The Frank Factor

Season 3, Episode 4, Aired

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8.9
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When Earl meets his old friend Frank in prison, flashbacks show Earl, Frank and Randy planning a heist on an Indian casino, that finally went unexpectedly wrong. Other flashbacks show Joy looking for someone to take care of her baby, Darnell entering witness protection class and Catalina illegally immigrating to the USA.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (7)

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  • Another Earl prequel

    9.4
    "Superb"
    By jimbo_001, Nov 05, 2007
    With Earl in prison, this was a great opportunity to not only introduce felons that are likely on Earl's list, such as Frank must be (stealing a car and trailer must be one item), aswell as showing what could have happened had Earl never met Joy and sacrificed his life for her, and he'd still end up in jail. That's karma for you. The different interactions between all the characters before they met, such as Earl being annoyed by the neighbour and wondering what it would be like married to that b!tch only to marry her later that episode, and how Earl and Randy got kicked out of the house, with the fumigator letting them out easy, aswell as a lot of other comedy gold makes this a hilarious episode with great back story and good setup for a new character.moreless

  • Frank is introduced

    8.8
    "Great"
    By UrinT, Oct 15, 2007
    We find out that all of our My Name is Earl favorites are connected through a central character, who is also in Earl's jail and goes by the name of Frank.

    What follows is a flashback by Earl recounting Frank's story and how all of the main MNiE character's came to their respective positions - i.e. Earl marrying Joy when made drunk by her friends, the arrival of Crabman and Catalina and how Earl came across the caravan and car.

    All in all this was a good episode, and another fine example. Amongst the biggest pluses was that Joy's guilt over Earl being in prison has been removed (since net she has saved him 18 years), and so she can return to the type of character she was last season.

    I hope we see more of Frank too - he seems a good character.moreless

  • Yay Earl!!

    9.4
    "Superb"
    By crazedsovergein, Oct 14, 2007
    Like all my name is Earl episodes Joy was the best! I love Joy's charecter sooo much. I wanna be just like her haha. I love her attitude towards everything. It's just so funny. Randy was ok in this episode, I thought it was funny when he kept shooting holes in random parts of the house. I always like the flashback episodes for this show. it's great. The flashbacks alot of the time are better then the real show. I cant wait to see what happens next week. The only thing i'm wondering about it, what ever happend to that other guy who robbed the casino? Did he die or something??moreless

  • Best episode in a while

    8.8
    "Great"
    By asutho, Oct 13, 2007
    After Joy visits Earl in prison, they bump into another inmate, Frank. This leads to a great flashback episode where we learn how Earl and Randy get kicked out of their house and move into the trailer with Frank and Catalina's Mexican boyfriend. Joy is kicked out of her house too for being pregnant and moves into the hotel and is determined to find a sugar daddy. Darnell (Harry) is in witness protection school to become a new person and shaves off his finger prints. Catalina fights to move to America. Earl, Frank and Randy plan to rob an Indian casino, but Earl gets really drunk and gets married to Joy instead, and Randy gets distracted by the TV and forgets to go to the casino. Frank crashes into the FBI van that dumped Darnell in Camden and they get arrested and are sentenced to gaol for 20 years, so now Joy doesn't feel bad about Earl taking her place gaol as by getting him and drunk and getting married to him she saved him 18 years and feels like Earl owes her. So it was a very good episode that linked the flashbacks togethermoreless

  • Earl meets up with former roomate Frank while Joy is visiting him in prison.

    9.4
    "Superb"
    By ctowell1383, Oct 12, 2007
    This is just such a great episode. It gives a lot of back ground on all the charater's lives, and sets up future story lines. I'm not a huge Michael Rappaport fan, but I thought he did a good job as Earl's former roomate. We learn a lot in this episode like how Earl, Randy, and Joy came to live in the trailer together, how Earl got his El Camino, and how Catalina mother's died. Pedro, Catalina's former boyfried, is also introduced in this episode. I wonder if they will try to work him more into the story line as the season progresses. We also learn a little more about Harry Monroe a.k.a Darnell Turner, but we still don't know why he's in the witness protection program. Joy also finds out the she saved Earl from going to prison for 20 years so she said now she doesn't feel bad for making him go serve two for her. I wonder how that will play in since Joy's guilt is what made her take care of Randy in the first place. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. All in All another fabulous episode.moreless
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  • TRIVIA (3)

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    • When Catalina approaches Darnell just after he climbs out of the FBI van the Spanish sentences she tells him are along the lines of "Look, this doesn't make any sense in this series, since we all know I got here after Y2K, but who notices that kind of thing?". It's actually a running joke of the show to have non-English lines contain fourth wall-breaking jokes like this one. Besides, she is exposing an actual continuity mistake: in this episode she and Darnell arrive in Camden at the same time, whereas in the episode "Y2K", Catalina was put in the crate and sent to the USA after Darnell got his job at the Crab Shack and met Earl, Randy and Joy.

    • Frank's prisoner number is 27841-875, Paco's is 73138-694.

    • The soundtrack for this episode includes a country cover of Gin and Juice by Snoop Dogg. The cover is performed by The Gourds.

  • QUOTES (8)

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    • Joy: Earl, I'm serious, tell me your real last name? Earl: I told you it's Hickey. Joy, this is my brother Randy. Randy: Hey. Joy: You ain't staying here. And, I'm not going to be called Ms Hickey. It took me all of fifth grade to lose that nickname and I'm sure as hell not going back to it now. (heads towards the bedroom) Earl: Aw, honey, we live in the kitchen.

    • Earl: Hey, by the way, what's your last name? Joy: Well, it was Darvell, but I guess it's whatever your last name is now. Earl: Oh, yeah! Well, nice to met you Mrs Hickey. Joy: (laughs) Mrs Hickey, that's funny. Seriously, what's your last name.

    • Joy: C'mon Tim, hurry up and lets do this. The sun's almost up and my morning sickness is about to set in. You do not want to be under me when that happens.

    • (Earl and Randy enter a hotel room in the hopes of stealing a watch) Earl: Frank? Frank: Earl? Earl: What are you doing here? Frank: I'm here to steal Yoshi's watch? Earl: You're kidding me, I'm here to steal Yoshi's watch. Frank: Get outta here, you steal? Earl: Hell yeah I steal! Look, I'm wearing your pants! Took them right out of the dryer!

    • Frank: (opens the fridge door) Aw, man! Sorry guys I just finished my work-out. It's hard to tell but I did at least three miles. Earl: It's okay, the light scares away all the cockroaches.

    • Joy: So, you wanna get married? Tim Stack: Well maybe, but, uh, I'm not gonna buy the cow until I get a chance to... sample the milk. Joy: Oh, well, my milk ain't come in yet, but we can do it if want to!

    • Earl: Randy, he's got an El frickin' Camino. That's, like, the Cadillac of cars.

    • Joy: (rubbing pregnant belly) I'm gonna have to find you a sugar daddy. Don't be alarmed if some company pops in for a visit.

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