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.
Man my life hasn’t been the same since I realized there was only four seasons of My name is Earl I just wish it would come back
My name is earl is my favorite show and I hate that it was canceled. I think there should be at least a ten years later movie or something. My whole family feels robbed. Can you see if maybe Netflix or prime would mind maybe picking up where it left off? That would be amazing
I loved watching this show when I was younger, as Earl reminded me of my father who passed away (I know, strange right? But its true!) I’d really love to see this ending. Can you try to make a movie off of it? Or see if Netflix will continue it? Please???
I know that nobody frm the shows creators read these but come on I see more comments saying do a movie to finish it up !!!! Why end it on a to be continued that’s just insane!!!!
At least do a movie and finish it or a mini series to finish it or Let Netflix finish it
And crab man should be Earl Junior’s father test came back as negative because of his past witness protection And one more thing I want to be in the season finale
Me and my man really loved my name is earl!!! I wish they would’ve went on a few more seasons, just cracks us up we watch it over and over and we came up with our own ending. Ide say what that was but you left us on a big cliff hanger so….
I’m really disappointed in the network for canceling the show! I don’t know if the ratings were low or not but it’s a lot of people whom really enjoyed this show and still talking about it. I still watch it until this date. 2021
Loved the show, “My Name Is Earl”. Only the ‘powers that be’ would be stupid enough to end such a gem. Anyway, what is is and if 2020 taught us anything it’s lies prevail and stupid rules.
Please do something about the cancellation a show can not just end with to be continued who is earl jr’s dad!!!!!!!!!!
Please end the show properly. It is insulting to do anything else! We want to know how things were going to end
I agree with some of the other comments… Bring back the show! At least one lengthy episode to have closure for the fans!
I just finished it and was upset that it got canceled. But im glad to know how the writer planned on ending it. Its nice to have that closure. Would have been nicer to actually see it happen because the actors did such a good job but.. oh well.
As Joy might say “Finish the dammed show you dummy!” To end a great series like My Name is Earl like that was really stupid, bring it back and give it a decent ending, do something like Farscape did and make a one and half hour episode like a movie.
I think its pretty shady that the show was ok’d to end season 4 with a cliff hanger then abruptly get canceled. Not fair for the writers or the audience!!
Please bring Earl back! That show had so many ‘life lessons’ that sometimes left me in sweet tears! PLEASE BRING EARL BACK!!!!!