Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

My Name Is Earl: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie Review

A final season wrapped up in a shiny Blu bow...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown September 22, 2009

After surviving Y2K, a temperamental ex-wife, an aggressive swarm of angry bees, a tough stint in prison, literal head-on collisions with several cars, a coma, a string of deadly tornadoes, and countless other bouts with karma, Earl Hickey finally fell victim to cancellation. It wasn't altogether unexpected -- ratings for My Name is Earl began to nosedive after its first critically acclaimed season -- but fans made their dissatisfaction and frustration known nonetheless. So while its final episode closed with a "To Be Continued" tease and its ultimate fate remains unknown, one thing is clear: the series has successfully entertained its faithful Camden Country devotees for the last four years and given them ninety-six episodes of comedic bliss. Its fourth season may fall short of its first in this writer's humble opinion, but it still serves up plenty of laugh-out-loud exchanges, endearing characters, and wry wit.

Here lies Earl Jehosophat Hickey. He'll be missed...

Considering most anyone reading this review is probably already familiar with creator Gregory Thomas Garcia's surprise 2005 hit, I'll skip the usual series synopsis in favor of simplicity. My Name is Earl follows the misadventures of a reformed trouble maker (played with enduring charm by Kevin Smith roadie turned legitimate leading man Jason Lee) attempting to atone for all his past misdeeds. With the help of his brother Randy (Ethan Suplee), a motel maid named Catalina (Nadine Velazquez), and a town of eccentrics, Earl has righted dozens of wrongs and battled his own doubts and fears about his karmic quest. Thankfully, after two increasingly tangential seasons, the show's final twenty-seven episodes adhere to the series' established roots. It isn't entirely without problems -- fan-favorite standouts like Darnell (Eddie Steeples) are sometimes underutilized while oft-times grating regulars like Joy (Jaime Pressly) are given too much screentime -- but it is a welcome return to form, trotting out guest stars as if each episode was its last and playing off enough long-running gags to leave enthusiasts in stitches.

As formulas go, Earl's is fairly engaging. It gets repetitive, sure, but Garcia and his writers continue to find new, memorable ways to keep the series feeling fresher than it should, be it Darnell's mishaps with Witness Protection, Joy's criminal exploits, or Randy's adoption of his brother's philosophies. And while a handful of episodes fall flat (arguably more than other seasons), the majority benefit from the cast's chemistry and each script's energy. It's clear the actors enjoy each other's company; that they're having as much fun as their characters. It helps that their commitment to the show's sappiest conventions, as well as its most sugary sentiments, make the most contrived developments more digestible than they might have otherwise been. My Name is Earl revels in rosy-cheeked morality, but it's bearable simply because Lee and his cohorts sink their all into their lines, regardless of how cheesy or wince-inducing it can be. Honestly, had different actors filled out the cast, I doubt the show would have survived NBC's ax midway through its first season.

So how does the final season of a canned series work as a standalone Blu-ray release? Much like that of Pushing Daisies. For longtime viewers, it will be a bittersweet culmination of Earl's convictions, a commendable, albeit slight reinvention of its formula, and a sufficient capper to a sweet, winsome comedy. For newcomers, it will be less enjoyable, if for no other reason than the first three seasons aren't available in high definition. It's hard to jump on board a series in its fading hours, leaving consumers with two choices: catch up with sixty-nine episodes via DVD (an option most Blu-ray owners find difficult to stomach) or skip Season 4 until the studio decides to release earlier seasons in 1080p (an unlikely scenario if Season 4 doesn't sell well). Ultimately, if you've been with Earl since the beginning, this 4-disc set is for you. However, if you haven't been introduced to the denizens of Camden County, this definitely isn't the place to start.

My Name Is Earl: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

TV releases, once the blocky bane of the Blu-ray universe, have steadily improved, pulling alongside their theatrically released compatriots with video transfers that look as good as, if not better than, most movies on the market. My Name is Earl: Season 4 boasts a striking, near-perfect 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation that, aside from the occasional appearance of slight ringing, looks fantastic. Camden County's lush green fields, bright blue skies, and dusty dirt roads are bold and beautiful; the primary-hued wonders that grace each episode even more so. Black levels are deep and satisfying, contrast is stark but spot on, and delineation is revealing. Detail is impressive as well: note the flecks of rust on abandoned cars, the thick stubble on the Hickey brothers' faces, and the crisp textures and refined clarity of nearly every scene. Sure, some softness pops up from time to time, but any instance should be attributed to the original source, not Fox's technical transfer. Better still, there isn't a hint of significant artifacting, aliasing, banding, or unintentional noise, and the presentation thoroughly trounces its DVD counterpart. My Name is Earl fans may be saddened by the series' cancellation, but this outstanding high definition offering should help soften the blow.

My Name Is Earl: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

My Name is Earl: Season 4 features a sturdy and stable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, but the series' front-heavy sound design and limited sonics rarely take advantage of the power under the hood. Dialogue is clear and well-prioritized -- so much so that it occasionally blots out lesser soundscape elements -- and the LFE channel, while reserved for the Hickeys' more chaotic antics and shenanigans, flexes its muscles when called upon. The rear speakers prove themselves capable as well, handling each episode's environmental ambience with ease, but directionality suffers during their more passive engagements. Likewise, the series' music generally plays an appropriately lively part, but is sometimes shoved too far into the background to be effective. Still, given the nature of the show and its chatty comedy, I doubt Earl enthusiasts will expect much more.

My Name Is Earl: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

My Name is Earl stumbles in its 4-disc Blu-ray debut with an all-too-short smattering of special features, all of which have been ported over from the standard DVD. The meatiest extra, Earl's Fan Mail (SD, 33 minutes), is an entertaining Q&A of sorts that allows the cast to provide insight into the production, discuss their characters, and share anecdotes from their time on the set. Beyond that, a semi-solid collection of Deleted Scenes (SD, 20 minutes) houses a few laughs, a Gag Reel (SD, 8 minutes) injects some sideline hilarity into the proceedings, and a fairly amusing faux-trailer for 2 The Max (SD, 1 minute) manages to steal the show. But no fitting farewell to the series? Not a single audio commentary? Standard definition video? A mere hour of material? Sigh... Earl's supplemental package is a complete disappointment.

My Name Is Earl: Season 4 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While My Name is Earl struggled to redefine itself with each passing season, it was still canceled before its time. Luckily, laughs abound in the series' fourth and final season (even though its storylines sometimes drift off course) and the patented Hickey hijinks continue to entertain, for better or worse, until the very end. The Blu-ray edition is a mixed bag -- a magnificent video transfer is stifled by a ho-hum DTS-HD Master Audio track and a decidedly underwhelming supplemental package -- but series regulars will relish its various AV upgrades as well as the show's twenty-seven episode bow.