It would be terribly unfair to assume that a show that made such a spectacular debut like My Name is Earl did last week to  come back with just as stellar an episode. It doesn't happen very often, but sometimes you get surprised. I wouldn't say that tonight's episode was a 10 out of 10, but I thought it was a very solid second effort.

We pick up where we left off last week with Earl (Jason Lee) continuing is quest for Karma and attempting to right all the wrongs he's done in his life. He checks his list and considers either making up for all of the pennies he's taken from the "Take a Penny/Leave a Penny" jar or the car he stole from a one-legged woman. After some more pondering, Earl decides to quit smoking because he feels he has harmed many people from his second-hand smoke.

Brother Randy and friend Catalina purchase a used quit smoking tape at a garage sale and Earl tries to heed its message, albeit unsuccessfully. A short while later,  Earl is "persuaded" (mor like tricked) him into making amends with his old friend, the psychotic Donny Jones. It seems a few years back that Earl robbed a donut shop disguised with a panty hose covering his head (another Raising Arizona reference) while wearing Donny's old football jersey. Donny is apprehended and is picked out of a lineup. Donny is convicted of the crime and goes to jail for two years. Obviously, Earl has a lot to make up for.

Earl tells Donny what he did and his afraid of what will happen next. Donny tells Earl that he spent much of his time in prison reading the Bible and has become deeply religious. He even shows Earl his Jesus on the cross tatoo on his chest and offers to show his Moses parting the Red Sea tatoo on his rear end. Earl begs off, but Donny says that "forgiveness is the key to revival" and tells Earl to cross him off of his list. While Earl begins to leave, Donny's mom sneaks up on him and proceeds to beat Earl with her large-type Bible. Earl asks Donny's mom what he can do to apologize to her, and she says she wants the two years back she lost from her son being in prison. He then adds Donny's mom to his list.

Of course, Earl can't deliver on that request, but he decides to help her (and himself) quit smoking. Through some unconventional methods, including an attempt to light carrot sticks as a substitute, the both of them quit the habit. Earl then crosses her name off his list. With all of this going on, a subplot emerges where Earl's ex-wife Joy tries to kill him to get the things she was promised in his video will. We surely will see this plotline develop as the season goes on.

Overall, I thought it was a good episode. We're beginning to see some themes emerge--Earl confronting his past, his quest to achieve Karma, and keeping his ex-wife from killing him. That's a lot to cover in the course of a half hour, but we'll see what develops.