The Gangs of Camden County is the 3rd episode of Season 3 of My Name Is Earl, and the 50th episode overall. Earl is offered a deal to receive a a month time off his sentence if he can negotiate a truce between the African-American gang and the Latino gang. He finds the task harder than he expected, he learns that the two leaders are actually in love. Meanwhile, Randy looks for ways to join Earl in prison and finally finds one by becoming a prison guard.
Episode guide
Randy's missing Earl so much that he steals a car, hoping to go to prison, too. When no one shows up to arrest him after three days, Randy tries a different approach, and tells a cop he's the infamous Truck Stop serial killer and when that doesn't work he slaps the cop. Joy shows up at the lock-up to bail Randy out, because she promised to take care of him, and is a woman of integrity. Randy's just lucky that Earl's in jail for a felony Joy committed. Darnell's uncle got sentenced to 12 years for slapping a cop - Randy reckons he was lucky.
Warden Jerry Hazelwood is a nice guy, but he's not too good at his job. He used to have a sweet life until his wife was elected governor, and ruined all his fun. When the job she got him with the National Guard didn't work out, she got him the warden job, figuring it wouldn't matter if he screwed up. But several inmates escaped after he allowed them to make ladders, and mandatory Bring Daughter to Work Day was a flop.
The Warden calls Earl to his office to reward him with a certificate for one week off his prison sentence. There's a big problem at the prison - two rival gangs won't stop fighting. The Warden tried to lock up the two gang leaders, Hector and Jamal, in solitary for a month, but the fighting only got worse. If Earl can get them to stop fighting, the Warden promises him a certificate for a month off his sentence. Earl rises to the challenge.
Earl's initial efforts to discover the roots of the gang feud are unsuccessful. Visitors Joy and Randy haven't been getting along, and Randy has brought Earl a snowball, hoping they can unscrew it and eat it together, like when they were kids. Earl asks Joy and Randy to each think of one nice thing about each other, and they manage to find some peace. Realizing that Randy and Joy's situation is just like Hector and Jamal's, Earl asks Ron a prison guard to take him to the see the warden, sharing Randy's snowball with him on the way.
The warden allows Earl to use his office to broker the peace, but Hector and Jamal seem reluctant to talk in front of the security camera. When Earl turns to disable the camera, they fall into a passionate embrace. Apparently, Hector and Jamal fell in love while in solitary, but decided to keep it a secret so as not to undermine their authority as gang leaders. The only problem: they can't stand to be apart, so they keep starting gang fights in the yard so they can share a moment together.
Earl believes that Hector and Jamal need to be honest about their feelings, and Jamal agrees - he's sick of living in the shadows. Hector holds out; his gang will never accept Jamal. Feeling scorned, Jamal arms his gang with prison weapons, and the ensuing fight fills the infirmary. Meanwhile, things are getting better for Joy and Randy, as she helps him prepare to take the test to become a prison guard.
Earl enacts a plan to show Hector what he's missing, working him into a frenzy. Hector finally asks Earl to bring Jamal a romantic love letter, but Jamal insists it's over. Hector makes a suicide run into an electrified fence, and Jamal rushes to him to save his life. He makes it look like he's punching Hector out as the lovers are reunited. On the outside, Randy scores 55% on his prison guard test.
Earl convinces the Warden to allow Hector and Jamal to meet alone in his office once a month to work out the gang's differences. The gang fighting stops and the Warden rewards Earl with a month off his sentence. Earl learns that when two people really want to be together, they'll always find a way. To Earl's surprise, he finds Randy has become a prison guard after he passed his test, in which he had the highest mark all year.
Notes
- Prison signs seen in this episode include:
- - This unit has been assault free for [0] days.
- - Friends don't let friends shiv.
- - In the general visitation room. Not for conjugal.
- Craig T. Nelson also worked with Jason Lee in the movie "The Incredibles".
- The warden is seen playing "Guitar Hero III" before he is given the job with the National Guard, which was 2001. "Guitar Hero III" was not released until October 2007. The first "Guitar Hero" was released in 2005.
Flashbacks
List
- Earl completes no items from his List in this episode.
Featured music
- "Great Balls Of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis
- "Rock Candy" by Montrose
- "Listen To The Music" by The Doobie Brothers
- "It's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate" by The Persuaders
- "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" by Bowling for Soup
Memorable quotes
- Joy: Is this a full time job that'll get you outta the house so I don't have to see you sittin' on my couch all the time like an uncooked biscuit?
- Randy: Yes, and part of what you just said hurt my feelin's.
- Joy: I had to go bail out this dummy and miss my Brazilian wax. If I go into labor now I'm gonna be all stubbly on my home video.
- Randy: I didn't ask you to bail me out, you could've gone to Brazil if you wanted.
- Earl: Randy, I want you to look at Joy and find one nice thing to say about her... go on.
- Randy: Well, I suppose she does have a nice rack.
- Joy: Was that so hard?
- Earl: Now, Joy, you say something nice about Randy.
- Joy: Well, he has been rememberin' more to flush the toilet, especially after a big job.
- Joy: Randy, they're not going to send you to prison for slappin' a cop. And even if they did, you know the odds you'd be sent to the same place as Earl?
- Randy: Seven?
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 Cast
- Craig T. Nelson as Warden Jerry Hazelwood
Guest starring
- Page Kennedy as Jamal
- Rigo Sanchez as Hector
- Dee Wallace as Governor Katherine Hazelwood
- Larry Joe Campbell as Ron
- Doug Wax as Guard
- Terrence Edwards as Gang member
- Jerry Hauck as Instructor
- Camden as Young Glen
- Doyle Stack as Teenager
- Roger Burton as Skinny John
- Angel Oquendo as Prison Medic
- Edward James Gage
 < Season 2
|
My Name is Earl Season 3 | Season 4 >
| ||||||
| #01 | My Name Is Inmate 28301-016 (Pt 1) | #07 | Our Other 'Cops' Is On! (Pt 1) | #13 | Bad Earl | #19 | Love Octagon | |
| #02 | My Name Is Inmate 28301-016 (Pt 2) | #08 | Our Other 'Cops' Is On! (Pt 2) | #14 | I Won't Die with a Little Help from My Friends (Pt 1) | #20 | Girl Earl | |
| #03 | The Gangs of Camden County | #09 | Randy in Charge | #15 | I Won't Die with a Little Help from My Friends (Pt 2) | #21 | Camdenites (Pt 1) | |
| #04 | The Frank Factor | #10 | Midnight Bun | #16 | Stole a Motorcycle | #22 | Camdenites (Pt 2) | |
| #05 | Creative Writing | #11 | Burn Victim | #17 | No Heads and a Duffel Bag | |||
| #06 | Frank's Girl | #12 | Early Release | #18 | Killerball | |||