Early Release

Season 3, Episode 12, Aired

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9.0
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EPISODE RATING: Superb
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After the warden destroys all his time off sentence certificates and thereby prevents Earl from getting an early release, Earl decides that it is time to break out of the prison.
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Fan Episode Reviews (9)

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  • Back to basics

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By super_friend21, Jun 17, 2008
    When Earl finds out that the Warden has destroyed all the certificates that would grant him early release from prison, he goes absolutely crazy as expected and seeks the help of his friends to escape. Cue the laughs as the best episode for a while - beating Midnight Run and My Name Is Inmate Part 2 by a smidge. Joy as usual is the best on this show. Examples: her trying to make the guard pass out but then whacks him over the head, her singing about Jesus dressed as a nun and her argument with Catalina near the beginning. The Warden is selfish, Darnell is smart and funny as is Frank, Randy is hilariously stupid (shooting the last bullet) and Earl is finally free...moreless

  • Early release - Not if the Warden has anything to say about it

    8.2
    "Great"
    By AegisAtreyu, Jun 16, 2008
    I really enjoyed this, I've only occasionally watched this season because of a number of very average episodes that completely changed the format. It's almost back on track with last weeks and this one though not quite.

    After the Warden shreds the sentence reducing certificates on the day of his release, Earl is placed in solitary confinement for 2 months. After he gets out he plans a prison break, will he succeed?

    The short answer is 'Yes' the long answer is 'Yes, but not as planned'. Earl, as most people would, went crazy in solitary confinement and this was a highlight of the episode. It's a shame the craziness didn't stick. However the scheme to break out was also quite well planned (and intelligent), it's just a shame that they had to rely on the dumb guard at the gate to get the whole team involved. Also, the Warden's little secret was well played, especially as he knew the Crab man, looks like everybody has been connected at some point. Paco finally seeing Catalina again (even if she didn't see him) further highlights this idea.

    So, will Earl see his release as Karma or will he see it as a technicality and not feel good about it. The final voiceover and the title of the next episode seems to suggest the latter. Looks like solitary confinement may have a lasting effect on him afterall.moreless

  • After many lackluster episodes it seems Earl's back!

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By count-chocula, Jun 13, 2008
    September 20th 2005: The world was about to see a very special new comedy.
    September 21st 2006: After a phenominal first season, the world eargly awaited for the return of Earl.
    September 27th 2007: After two great seasons nothing could go wrong now! Or could it?

    Earl gets thrown in jail and the show loses its meaning. No longer is he crossing items off his list, instead he's stuck in the slammer with "brothers dressed as sisters" and sociopaths (spelt wrong!) that he gets locked in confinement with. The first 6 of so eps of the new season were dire, but it seems that now, finally, things are getting back to normal!

    This episode itself, despite the prison still being a setting, was expecetionally hilarious. Jason Lee was great as Earl (as always) especially when he was in "solitary confinenemnt" ("I'm a chicken, bawk"). The episode ends with a hilarious climax in the warden's office that involves a fake priest, guns and no trousers (watch and you'll see!)

    Finally, the show can get back to its roots now that Earl is free and this episode is certinaly getting back on the right track. However, it did seem odd that there was no scene at the end of the episode where he got his list back. Surely, the produces aren't having another "great idea"?moreless

  • Karma is back.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By petrelli19, May 16, 2008
    My name is earl or My name is michael scofield?
    I love prison break, one of my favourite shows and in this episode there were allusions to prison break which I enjoyed so much like tattoos. After the warden tears the certificates he gave to Earl for an early releasa, Earl gets angry and he tries to get out of the prison but he falls down to the office of the warden and he takes him hostage but fortunately crabman knows something about the warden. The episode was pretty good and funny. I want earl to get back to karma episodes.moreless

  • Earl is free!

    9.4
    "Superb"
    By jimbo_001, May 02, 2008
    The final episode of Earl in prison is a great one, with the ridiculous escape attempt, the warden's past helping blackmail Earl out of prison, and Randy escaping despite the fact he didn't have to, all of which rewards Earl in the end despite the karma contradiction.

    This episode has everything, from Joy hitting a guy with a piano to a hostage situation to insanity in solitary confinement to a one man human pyramid, making this a hilarious and pivotal episode, which places doubt in Earl's mind about his beliefs, while making him glad that his life in prison has come to an end.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (4)

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    • Prison signs seen in this episode include: - Available for film locations.

    • Featured Music: Song from "Chariots of Fire" (Randy shows his super slow running) "Hocus Pocus" by Focus (Earl in solitary confinement) "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place" by The Animals (Earl works on his breakout plan) "I Shall Be Released" by Bob Dylan (Closing scene)

    • Once again, Randy accidentally fires a gun almost hitting those sitting near him. Previously he shot a hole in the refrigerator of Earl's apartment while they were planning their bank robbery.

    • In the scene where Earl is crawling through the air vents right before he falls through the wardens ceiling the closed captioning has him saying "While the other prisoners where singing about Jesus, we were finding our salvation" but no dialog is heard.

  • QUOTES (15)

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    • Catalina: (To Joy) Maybe if you had as many jobs as you do illegitimate children, maybe you wouldn't live in a camper.

    • Earl: Frank had a lot to teach us. Things like, if you're going to disguise yourself as an infirmary nurse, don't look too pretty. Prisoner: FEMALE!!

    • Ron: Earl, we got a problem. You're not on the list of prisoners getting out today. Earl: What!? Ron: And I hate to kick you when you're down, but you're not on the extra pudding list, either.

    • Joy: Don't tell me you're here to pick up Earl, too. You don't even have a car. What is he going to do, ride bitch on a donkey? Catalina: No, if he wanted to ride bitch, he'd climb on your back. Joy: You look sweaty. Is that from cleaning or stripping?

    • Earl: Shhhh, I've traded my legs for magic beans... And I've disguised them as legs.

    • Joy: Excuse me, where are my husband and ex-husband? Frank: Oh, they're pretty screwed, but don't worry, me and Paco could still escape. Come on, you're driving.

    • Earl: I can't do it, Randy. I just can't do it. Randy: We can't pretend you're the Warden if you have a mustache. Warden: What's the big deal? Mustaches are so twenty years ago!

    • Earl: It wasn't hard to find the prison blueprints. The warden got lost so much he had them laminated so he could take them on the way to the bathroom.

    • Warden: Just because prisoners can't be with their families for the holidays or get gifts or have a big Christmas dinner doesn't mean they shouldn't have Christmas spirit. Earl: It's already Christmas? Warden: Yeah, Christmas 2010! (Laughs) Oh, I was just kidding!

    • Joy: Man, we haven't stood outside prison this long since we went tailgating at that guy's execution. Darnell: For the record, I was protesting.

    • Warden: (To Earl) I know I should have said something earlier, but I tend to ignore problems. You'd be surprised how often they go away!

    • Warden: (To Earl) Oh, come on. How about this for a deal? You scratch my back, and my back won't itch. Plus, I won't throw you in Solitary.

    • Earl: (To the Warden) But we had a deal. We shook on it, remember? Both our hands were a little damp so they made that farty noise and we both giggled!

    • Earl: I almost had an idea, but now I lost it! Randy: That happens to me all the time.

    • Joy: (Dressed as a Nun, to the inmates) If you give the lord just one little tiny hey he will give you a hundred hoes in return!

  • NOTES (2)

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    • International Episode Titles: Czech Republic: Na svobodu cesta dlouhá (Long Journey to Freedom)

    • Original International Air Dates: Denmark: June 13, 2008 on TV3+ Slovenia: September 24, 2008 on Kanal A Belgium: June 4, 2009 on 2BE Czech Republic: June 21, 2010 on Prima COOL

  • ALLUSIONS (3)

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    • Star Trek: Just as Joy is about to clobber a guard with a keyboard, Darnell steps in and uses the classic Vulcan nerve pinch, rendering the guard instantly unconscious.

    • Prison Break - Earl has Randy draw the prison blueprints on his back in a fashion similar to Michael Scofield's escape plans tattoos on Prison Break.

    • The song Joy sings in the prison chapel is word-for-word Tony Basil's 1982 song "Mickey", but substituting Jesus' name for Mickey's.

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