Earl

Barn Burner (1x11)

Air date: Jan 05, 2006

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. Recap: The episode begins as we find Randy playing the crane game in the Crab Shack. There is a live rat inside, and Randy wins it. Unfortunately, he gets bitten as it was having it's way with Grover when Randy so rudely pulled it out. Joy complains to Darnell about the kids, saying they are even too bad to visit the "Right Choice Ranch", a place where Earl and Randy went as kids. Darnell says he is busy, but Joy reminds him that he's only delivering crabs, not doing a transplantectomy. Earl doesn't want to deal with the kids and tries to avoid Joy, but the Ranch is on his list - he burned a barn down throwing away a cigarette. He decides to go, and tries to keep it a secret because Randy is afraid of birds. When asked where they are going, Earl only offers that "they do not have funnel cakes." Upon arrival, Randy cunningly tries to avoid the birds at the Ranch (but ends up playing dead and begs two children to call the cops) while Earl volunteers to help build an ostrich pen. After seeing how much the kids enjoyed seeing his good example (and Catalina), Earl realizes that if he hadn't burned down the barn, Randy would probably have a better life. Earl decides to add Randy to the list, but Randy isn't happy about that. After some arguing, a mishap lands a nail through Earl's hand. We remember Randy's fear of blood, and he admits that it was his fault the barn burned down. Turns out he dropped an oil lamp by the still lit cigarette after a bird scared him. Earl realizes that Randy is responsible for everything -