My Name Is Earl aired for four seasons on NBC before it was cancelled, and the creator has revealed how he would have ended the series if it had continued on to a natural end. The series ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, but Greg Garcia did have a plan in mind for how to wrap things up.
In a Reddit AMA, he revealed how he would have ended the comedy series if he had been able to close it out. He said:
“I had always had an ending to Earl and I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to see it happen. You’ve got a show about a guy with a list so not seeing him finish it is a bummer. But the truth is, he wasn’t ever going to finish the list. The basic idea of the ending was that while he was stuck on a really hard list item he was going to start to get frustrated that he was never going to finish it. Then he runs into someone who had a list of their own and Earl was on it. They needed to make up for something bad they had done to Earl. He asks them where they got the idea of making a list and they tell him that someone came to them with a list and that person got the idea from someone else. Earl eventually realizes that his list started a chain reaction of people with list and that he’s finally put more good into the world than bad. So at that point he was going to tear up his list and go live his life. Walk into the sunset a free man. With good karma.”
Garcia also revealed that he had asked the network if it was okay for him to end the season on a cliffhanger. The network told him to go ahead, and it was only after that NBC decided to cancel the series. Garcia might have written a different season four finale if he had known the network was going to cancel the series.
In addition, Garcia also planned to reveal who Earl Jr’s father was before the show ended. The writers were thinking that it would be someone famous who’d been in town for just one night. The writers didn’t get to decide who that would be, but the baby daddy was intended to be revealed before the series ended.
Were you a fan of My Name is Earl? Did Garcia’s reveal give you closure for this series? Tell us what you think.
Big disappointment NBC. I didn’t watch My Name is Earl In it’s entirety while it was on the air because I was in college, but I just recently my fiancé and I watched all 4 seasons in about 3 weeks, I was positive, in my mind, that season 5 must have just not been on Netflix esspecially after seeing “to be continued” !Then I came upon this article after searching google for Earl season 5. I had no idea this show was canceled! Crap shows like Portlandia even though not on NBC shouldve been pulled after the pilot! My Name… Read more »
NETFLIX…… please bring back EARL!
everyone who agrees ….please add a note & consider this the start of our
PETITION TO BRING BACK EARL!!!
I loved this show I think they should start season five even if it released only on Netflix. I would so watch it I would like to know who Earl Jr. daddy is….
I absolutely love this show. NBC must have some morons running the network. Thos show was great. It is funny and has heart. I would watch it in a heartbeat if they brought it back. I tell everyone I know about this show.
THEY NEED TO MAKE MORE
My name is Earl was an amazing show but it should’ve ended differently. Earl should’ve had to find Earl Jr’s father by going around town and finding out that this man is the final list item like “Stole a car and driven it off a bridge.” Conveniently this man should be a famous actor, personally I think Ice cube would be an amazing idea. Joy should recall this by getting closer and closer that she went to a concert and conveniently we should watch but the catch is this should take place in 2017 and it should be a Netflix… Read more »
They should do an ending , I JUST got done with season 4 about 10 min. Ago , I thought that when it said to be continued that there would be one more episode , guess not
Extremely saddend by the sudden ending. Ive become so attached to these characters that it feels like ive lost a friend. Please bring it back.
Wtf happened to this show!!?? This show promotes so many possitive things with humor to go along and its cancled for what? Idiocracy!? Stupid!!!!
I agree. It would be awesome if Netflix would revive it. I would most definitely watch. Missing Earl
I was introduced to Earl only a month or two ago on netflix. And if I am honest I loved it! But I am kinda sad since I will know wh oEarl Jr.’s dad is now….. But I guess I understand
It helps… i just saw every episode on Netflix, after the last episode i was wtf?@ Thats it? This answers a few things but wish they would have finished it.. Thanks!
Netflix– do a final season! We’d love to see what everyone is up to!
I. AM. FURIOUS.
Pleeeeeeease make season 5….. Who in there right mind would cancel such a thing, madness I tell you. I’m gutted
I’ve been watching a tv show Raising Hope and Earl in the cast from my name is earl in I hope they bring the show back threw the tv show raising hope. The two shows are great
I love my name is earl and I wish you could make another season because I was really annoyed about how it ended