Original airdate: October 2, 2008
Earl is driving Catalina to work, an activity that affords him the chance to ogle her as she changes into her stripper attire, when he spots an abandoned hot tub on the side of the ride. He immediately stops and enlists Catalina to help him pick up the hot tub and tie it to the back of the car, because he needs to give it to Joy to make up for one of the items on his list: Back when Earl and Joy were married, she was all set to be a spokesmodel at a hot-tub convention, for which her compensation would be a free hot tub. But Earl made the mistake of lighting a cigarette right in the path of Joy’s cloud of hairspray, and both had their hair almost completely singed off. Thus, Joy was unable to work and did not get her hot tub.
Earl brings Joy the hot tub, and she’s in complete bliss until she discovers that some latent bacteria (probably to be expected in something you grab off the side of the road) has given her a nasty flesh-eating infection in her big toe. Darnell, afraid of getting infected himself, confines Joy to a plastic bubble, where she fumes and makes a list of her daily chores for Earl to carry out as penance for bringing her the infected hot tub. When he goes to pick up Dodge and Earl Jr. at school, Earl discovers that Joy’s assertion that the kids have no friends is wrong—they just never get invited to gatherings because the other kids’ moms can’t stand Joy. Earl assures the mother of a kid having a birthday party that Joy is laid up with an infection, so she agrees to let Dodge and Earl Jr. attend the party.
Earl promises not to tell Joy that the other mothers hate her, but that doesn’t last long; she quickly bullies the information out of him, then breaks out of her bubble to head to the park and give those women a piece of her mind. Driving to the party, Joy has visions of her righteous wrath, but when Earl arrives to stop her, he discovers nothing but a peaceful, happy birthday party. Joy is sitting in the car watching her kids play happily, realizing that she’s been sabotaging their chance at making friends. It’s a rare introspective moment for her, and Earl gets in the car next to her to offer comfort. Just so we don’t end on such a sappy note, a kicker right before the credits finds Earl and Randy in bed discussing Randy’s complicated relationship with his imaginary friend. It must be tough being Randy.
