With this season of Entourage almost over, it's natural that things are building towards a heavy climax. We've seen Vince and the boys go through lots of up and downs throughout the years but the one thing we haven't seen is big time drug abuse. Sure the guys have always smoked pot, hell they even smoked peyote with Gary Busey but they have never done the hard stuff. Till now.
Vince is in all sorts of trouble as his new girlfriend Sasha Grey and Scotty Lavin are enabling him in a way the boys never have. Vince is doing coke and lying to E about it. What's next, heroin?
"Tequila and Coke" seemed like a departure from the usual norm of one-liners and crazy scenarios. The first big thing I noticed is that not only was there minimal cell phone conversations and when there were they felt important. The whole episode seemed to flow in a real natural way as characters actually had lots of face time with each other. Maybe it was the dialogue but I think it had more to do with the Ari storyline. For the first time in a long while Jeremy Piven didn't scream every line and I actually bought into his sincerity. Give credit to Piven for a subtle performance. More on that in a minute.
Turtle is quite the entrepreneur even though he's never been successful at anything, somehow he always has lots of ideas. Riding on Vince's coattails is the only thing he truly excels at and I cringed a little bit when I watched him wheeling and dealing. Seems like Mr. Smoothie overstepped his boundaries when he shipped off cases of Avion tequila to Mark Wahlberg, James Cameron, Diddy and Pauley Shore. Pauley Shore, seriously? When Carlos calls from Mexico and tells him get can't deliver the big shipment Turtle stupidly promised to a celebrity liquor store, Turtle has to beg for the cases back in typical tail-between-the-legs fashion. It did set up funny cameos by Mark Wahlberg and Sean Combs so it wasn't a total waste of time.
Problem is Turtle is also enabling Vince by having a huge tequila party, turning the other way when he does coke and generally not taking care of his number one. Turtle has lost track of his priorities that's for sure. All he's concerned with is making easy money and getting into Alex's pants. Where's the loyalty?
After clawing his way to the top Vince is about to crash. Sasha continues her Yoko Ono-like influence on him by enabling his every teenage boy fantasy. Lot's of sex, alcohol and drugs. She already got him in trouble with the studio and Randall Wallace because of her tagging along to the Stan Lee meeting and now she literally keeps him up late at night AND in the morning. When Wallace wants to meet with Vince to see if he's up to making "Air-Walker" he gets treated to a coked up Vinnie. Of course Vince says he had to much coffee but we know better!
With E wrapped up in his own little life with Sloan, Turtle chasing Alex and a fast buck and Drama and Ari engrossed in their careers Vince has no one to watch out for him except a hard living pornstar. The ironic part is that the only one who knows what Vince is doing is the reformed Billy Walsh but he's too wrapped up into relaunching his own career to make waves. I foresee an intervention and a stint at the Promises Clinic in the near future. And since there is only three episodes left in the season, me thinks it'll have to be sooner than later. I mean, didn't Ari and E get the giant red flag after they found him naked and unconscious by the pool last week? In the words of Ari Gold "What the fuck is going on!?!" Sasha Grey's time is mostly spent hanging on to Vince but I am liking what she's doing with next to nothing. I think she has done a great job as a new and very subtle villain. I've said it before and I'll say it again, she's the Yoko Ono to the entourage.
But what about that former crazy director Billy Walsh? Seems like the clean life and heavy meditation has done him good. So good in fact, that his creative juices are flowing but this time it's for Drama. I laughed my ass off about his pitch that turns Johnny into an angry gorilla cartoon. It was a brilliant piece of conception replete with hilarious character sketches. I loved it and E loved it but the problem is Drama hated it to the point of him being crazy offended. Even better was Billy's idea to give it to the studio despite it being rejected by Drama just to convince him he should do it. Even E was surprised by Billy's savvy business sense. After all this time and E still doesn't have a clue how to manage. Very sad indeed. I don't know about anyone else but I'm digging the new Billy Walsh. He has a calm focus that only Rhys Cairo can bring and right now he's just about the only character that is seeing things clearly and making any sense. I hope he doesn't fall off the wagon! Major bonus points if they actually make the "Johnny's Bananas" cartoon AND we get to see some of it. I'm dying to see that show.
When we last saw Ari he was in full on battle mode trying to play damage control with Lizzie and Amanda but now we get to see him humbled. The realization that tapes exist in the world that prove he's an out-of-control whack job has him reeling and losing tons of sleep. The only move is to appeal to Lizzie's humanity and surprisingly that works. But first he has to open a can of worms by contacting Deadline Hollywood to see if the tapes had been released yet. Enter a foul-mouthed and very funny cameo by the bloated former Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher playing celebrity reporter Anna. During the conversation he finds out that DH doesn't have the tapes yet and realizes he's got another shot at convincing Lizzie to do the right thing and not release them.
As mentioned before, Jeremy Piven does an excellent acting job with all his scenes with Lizzie. For the first time in recent memory he makes Ari a sympathetic character instead of the usual blowhard. It doesn't hurt that the Pivster and Autumn Reeser have unbelievable chemistry. And if that's not enough he's got a great scene with Dana Gordon (a sorely missed and uber sexy Constance Zimmer) where he begs her to give Lizzie a job sight unseen. In a classic "get back" at Ari moment, Dana asks him to be a sperm donor with a straight face before busting out laughing and saying she wants sperm with hair. The look on his face was utterly priceless. It doesn't hurt that these two scenes were not only perfectly written but that the actors knocked it out of the park with subtle nuances. In fact, all of the Ari scenes were so poignant and believable that I almost thought I was watching a different show for a moment.
Bottom line is that I think this is the best episode of the season hands down but possibly one of the best written and naturalistic episodes the series has ever delivered. But before you throw hate comments at me understand this; the show has always been about loyalty and this is a classic example of what can happen to friends when the loyalty gets redirected and close friends are hung out to dry. The same sentiment is true for Ari only he managed to convince Lizzie that his loyalty to his wife and children is the most important thing. She finally realized it but it may have been too late as the evil and very sexy Amanda released the tapes (possibly copies?) into the world. The next few episodes should be very interesting to say the least. Like E, I'm intrigued. Are you?
-- Janaki Cedanna
Next Week: "Sniff Sniff Gang Bang"
Sasha gets an offer she can't refuse to star in another porn film. Ari goes all out to repair his damaged image. Turtle has problems with the tequila line, and Drama isn't enthusiastic about a show the network wants for him.
Here's a sneak preview of next week's episode!
Sunday night's episode was called "Hair" for a very good reason and it wasn't referring to Jeremy Piven's hair plugs or Adrian Grenier's curly locks. It's all about a woman's nether region. This is Entourage after all. While there has always been copious amounts of sex talk on the show this year nearly everything has a double meaning and often times in your face. Literally.
But before I go any farther I'd like to thank Mike S. for filling in for me and writing a great review for last weeks episode. Thanks buddy!
As usual there was a lot going on in this episode. Eric's and Scotty's burgeoning relationship; Ari trying to do damage control with Lizzie; Drama's manic depression; Turtle begging Alex for sex still and again and Vince's downward spiral. Sounds like another day in the life.
But what I wasn't prepared for was the appearance of Billy Walsh, aka Wally Balls, and his new persona. Billy Walsh had clearly worn out his welcome way back in season 4 with his over-the-top antics and madness. This time he comes back a changed person. He's gotten married, had four kids and has been clean and sober for a long time. He's also become a minister and has even given up swearing. He wants back in the business and comes searching for Eric to help him despite all their bad history. Eric is understandably a skeptic but after hearing his sob story and the new kernel of an idea about Drama it looks like he may stay around for awhile. I know I said it somewhere but I have ALWAYS thought that Drama would be perfect for a cartoon. How about a loser during the day and a Viking God by night? It also turns out that as Wally Balls, porn director he once shot a porno with Sasha. What a small world . . .
I don't quite understand how Scotty changed his attitude with E so quickly but the little Irishman is buying into it hook, line and sinker. Or should I say "Doppelgang Gangbanger" as Ari calls him. The new wonder twins are as think as thieves with E taking him to see Ari and listening to him always bitch about Murray. For what it's worth I like them working together. Kevin Connelly and Scott Caan have great chemistry. It's almost as if they are two sides of the same coin. I'd actually watch a show with the two of them as the leads. Scarily funny as it may be.
Turns out Ari may be facing a big time lawsuit from Lizzie Grant. Surprised? Backed by Amanda Daniels (a luscious Carla Gugino) Lizzie kept a journal of the antics of Ari Gold as well as made some damning recordings. Freaked out by this, Ari stalks and confronts Lizzie to find out what she wants. She doesn't want money but instead she's bound and determined to destroy his reputation. She knows Ari doesn't care about anything but this and plans to hurt him where it counts. In fact she already sent out the tapes to Deadline Hollywood but is it really that big of a surprise that Ari is a egomaniacal "jerkoff"? I haven't seen a client lately that even like him so the only thing it could really damage is the prospect of him getting an NFL franchise for LA.
Meanwhile Turtle is showing that he really is an immature little boy in a Yankee cap. In what has got to be the weirdest, albeit funny story he's ever told; it turns out that Alex finally gave into his sexual advances (drunk on tequila no less) but Turtle freaked out when he saw the sun shine on her shaved vagina close-up. I can't make this up people. Later over lunch Turtle begs and badgers Alex to give him another shot in bed. She agrees because apparently she thinks he's a 30-year old virgin. I almost yakked later on when they were doing it and Turtle stopped mid-act to compare her shaved bush to Pac-Man. He even went bald down there to try and impress her. Wow, he really is an immature loser. Are you kidding me??
Finally the main storyline was all about Vince and Sasha Grey making it official. She's his girlfriend. Sasha Grey playing herself is turning out to have a Yoko Ono-like effect on Vince. From egging him on to say inappropriate things on video (and Turtle posting the racy videos on YouTube) to them lounging around on each other drinking and doing tons of drugs she is clearly NOT a good influence on him. In fact, the end scene with her naked and with a full size bush while he's naked and unconscious by the pool was reminiscent of bad 70's "B" movie. We all know Vincent Chase isn't going to die but rehab is a very real possibility. He's addicted to Vicodin since the car crash but he's now clearly addicted to that Avion Tequila. See what happens when Ari and E turn away for a minute? Vince OD's!
Some random thoughts . . .
How does Vince think it's his tequila company? Is Turtle telling him half-truths or is he simply to stoned to understand his role?
While Sahsa Grey's role has been anticipated for awhile, I'm surprised how good she is. Besides being exotically sexy she is pretty funny. I was thinking that she might be the one to tame Vince not unleash the beast. That was pretty dumb of me I know. I can only imagine what kind of trouble she gets him into next.
Speaking of hot chicks, has Carla Gugino EVER looked this good? Plus it was pretty hot when she cursed at Ari. Why isn't this woman the biggest star in the world?
I wish the writers would find a better storyline for Turtle. Something believable maybe?? His whole freakout over Alex's shaved vagina totally reminded me of Jason Alexander's Mauricio character in Shallow Hal. Only Jason was funnier. Much funnier.
I would pay good money to see Johnny Drama as Dos Equis "Least Interesting Man in the World" but would be just as happy to see him as cartoon character. Are you kidding me? Classic.
How the hell did the studio, Randall Wallace AND Stan Lee offer Vince 12 million plus back end points to do "Airwalker" when he clearly doesn't have his act together? He's no Robert Downey Jr. you know. The upside is we get to see Dana Gordon again!
Overall, this episode was very entertaining and pretty funny. I give it 4 Lim-Ho's out of 5 because we got to see Ari squirm; Carla Gugino and Sasha Grey be very sexy and the return of Billy Walsh. I don't know about you but I'm totally loving this season so far. The infusion of new blood has kept it from being the same old and has given it the shot in the arm it sorely needed. Keep it going guys!
-- Janaki Cedanna
Editors Note: I have some sad news to report. I've been informed that all of the Fodder sites including my very own Entourage Fodder will be shut down effective 9/1/10 due to economic reasons. I will be doing my weekly reviews right up to the end but not after 8/29. It's been a pleasure to write my thoughts on this show and I hope you will still follow me on Twitter @entouragefodder.
Next Week Episode: "Tequila and Coke"
Vince's behavior worries his new director. Billy Walsh's newest pitch for a show rankles Drama but intrigues Eric. Ari must negotiate with Lizzie Grant to retrieve incriminating evidence.
What kind of impact will she have on Vince's career? How will the boys deal with it? Will Vince finally be tamed? I for one like this addition. Over the last year we've seen major character growth from the entire cast of characters except Vince. Only recently have we seen a new Vincent Chase who survived a death-defying stunt for his new film. But so far all we have seen is some thrill-seeking and an even devil-my-care attitude. It'll be interesting to see how Vince deals with being tied to one woman, especially as she is a pornstar. We should see that impact as Vince is so impressed with her, ummm, intellect that he brings her along to a meeting with Marvel legend Stan Lee.
At the agency, Ari is still dealing with the fallout of mishandling of the Lizzie Grant situation. Lizzie is in revenge mode as she tries to steal his clients starting with the ones she knows don't like or have issues with him like Jessica Simpson, Aaron Sorkin and Mike Tyson. Should be fun seeing Iron Mike yell at Ari.
Turtle starts phase one of getting Vince to be the face of the Mexican tequila. I'm sure he'll try to employee his super smoothy skills. Why he doesn't just ask him??
The fun continues as Johnny Drama has yet another threat to his proposed TV show. The Full House reunion continues as Bob Saget swoops in tells E he wants to play Drama's part. There's a conflict of interest as both Saget and Drama are E's clients. Craziness is bound to ensue as a freaked out Drama confronts Saget and his mad harem of women.
Lastly, there seems to be the first sign of trouble on the E/Sloan front. As you see from the preview she is pissed off about something. Maybe Bob Saget tried to have sex with her and she's upset about it? Who knows!
Make sure you watch the new and improved Entourage this Sunday at 10pm on HBO.
Editors Note: I will be on vacation this week and I will have a guest reviewer filling in for me. Make sure you come back and check out the review!
-- Janaki Cedanna
]]>A week after the worst episode of the young season, Entourage delivered the goods. Strange how it coincided with pushing Vince in the background. Hmm.
Of course there are totally unrealistic situations and character reactions that can be picked apart endlessly but it's better to leave those alone and focus on one thing. The show is entertaining. If I tell myself that then it's much easier to just enjoy it!
Even though "Tequila Sunrise" references Turtle's mysterious Mexico trip that's just a fourth of the story. We have E and his power struggle with Scotty; Drama and his attempt for his own series by wooing John Stamos and Ari's agency issues.
"A" Storyline:
The title of the episode gave away the big surprise awaiting Turtle in Mexico but what I wasn't expecting was that Alex could somehow pull off being less irritating than normal. I mean come on, there is no way a girl that hot would go after Turtle unless she's got issues or has an agenda. Well we already know she's a little nuts (not that there's anything wrong with that) but she does have an agenda. She gets Turtle to fly to Mexico just by hinting she likes him. I thought that Turtle's relationship with Jamie-Lynn would've raised his self-confidence a little bit but no, it's the same old Turtle.
Turns out that Alex's friend Carlos (played by the wonderful Miguel Sandoval) is a big time Tequila manufacturer who's looking for a famous face to launch his product in America and you guessed it; he wants Vince. Predictably, Turtle is totally deflated by this revelation (that the rest of us totally expected) and is reduced to begging for sex from a drunk Alex. That part was totally cringe inducing and nearly ruined that great Mexican party scene not to mention Alex's dress. Nice acting by Jerry Ferrara but there is still zero chemistry between the two. BTW, Dania Ramirez is Maxim's August covergirl, check out the link here. Still not digging the whole will-they-or-won't-they tease they got going on though.
"B" Storyline
For the record, my favorite character has always been Johnny Drama so it pleases me to no end that Drama finally has some purpose on the show. Yes, Johnny is still a massive bundle of rage and neurosis but somehow he always comes across as likable and genuine. Major props to Kevin Dillon who should have a house full of Emmy's. Inexplicably he has none.
Nothing comes easy for Drama. He's always has to sing for his supper no matter what. This time he has to impress John Stamos because the studio likes him for the older brother on his proposed TV show. Typically, Stamos comes in and immediately starts ragging on him all while being super nice to Vince. After lots of insults by Stamos (what is it with these Full House guys anyway?) he challenges Drama to a game of ping pong. Nice move by the writers since that happens to be one of the hottest "in" things right now. Or maybe that was last year . . . Hell, even Susan Sarandon owns her own ping pong club. Check it out here. Rumor has it that the Olsen twins turned down a cameo appearance. Their loss, right?
Anyway, it was lots of fun watching Stamos and Drama battle it out in the backyard with their "sh*tty ass table in the grass and f*cked up paddles and c*m stained table" as Stamos so eloquently put it. I don't know which was funnier; that the stakes were raised later on by a rematch in the ping pong club in front of a live audience or that Stamos has a ping pong trainer. The looks on both of their faces were priceless though. In the end, Drama uses reverse psychology and gets Stamos to read the script. Brilliantly played Johnny! Personally I don't think they look anything like brothers but I guess the writers could explain that away like they do with Dillon and Grenier. Half brothers! I was surprised by how much Stamos and Grenier do look alike though. Kevin Dillon better watch himself . . .
The show writers have given us a potentially great storyline here. Imagine the possibilities Drama could face in getting his own network TV show. You know Stamos won't be around for long so that means the show could be in jeopardy. I'm sure it will be hilarious when Drama finally has to face the suits at the network as well as the challenges he will have to overcome in actually getting his show on the air. What if Drama becomes a huge TV star and leading man? Now that would be funny.
"C" Storyline
While I find it extremely unrealistic that Ari gets a chance to bring an NFL team to LA, it's even worse that they took another potentially great plot with Lizzie and threw it against the wall. Let's see, a disgruntled former employee gets fired, seen it. Said employee vows revenge by stealing clients? Seen it. There's a mysterious backer of fired employee? Seen it. It can't be Terrance so that only leaves Amanda, which opens the door for the sexy Carla Gugino to make an appearance which can't be all bad, right? Autumn Reeser has done a great job so far so it's a shame they're wasting it by taking the easy way out. I would have liked to see her become Ari's second so we could really see the sparks fly. My fear is that we'll just get a bunch of screaming on cellphones and Ari tantrums. Not liking that. They have damn good chemistry together and I'm concerned that it'll be wasted. Entertaining, right??
I do have to say that Ari's presentation to the rich guys was probably the most convincing arguments I've ever heard him give. I was ready to break out the checkbook and make it out to cash! Interesting if not oddly placed cameo from Shawne Merriman though. At least he did better then Adrian Peterson! Did anyone catch the blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo from Tom Sizemore at the rehab facility? Classic.
"D" Storyline
Why is little Eric Murphy always relegated to the last storyline you ask? Because his stuff is just not that interesting. Last weeks episode ended promisingly when E shoved Scotty into the dinosaur head but this week was all about him stewing over Scotty's intrusion on his turf with Vince. He asked his assistant how he should deal with him and when that didn't work he turned to Sloan for advice. He should listen to her more often as she always makes sense.
I have to admit that it was funny watching Scotty and his type "A" personality always giving E grief but when they finally made nice I felt let down. It just didn't seem right. Why do I get the feeling that Scotty is playing him? What if E falls victim to Scotty's long con? Now that would be classic.
Overall, I thought the episode was very well done as it had great locations and extras as well as quick pacing. I give the episode 4 Lim-Ho's out of 5 because of the Johnny Drama/John Stamos conflict.
The show should pick up some serious steam because next week pornstar Sasha Grey (playing herself) begins her rest of the season run as Vince's girlfriend. Let's see how E and the guys deal with that not to mention how Ari and Shauna will spin it in Vince's favor. Should be very entertaining. After all isn't that what the show does best?
-- Janaki Cedanna
Editor note: I will be on vacation next week so I will only post a preview of next weeks episode. Feel free to leave your comments about the show but be nice!
Next Weeks Episode: Bottoms Up - Ari tries to make deals with several high-profile celebrities to protect himself against Lizzie's plans. Vince meets porn star Sasha Grey and introduces her to Stan Lee. Drama has to compete for work against Bob Saget.
It had to happen, right? The first clunker of the 7th season of Entourage has arrived. After getting off to a strong start, something was missing from Dramedy. What could it be? Oh yeah, a decent plot.
On paper this episode was very promising; Drama finds out what everyone else in the known universe already knows, he's funny; Scotty continues to move in on E's territory with Vince and Turtle finds out his business isn't doing very well. The problem is that you have to actually have to film it and sometimes things get lost in the translation.
The "A" storyline continues to be about the new Vince.
The new Vince seems to be going through a midlife crisis made complete by buying a motorcycle. The problem is that instead of appreciating life after his death defying car stunt Vince is living the life of a teenager even more than before. He wants to impress his new friend Scotty (Scott Caan) since the other guys have real adult responsibilities. Vince and Scotty go to a ritzy auction because Scotty was told to by his absentee boss Murray. While there a very hot auction girl hits on Vince while daring him to buy a dinosaur head. Can't believe I just wrote that . . . While window shopping Scotty introduces Vince to Braveheart writer, Randall Wallace who just happens to have a superhero movie he wants him to do. They wind up getting both a rare wine AND the dinosaur head and celebrate by having a huge party back at Casa Chase where hot auction girl and her friend coax Vince and Scotty into playing truth or dare. One of the dares is that the scantily clad auction girls have to make out, which they do fervently. Forget high school, Vince is regressing back to junior high! I have to admit that scene was the best one in the whole episode though . . .
The "B" storyline follows Drama's attempts at finding the perfect script. Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm) cameos as a long retired sitcom writer whose just getting back into the business and writes the first ten pages of a sitcom for Johnny. It's about two brothers who work at the Four Season in Maui. Umm, ok. Drama balks at the idea as he doesn't see himself funny, intentional or not, like everyone else does. E and Lloyd disagree and sorta convince him that he is. Empowered, Drama goes and sees Phil Yagota (William Fichtner) who comes up with the perfect casting for his brother. John Stamos. Of course now Drama has something else to be neurotic about as he is convinced he can't be funny because he's too good looking and that there is no way John Stamos is better looking than him. Oy vey.
The "C" storyline is about the women in Ari's life.
Babs stops him on his way because she's heard a rumor about the NFL which gives Ari the opportunity to call everyone into the conference to yell and threaten them. Lizzie (Autumn Reeser) poroposes that she be promoted to the head of the TV department and Ari says no several times before she can even get the idea out. Lizzie is upset and goes to Babs and threatens to quit giving Beverly D'Angelo and Jeremy Piven another chance to argue pointlessly. On the home front Mrs. Ari is still mad because she saw him spinning Lizzie around like on "Dancing with the Stars" but goes all gooey when Ari says Lizzie is gone leading the Mrs. to think he fired her. Uh, oh.
The "D" storyline continues to be about Turtle's so-called business.
Of course the business is failing, look who's running it? We certainly didn't need to see Vince's old accountant Marvin telling him (and us) the business is losing money and Turtle saying over and over how nobody thought he could do it. News flash Turtle! You didn't. I was surprised to learn that Vince only gave 30k for start-up funds, surely Marvin meant 300k, right? I mean c'mon. Turtle's cash flow problems prompt a call from Alex (a still irritating Dania Ramirez) who's last paycheck bounced. After commiserating for awhile about how they both don't have any money, Turtle invites her over so he can pay her in cash. Of course, she comes over bra-less during Vince's party and offers Turtle some mysterious way to make some money by introducing him to a friend in Mexico. After the sexual harassment incident she invites him to go to Mexico? I am NOT liking this storyline at all. Ugh.
Finally the "F" storyline is all about Eric Murphy being the odd man out. Isn't he always? E's boring dinner with Sloan is interrupted by Drama with the Stamos news and Vince gets on the phone and invites him over to party. E resists until he hears Scotty in the background yelling about Vince's new film and he runs out on Sloan to see what's up. The episode ends with school yard bully Scotty taunting and shoving E. The little Irishman shoves a drunk Scotty back into the very expensive and newly purchased dinosaur head breaking it into little pieces. Vince rushes out from his impending orgy with the hot auction girls to see what happened and little Scotty blames E.
Some thoughts . . .
You'd have to be an idiot to think that Scotty will come between childhood friends Vince and Eric. The fact that the writers are stringing us along all in the name of will they or won't they "drama" is pretty pathetic. We all know one thing above all else. This show is about friendship. Period.
The "new and improved" Vincent Chase act is already getting old. With numerous real life Hollywood bad boy stories to choose from, the writers opt for him to act like an 8th grader? LAME!
I'm kinda tired of watching entire scenes being played out over the phone. We get it, they're busy. That's just lazy storytelling. Enough is enough.
Speaking of lazy storytelling . . . The whole Turtle subplot of a struggling business owner and now some mysterious opportunity by a former employee to go to Mexico is lame, lame, lame. DON'T CARE AT ALL.
You can tell that we're being setup for some major E & Sloan drama and I'm in no way looking forward to that. I mean c'mon Sloan! Your father was an agent and your fiancee is a talent manager so why are you surprised and a little hurt everytime E has to run off to take care of business? At least E's not monosyllabically uttering "whatever" all the time like he did last year. We have that going for us.
Did Beverly D'Angelo need some food money or something? It was totally pointless that she was in three separate scenes. By the look of her it's apparent that she has way too much food money anyway. What the hell happened to her?
The first two episodes this year had great and naturalistic cameos but not tonight. Yes, seeing Randall Wallace was cool but the real WTF moment was seeing some New Orleans Saints player owning a dinosaur head. Or Marvin the accountant showing up again in a painful rant. Useless.
Call me crazy but I like the Lizzie Grant storyline but somehow I don't think we'll see something new. Autumn Reeser is making the best out of her one-dimensional character and limited screen time but all signs point to it being wasted. Lizzie is proving that she is no Lloyd by not willing to take any more Ari abuse. We've seen former employees become Ari's nemesis but what we haven't seen is the Pivster have any actual chemistry with any women on the show. Besides, what is she gonna do, sabotage the NFL thing? Boring. Let's get Ari into a romantic entanglement!
I would have thought a Drama-centric episode would have been much funnier especially since it was all about people telling Drama he is unintentionally hilarious. Ironically this was the least funniest episode this season, by far. If I can't count on Drama then who can I count on?
Lastly, while there has been an inordinate amount of hot girls so far this season nothing compares to the truth or dare lesbian kissing scene. Very nice!
Overall, this episode was pretty weak in it's lazy plot devices, forced dialogue, bad pacing and humorless script. I give it 1.5 Lim-Ho's out of 5. And that was solely for Autumn Reeser and the lesbian kissing scene. Hopefully this was just a blip on this seasons radar and not a severe downslide until Sasha Grey comes aboard in episode six as Vince's girlfriend. Can't wait for that!
-- Janaki Cedanna
Next Week's Episode: Tequila Sunrise - After a disastrous meeting with John Stamos, (surprise!) Drama asks advice from Bob Saget (WTF?) to fix the situation. Turtle is skeptical when Alex proposes a new business deal (DUH!) ; Eric and Scott try to keep Vince's career and their new business moving forward. (Umm, ok?)
Check out this behind the scenes video from last weeks excellent "Buzzed" episode, including Adrian Grenier getting a haircut!
The second episode in the seventh season of HBO's Entourage was called "Buzzed" (corrected) for a reason. Vincent Chase is a changed man, as it seems that after the effects of his death defying stunt for director Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook), he feels invincible.
If this is the main theme of this season then count me in. Starting last year every character on the show experienced growth except for our boy Vince. Now it's his turn in a big way. It's about time that the show makes Vinnie the centerpiece instead of having him just screw every girl he sees. This new direction feels more like real Hollywood.
This episode just felt large. Not only was it extremely fast paced but it was inhabited by a lots of extras in nearly every scene which provided a frenetic energy that is often lacking. Sure there were lots of cameos as usual but none of them felt forced. In fact, it really seemed like we were given a peek into the behind-the-scenes world of Hollywood for the first time in awhile. The attention to detail hit a new high as we FINALLY had some paparazzi following Vince around! Major props to writer Ally Musika for that!
I like it when there are different and intersecting storylines and this episode did not disappoint . . .
The "A" storyline was all about the new Vince.
The old Vinnie totally relied on his entourage AND experienced everything with them. Vinnie 2.0 not only had to do the car crash stunt by himself but the boys tried to talk him out of it. They went even farther by laughing at the very idea which doesn't sit well with a sensitive and narcissistic actor. He's out to prove to everyone that he can make decisions all by himself, damn the outcome.
When we catch up with Vince he's been sleeping for 18 hours straight and when he gets woken up by Eric he realizes he desperately needs a change. The best decision of the day is when he decides to cut off the mop on his head. That must have been bittersweet for Adrian Grenier as he's had the long curly hair his entire career. The next best decision is when he tells Maria Menounos in an interview with Access Hollywood that the Cassavetes movie will "probably end up sucking" which sends his publicist Shauna (Debi Mazar) and E into damage control mode. Turns out he lied to E about getting permission from the director first by saying the film was wrapped. Especially when Cassavetes finds out and goes off the deep end. You can imagine a slew of young actors doing the same exact thing. Leonardo DiCaprio or Mark Wahlberg anyone? Believe it or not but freakouts over a haircut happen in the industry all the time.
The next best decision is pawning E off onto Drama. He doesn't consult with E first but just tells him to help Johnny get a TV show. The worst decision? Well it's not jumping out of a plane in the middle of the day, it's cozying up with sleazebag Scotty Levin (a great Scott Caan) behind Eric's back. This can't end well. Besides don't they know that the afternoon is the worse time to jump out of a plane? Too much turbulence!
The "B" storyline was about Drama's career.
After Vince pretty much forces E to help Johnny find a TV show the real work begins. Johnny immediately has Lloyd send over tons of scripts for him to read since he's always picked out winners for Vince. Drama is serious about the next phase of his career and dials down the neurotic behavior, which is a welcome sight. Eric comes up with an idea to contact some TV showrunners to see if they can write something specifically for him. Drama loves the idea and asks him to be his manager full-time and E reluctantly agrees. This opens up all kinds of new and neurotic possibilities. Let the real drama begin!
The "C" storyline was all about King Ari Gold.
After numerous attempts to reach him, Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones calls and wants to meet up immediately to discuss the upcoming NFL TV rights which puts Ari on high stress alert. He bails on his day trip with his wife and heads back to the office. Why she expects him to be available during the middle of the week to look at a chandelier is beyond me. Has she learned nothing after all those years of marriage? Turns out that junior agent Lizzy Gordon (perfectly played by Autumn Reeser) wants to sit in on the meeting. After some sexist comments he relents, either because he's impressed by her football knowledge or he likes her unbuttoned blouse. Ari's skeptical of her skills mostly because of her affair with Andrew Klein but starts to form a different opinion when he sees Lizzy in all her charismatic glory. She charms the old white guy owners with a level of sincerity that Ari sorely lacks. As usual Ari comes across as hyper and sleazy. Tell me why he's so successful again? Gotta love the LA Golds as an NFL team name though.
Somehow Jones was impressed with his presentation and calls Ari from the airport to give him good news and bad news. The bad news is that the NFL is probably gonna stick with internally handling the lucrative TV rights but invites him to present to all 32 owners. The good news is that he sees Ari becoming a team owner and bringing football back to Los Angeles. Oh why did he have to plant that seed in his head!! He celebrates by hugging and dancing with Lizzy and promising to give her whatever she wants when Mrs. Ari walks in and sees him all over her. Predictably she is mad but really freaks and storms out when she finds out this is THE same Lizzy Gordon that slept with Andrew and broke up her friends marriage. Ari has some serious splainin to do!!
Finally the "D" storyline was about Turtle.
After getting his platinum AMEX card declined from a $47.00 lunch he finds out that there is a 10k charge at Tiffany's on it and immediately suspects that his former driver Alex (Dania Ramirez) stole from him. He confronts the girl that he sexually harassed and she denies the whole thing saying that he asked her to buy his mom a gift and she spent only 1k. She bitches him out and scares the girl he's interviewing. Later when he finds out that Tiffany's made the mistake he goes to her house (stalker alert!) and apologizes to her again and again. Why she hasn't sued him yet is totally beyond me. Word has it that sometime this season they will get together but I sincerely hope not as she's just flat out irritating. Plus there's absolutely no chemistry between them. Anyway, Turtle leaves and sticks his foot in his mouth one last time when he says he owes her one and if she needs anything to come to him. Huge mistake!!
Some thoughts . . .
I hope we see more paparazzi following Vince around as everyone knows that in this world of 24 hour celebrity news we see stars jogging, going shopping and stopping for coffee on a regular basis. It was perfect that they caught him coming out of a strip joint!
There was a little closure with Andrew Klein as we found out from Lizzy and Ari's sexually charged exchanges that he's in rehab and is no longer working at the agency. Good riddance!! Wonder what happened with Aaron Sorkin?
Continuing with that, yes there is some serious heat between Jeremy Piven and Autumn Reeser and absolutely zero with Jerry Ferrara and Dania Ramirez. I still don't want to see Ari be unfaithful to Mrs. Ari though.
Vince's haircut makes him actually look presentable for the first time, EVER. He's channeling Matt Damon or as Shauna said, Samantha Ronson. I like it. Adrian Grenier may actually have a chance to show he can act. I can't wait. He already got to jump out of that airplane for real. Very, very nice.
Nice to see Shauna again and actually doing something. Somehow she was less irritating then I remember. It was funny to find out some character backstory like she slept with Maria Menounos' ex and that her three sons all have different fathers. I really liked her and Eric's banter especially after they hung up with each other.
I can't tell you how happy I am that for the second episode in a row Eric's love life was nearly non-existent as I'm sure later in the season we'll have plenty thrown in our faces and a "wedding" episode to cap off the torture. E is at his best when he's harried and playing Vince damage control. He's the glue that binds everyone together so stick with that Doug Ellin. Please! I am looking forward to the new dynamic between E and Drama though as they have never really spent any time together besides trading insults. It was hilarious how they were awkward with each other when Drama asked E to be his manager.
I thought Vince was testing Eric when he told him he got Cassavetes permission for a haircut. I think he was just trying to see if E had been doing his job and keeping up with his schedule. How can E not know they are doing reshoots?? That's why he's gonna sidle up with Scotty in future episodes to make E jealous. Vince always said that E can do whatever he wanted as long as he always came first. Typical narcissist!
How can Turtle's Platinum AMEX card be declined? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there no limit on those? He would have to NOT pay his bill for two months before they cut off his credit, right? And how the hell did Turtle get a Platinum AMEX card anyway??
The topical references are all hitting the bullseye this season. Everyone knows that all TV shows are shot months in advance so if you're not careful by the time they air they can already be extremely dated. In the premiere they brilliantly referenced Jessica Simpson, a Fall Guy remake and Tom Cruise in Knight and Day, while this week they referenced the David Duchovny show Californication in a very funny scene. Nice props for Showtime from an HBO show!
Sometimes the dialog seems slightly staged (funny as they are) with all the long insults and ramblings so it was actually noticeable this week when the insults were shorter which really made them feel more natural.
Now I know what creator Doug Ellin meant when he said that the reason the show isn't an hour long (or even actually 30 minutes long) is that it's very expensive to shoot and requires lots of locations and extras. This episode was jammed packed with tons of extras at every location. That is some serious logistical issues, let me tell you. The people were actually doing things! And the fact that there were lots of hot girls in the background is an added bonus. I thought they were gonna run into Billy Walsh at the strip joint!
Bob Saget tells a sexual story involving two Morman wives. Enough said.
After having a little experience in Hollywood I can fully understand and relate to the fact that women get really jealous when their husbands are surrounded by incredibly hot girls that will do anything for their "career." Given that, Mrs. Ari's reaction was actually kind of subdued. Wanna bet she tells Ari to fire her?
Best Line:
"Button up, this is the NFL not the NBA." - Ari to Lizzy.
Overall, this was one of the best shows in a long while when stacked side-by-side with other episodes. It was fast paced, had naturalistic dialogue and most of all had a vibrant energy to it. I give it 5 Lim-Ho's out of 5. It's way overdue for Vince to grow as a character instead of dragging the show down. I love how the season is set up with Vince creating a swath of destruction for everyone to pick up the pieces. What's next, a racist rant caught on tape? How about Vince dating a porn star . . .
This season is shaping up to be one of the best seasons as the show seems to have gotten a second wind. I think the end is in sight which allows Doug Ellin to really set things up perfectly. Only time will tell. So far, so good. Very good.
-- Janaki Cedanna
Next Episode: "Dramedy" - Eric and Phil Yagota try to convince Drama to work on a sitcom. Turtle gains an unlikely partner in a new business venture. Ari and Barbara Miller clash over giving Lizzie a promotion. Love it when it's a Drama-centric episode!
And to keep you primed, check out this great video "Uncovering Sloan" with the very beautiful Emmanuelle Chriqui and Lloyd's new diary.
]]>The seventh season premiere of Entourage showcased everything that made this show great. An inside look into Hollywood, fast pacing, snappy dialogue and hot girls. As an extra bonus we actually got to see what motivates Vince. Turns out all he needed was some tough love!
Picking up sometime after he completed the Enzo Ferrari story in Rome, Vince is working on his next film with tough-guy and real life director Nick Cassavetes doing an action film. Apparently there isn't a stunt man in Hollywood that looks like Vince so Cassavetes pressures him to do his own stunt driving to "keep it real" so that movie doesn't suck and Vince won't be a "p*ssy". At first Vince goes to E to try and get him out of it and of course he calls Ari to take a crack at convincing the director to stop the nonsense but it just makes things worse. Finally realizing that he's been coddled his whole life he agrees to do the dangerous stunt which makes Drama and Turtle laugh and E and Ari go nuts. Seems like the new and improved Vince doesn't like to be pushed around especially by a tough guy. Father issues much? Vince had to have been the easiest guy in the world to bully in school!
Meanwhile, Turtle is running his new Lim-Ho business out of the mansion. While the "hot girls chauffeuring people around" idea seemed great at the time, Turtle is quickly realizing that hot girls willing to drive people around aren't the brightest girls in LA. Enter Alex (Dania Ramirez) as the ditzy driver from hell. She's always late, gets lost constantly (even with nav controls) and loses the Mercedes in a parking garage. Couple that with an annoying voice and we got the makings of a failed business venture! Turtle obviously skipped the class at UCLA Extension about sexual harassment because the first time she confides him about her problems he hugs her and moves in for a kiss. Obviously she isn't as ditzy as she appears because she immediately pushes him away, yells at him and quits. Hope he got good insurance because I smell a lawsuit!! Remember the old Turtle that was desperate to get any female to even look at him? Well, that Turtle is long gone as he now thinks he's got it going on enough to sense "vibes" from girls. Seems like Jamie-Lynn Sigler is a distant memory on the show AND in real life . . .
Speaking of Drama . . . Johnny is bouncing all over the place because his development deal with the network runs out in eight weeks and so far there isn't a show for him. Phil Yagoda (William Fichtner) has got such bad news for Drama that he calls him to his office to smoke the biggest joint I've ever seen outside of a Cheech & Chong flick and give him the news him face to face. The "Fall Guy" remake? Not going to happen. Phil advises Johnny to go to his agent and put them to work on finding a show that will showcase his "uniqueness" and he runs to Lloyd to request a team of agents like Brad Pitt has. Lloyd deflects until Ari arrives and tells Drama that even he can't get a show for him. What he means is that he WON'T get a show for him. Poor Drama, will he ever get a break?
Ari Gold is now the owner of the largest talent agency in the word. Out with Miller-Gold and in with TMA! There is nothing he can't do, right? Wrong. Apparently he can't hire competent agents because they got nothing but problems for him to deal with. Ryan Reynolds is complaining about face time? Too bad. Is Jessica Simpson still sad cause her dog eaten eight months ago? Buy her another one. Does he have to do everything in that place?? And why more than ever are there soooo many people walking around the agency doing nothing! What does an overburdened super agent do? He blows off his kids parent-teacher conference to go and try to get Nick Cassavetes to pull the plug on the Vince stunt. In macho fashion Cassevetes grabs Ari by the neck and threatens him and Ari folds like a house of cards. Awesome stuff!
The time has come for the stunt and a very nervous Vince gets a pep talk from the boys about how Vic Morrow got his head chopped off by a helicopter and that Brandon Lee died from squibs. But no matter, Vince is determined to show daddy, um I mean Cassavetes that he's man enough to do his own stunts. You know, like Will Smith, Sean Penn or DeNiro. Of course the stunt goes awry sending shock waves through the entourage but a dazed and confused Vince emerges unscathed and even offers to do it again while pushing everyone away. Is this the dawning of a new and improved Vincent Chase? Is he going to grab the mantle of the next big action star? We'll see. Don't bet the house just yet people!
Some Thoughts . . .
Turtle has got a fleet of black Mercedes for his Lim-Ho business but can't rent out office or garage space. Wonder if the neighbors know he's running a business out of the mansion? Hmm. Nice touch to have all the license plates read "Trtle I,II, II" and so on. Remember last season when he had that "come to Jesus" meeting Ari about launching a business? Apparently he went running to Vince for financing anyway. So much for a business plan! Jerry Ferrara is looking pretty good though. He slimmed down a lot.
Love how we got a real accurate look behind the scenes of a film set. The tough guy director playing cards with burly grips; people running up for instant approval of props; the pressure put on actors to perform or sink the film and the constant controlled chaos that goes into making even the worst films. And this one looks pretty bad. Not sure but did Cassavetes crawl into the picture car with a Canon 5D camera? Sorry my tech geekiness is showing . . .
I'm very happy that we got just a little E and Sloan marriage drama. But I'm sure we'll get much more of it later. Can't wait. Yes, that was sarcasm. It did seem that his old assistant played by Kate Mara is gone. I will be so sad if that's true!!
Seems like Ari was right about Lloyd all along. He doesn't have the killer instinct to tell his ONLY client that nobody wants him. Lloyd has gotta get his act together or he'll be back on Ari's desk!!
All in all this was a great season premiere with all the right setups to be a great season. I mean how can you go wrong with Vince finally taking control of his career, Turtle running a business, Drama angling to get his own TV show, E planning to get married and playing damage control and Ari ruling the universe? What could go wrong?? Plenty, I assure you and that my friends is half the fun!! In honor of Turtle's new business I give this episode 4.7 Lim-Ho's out of 5 because the episode rocked and it was great to see all the boys again. The only thing keeping it from a perfect 5 is Dania Ramirez's irritating voice. Of course the show opened and closed with some great music from Gang Starr and Big Boi.
Program note: The brilliant minds at HBO scheduled the show's premiere for tonight then skip a week for the 4th of July holiday and will return with episode two on Sunday, July 11th. Enjoy the holiday and I'll see you back here on the 11th!
-- Janaki Cedanna
Next Episode: "Buzzed" - Ari is uncharacteristically nervous before a big meeting with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and other NFL executives, and Vince's new daredevil streak doesn't make his job any easier. Meanwhile, Turtle jumps to conclusions about a former employee, and Eric reluctantly joins the campaign to find Drama a job.
]]>Join Vince, Drama, E, Turtle and Ari as Entourage returns for it's seventh season tomorrow night Sunday June 27th at 10:30 ET on HBO.
When season six ended nine months ago the guys were going through a lot of changes. Here's a quick summary to catch you up: Vince was flying to Rome to do the Enzo Ferrari story for director Nick Cassavetes with Johnny Drama who just got a holding deal with the CW to develop his own TV show; Turtle flew to New Zealand to be with Jamie-Lynn Sigler but was turned away by her as the plane was taking off only to immediately fly off to Italy to join Vince, E somehow got Sloan to agree to marry him while trying to adjust to his new job. Meanwhile Ari abruptly did an about face and finally made Lloyd an agent after a full season of torture while burying the hatchet with Terrance by acquiring his agency making him the owner of the largest talent agency in Hollywood. Whew, pretty crazy! So what does the future hold?
Look for season seven to be even crazier (and somewhat darker) as for the first time Vince is committed to his career and in the first episode tries to do all his own stunts. E has his hands full with wedding plans and his concern for Vince's safety. Turtle finally starts his Lim-Ho business but finds out that managing lots of hot girls chauffeuring cars is much more than he bargained for. Drama is of course stressing over his development deal and is sure to give Lloyd tons of grief from his antics. Ari Gold is on top of the world or is he? Can the super agent thrive without any real nemesis? He will just have to manufacture one! The plot line is for Ari to try and strike a deal with NFL which should make for some interesting times.
Celebrity cameos are an integral part of Entourage and this year is no different. Porn star Sasha Grey joins the cast as Vince's new long-term girlfriend and it looks like she might be the one to tame the commitment-phobic Vincent Chase.
Along with returning Scott Caan, Kate Mara, Autumn Reeser, George Segal and the luscious Carla Gugino other celebrities lined up for this year include Queen Latifah, Jessica Simpson, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Lee, Ex-Hero Dania Ramirez, Mike Tyson, Jerry Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Eminem, Sean "Puffy" Combs, John Cleese, Drew Brees and Kobe Bryant. Creator Doug Ellin is also trying to get Matt Damon back for some more intense humanitarian pressure. There is also half a Full House reunion with the return of the deliciously dirty Bob Saget and John Stamos. Are the Olsen twins far behind?
I'm really geared up for this short ten episode season especially since it's been a very long time between seasons. I'm anxious to find out if Vince ever cut that 150k check to the OneXOne foundation appeasing the crazed Matt Damon and if Lloyd becomes a mini Ari like we got a glimpse of in the last episode. Drama obsessing about his career is always good for some laughs especially if he goes up against Dan Cokley. I just hope that the E storyline doesn't eat up those valuable episode minutes.
Speaking of valuable minutes, Doug Ellin states on the season six DVD commentaries that while he is totally open to making the show longer (average episode is around 22 minutes) or even an hour long he can't because the budget won't allow it. That doesn't sound good at all!
Worried that this may be the last season? According to The Wrap there are negotiations taking place to have at least six more episodes after this season which could be season seven (part two) or possibly an eighth season. And if that isn't good enough news, CNN reports that Ellin and Producer Mark Wahlberg are already working on getting a feature film made. Can't wait for that!
Join me here every week as I continue to do my episode wraps in a new format but in the meantime enjoy this season six recap to gear you up. Happy to be back!!
-- Janaki Cedanna
Adult film star Sasha Grey has joined the seventh season of HBO's hit show 'Entourage' as Vincent Chase's new long-term girlfriend. Talk about an "experience."
According to William Keck of TV Guide who interviewed 'Entourage' creator Doug Ellin, she will be playing herself in a major multi-episode arc this season and if all goes well, possibly the eighth and final season as well.
Doug Ellin says; "Sasha's the biggest porn star in the world right now, and when Soderbergh casts her as the lead of his movie, I take notice," Grey starred in the 2009 film "The Girlfriend Experience" directed by Steven Soderbergh. "I wouldn't have done this storyline if Sasha passed. Luckily she was okay with doing it."
Ellin also explained that the casting decision was greeted with unanimous approval from the male cast and that "You can't believe she's a porn star when you meet her, I think they're going to have a very interesting relationship." Vince meets her in a bar in the fifth episode.
While most of the women playing Vince's girlfriends on 'Entourage' usually last one or two episodes, the feeling is that "Ellin believes Sasha's got all it takes to play the perfect girl for movie star Vince Chase."
23-year old Sasha Grey Grey burst into the adult film world in 2006 shortly after turning eighteen and has since appeared in over 200 porn movies including x-rated TV parodies of Seinfeld, Star Trek, Bewitched and of course, Grey's Anatomy. She's known for breaking new boundaries in porn by willing to do the raunchiest and dirtiest acts around. After good reviews in "The Girlfriend Experience" Sasha has branched out; she wrote and produced her own album and directed short films all while continuing her very successful porn career.
If she can act, then being a major character on 'Entourage' will go a long way to securing her mainstream film acceptance. My hope is that she's Vince's muse instead of the girl that just messes with his head causing him to be irresponsible, lazy and unmotivated . . . like what usually happens. Oh, and I'm sure that Adrian Grenier (not to mention Jeremy Piven) couldn't be happier!
The question that will repeatedly be asked this season is how can a fast rising movie star can date a famous porn star? My question is how ultra sensitive Vince will deal with her chosen profession. I can almost see E and Ari's heads explode (no pun intended) while Drama keeps asking to be introduced to her "friends."
The seventh season is only 10 episodes (really?) and premieres June 27th at 10:30 PM on HBO. I can't wait!
-- Janaki Cedanna
]]>HBO once again leads all networks with 17 nominations and this year the Hollywood Foreign Press is breaking tradition by having a host for the first time in 15 years. Brilliant comedian Ricky Gervais is hosting the always fun event so get ready for a barrage of uncomfortable moments and perfectly timed sarcasm. Should be lots of fun!
So what are the chances the Pivster will win the award he took home in 2008? Slim to none, me thinks. Especially since he's going up against such heavyweights as William Hurt, Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Emerson and especially John Lithgow who's turn as the Trinity killer in last season's Dexter may prove to be unstoppable. An even better question is will 'Entourage' finally win Best show? No way since the juggernauts that are Modern Family and Glee have taken center stage. Couple that with perennial favorites The Office and 30 Rock and Entourage stands about the same chance as Johnny Drama winning the Best Actor Oscar.
Watch the 2010 67th Annual Golden Globes Awards this Sunday, January 17th on NBC at 8 PM EST and hope that Entourage wins something!
-- Janaki Cedanna
]]>Clocking in at an unheard of 34 minutes, "Give a Little Bit" left some indelible images. Stick a fork in Turtle's relationship with Jamie-Lynn Sigler as it's done; Ari finds his humanity in regards to Terrance and Lloyd; Drama's too old for the new "Melrose Place" but not for his own TV show; E finally wears down Sloan and Matt Damon guest stars as an overzealous and intense version of himself. There was even a Bono cameo.
This episode (along with the last few) went a long way in redeeming itself for it's mid-season missteps and I liked it, a lot. It actually made me pumped up for next season even though it's more than 9 months away. Most characters finally got what they wanted, except for one glaring exception. In a break from tradition I'll highlight each character in this episode. Let's go!
Turtle does what any guy does when he spends time with a sexy woman and is asked by his friends what happened; he lies. Even though he tells the guys that he slept with the infatuated co-ed who tries her best to make him forget about Jamie-Lynn, Turtle can't do it with her. He's in love with Jamie and desperately wants to work it out even if it means commuting to New Zealand on a regular basis. Inspired, he jumps on a plane to go and visit her but she calls him as the plane is taking off to tell him that it's over because she doesn't want him to get hurt. I don't know about anyone else but to me her logic was pretty confusing. There's something else going on here that we don't know yet. Maybe we'll find out next season or more likely Jamie wanted off of the show.
Vince is about to leave for Italy to shoot the new Frank Darabont film about the legendary Enzo Ferrari but runs into Matt Damon while shopping with Drama. Damon takes the opportunity to solicit Vince for some charity work for One by One to help needy children. Bordering on stalker behavior Damon wants to know if Vince looked over the brochures he sent over and then questions Vince's motives. Later on he calls for money and uses Bono to guilt trip Vince into giving as much as possible. Vince promptly sends a check for 10k. At the end of the episode Vince is on the way to Italy when Damon shows up with LeBron James and former MLB player Jim Edmonds on the way to a "humanitarian mission" in Cleveland and he takes the opportunity to bully him into giving 150k. Damon obviously playing a parody of himself is pretty damn funny in his scenes but proves once again that if you pit a "real" actor against Adrian Grenier he completely disappears. Can't the writers see that?
After last weeks near death experience, Johnny Drama has a new lease on life. No longer does he think that acting is the most important thing and tells his agent Lloyd that he's turning down the lead in the new "Melrose Place." Problem is, this makes the producer want him more but Drama doesn't care. Only when Turtle admits he lied to himself and the guys about his love for Jamie does Drama admit that he loves acting and goes for one last audition. He doesn't care whether or not he gets the part and this comes through in his acting. He nailed it! Ultimately, the network thinks he's too old for the part but seeing his great audition offer him a holding deal to develop a star vehicle for him. Imagine that? Drama may very well get his own network TV show! It should be about a less-talented guy with a famous younger brother struggling to make a name for himself in an unforgiving industry. Oh wait . . . nevermind.
Eric also had a scare last week when he picked up a party girl, had unprotected sex and thought he got an STD which causes him reevaluate his life, without Sloan. The little Irishman concocts a plan to take her to a vacation spot they once went and to, get ready for this . . . pop the question. They haven't been together in three years but somehow, someway he believes this will work and there's no stopping him. The scary thing is that it DOES work. Turns out all they really needed was a heart to heart on the PCH. Unbelievably, Sloan agrees to an engagement and the two of them wish Vince and Drama a good time in Italy.
Much has been said about how mean Ari Gold has been this season, especially to Lloyd. Ok, it was just me, but the point is that for most of the season Ari really hasn't been Ari. Most of the time he had it turned up to eleven in the decibel department but that started to change last week when old boss and current nemesis Terrance came back into the picture turning Ari into a frightened little boy. He needs a ton of money from Mrs. Ari in order to buy the Terrance's agency, problem is that the Misses think it's just for the revenge on Terrance, Adam Davies and Lloyd. She convinces him to see their long-term therapist where Ari goes on a classic rant about the real reason he wants her money, she relents which clears the way for the purchase. Old Terrance has still got one final dig to deliver to Ari. He wants a guarantee that his name will stay on the agency which makes Ari go ballistic and walk out of the signing meeting. Terrance goes and visits Ari to try and convince and it turns out all he wants is an apology from the old man. Terrance apologizes and he and Ari shake on the deal. After he's got the company he walks through the agency Terminator style and shoots up people he wants fired with a paint gun. Classic Ari Gold. Who wouldn't want to shoot at people with a paint gun??
Hiding in fear every time Ari visits, Lloyd Lee is quaking in his loafers over the impending deal. He manages to hide from Ari until he gets an ultimatum. "Submit to the King, or else!" Lloyd shows up at Miller Gold and rips Ari a new one, saying he'll never work for him again, blah, blah, blah. Ari just smiles (weird, I know) and makes Lloyd an agent and gives him his own office. A very emotional Lloyd hugs Ari a little too long and all is right with the world. Ari now has the largest agency in Hollywood and Lloyd is an official agent. Yowza.
Random Thoughts . . .
I liked how Doug Ellin approached this last episode with the old bait and switch. All of the characters did the exact opposite of what they normally do. E proposes to Sloan; Drama stopped caring about his career; Turtle lied to the guys; Ari forgave Lloyd and Lloyd went off on Ari. What about Vince? He did nothing as usual except get bullied. Same old.
Loose ends were tied up but new knots were created. Who thinks that E will marry Sloan or that Drama will continue to not care about his career or even that Ari will stop insulting Lloyd? Not me.
It was kind of a lousy way to end the Turtle, Jamie-Lynn romance. It didn't make much sense to me at all. Why would a name actress go do Aussie TV? Has that ever been done before??
I'm bummed that I'll have to wait 9 months or more for the next season of 12 episodes. How the hell do they expect to keep people interested?
Matt Damon was the hands down funniest celebrity parody ever. Make sure you stay till the end credits are over for some hysterical moments with Matt leaving a message for Vince. Freakin classic. The viral video he did with Adrian Grenier was a laugh riot too. Check it out here.
Here's my preview of next year's premiere episode: The guys triumphantly return from Italy where both Turtle and Drama found girlfriends. Drama immediately goes for his network meeting and gets hit with the idea for his new show where he is single loser dad with six kids, two dogs and a turtle trying to make ends meet while battling a sassy Mexican housekeeper. Oh, and he owns a bar. E moved in with Sloan but is constantly tempted by other women while Sloan passive-aggressively makes all his decisions for him, citing that she is just trying to make his life better. Hollywood dominion is not enough for Ari as he bullies his way to the top by signing every major client while he spits out racist/sexist epithets to Lloyd, Barb and every other woman/homosexual/TV writer he sees. I also see a hospital stay in his future. Hmm . . .
Best Exchange:
Matt Damon: "Well, I'll tell you what you can do. I got some trips coming up to Cleveland, Ohio. Feeding America, one of our partners is running a food bank there. I need another celebrity to go with me to draw attention to the fact that 1 out of 6 American children, 1 out of 6, are food insecure. Do you even know what that means Vince? It means they don't know where their next meal is coming from. 1 out of 6 AMERICANS, it's f*ckin shameful.
Vince: "Ah, yeah I'm leaving for Italy tomorrow.
Matt Damon: "You know what? F*ck the American kids let em starve, have a good time on your vacation."
Best Lines:
"You're gonna need some roofies, bro." - Drama to E.
"Sorry, he Jason Bourned me." - Drama to Vince.
"It doesn't matter if I want to, I have to." - Drama to producer.
"So long suckers." - Ari to his new staff.
"I'm sorry Lloyd" - Ari Gold.
"I want a big f*cking check from you Vince." - Matt Damon to Vince.
"You take care of that girl you lucky bastard. If you don't, Johnny Drama will." - Drama to E.
"Let me tell you something man, I never even thought you were a f*ckin good actor, I thought you were terrible. Everything . . . Aquaman? Queens Blvd? They stink. They f*ckin stink. I can't even believe that you HAVE money to GIVE to a foundation but the fact is that you DO and you gave me your word that you would! So give me the f*ckin check Vince! I can't believe I have a f*ckin Academy Award and I'm calling YOU back! Again, again and again you c*cksucker!! SEND ME THE CHECK!!!" - Matt Damon leaving a message for Vince.
Overall, the episode was epic and I give it 5 Hot Chicks Out of 5 because so many great things happened. No matter what happens each season, Doug Ellin really knows how to deliver a finale. This had it all; great friends, great dialogue and hysterical moments. What else can you ask for?? The season rating was a solid 4.3 Hot Chicks Out of 5 because they focused waaaaay too much on E's love life and Ari was an *sshole most of the time. And not in a good way. I do think that this season is one of the best, right up there with the 1st and 3rd seasons.
I've said this before but I can't believe we will have to wait nearly a year to get new episodes. Why doesn't HBO get their act together?? Anyway, see you 2010 but don't forget about this blog as I'll be posting news throughout the offseason. Post once in a while will ya? In the meantime check out my Mad Men blog right here on TV Fodder. See ya!!
-- Janaki Cedanna
Next Episode: Who knows??????
]]>This time around around in the more "grown up" sixth season of Entourage, writer Doug Ellin threw in a disease scare for E and Turtle losing his one true love. Did it work? Hell yeah, it worked.
"Scared Straight" has a great setup for next weeks season finale (already?) in which Ari's original nemesis Terrance pops in to talk business. All the while E suddenly turns into a player and Drama has what he believes to be a heart attack from being wound so tightly. This episode works because the one weakness this season has is that Ari has become a mean-spirited bully instead of the neurotic control freak we know and love.
On to the recap and review . . .
There's a lot of nerves flying around as Drama is auditioning for the new "Melrose Place" and Jamie-Lynn is going to New Zealand for four months to shoot a TV show. Vince is cool as usual even though he starts shooting the Enzon Ferrari story on location next week. The guys are blowing off some steam and go to meet E at a club where they find him making out with a party girl post-coitus. Offhandedly Drama tells him the girl has a reputation for sleeping around, hell even he slept with her four months ago. This sends the little Irishman into a tailspin because he didn't use a rubber and sets a doctor's appointment for the next morning.
The next morning comes and E gets violated at the doctor's office as Ari's former boss Terrance comes by to offer his agency to Ari for 100 million. Ari immediately says no way and throws in some insults along the way. But it gets him thinking something is wrong. Later he runs the 100 million deal by Babs and Andrew and she says no way, not for that price. Ari turns to his favorite private eye for some dirt on Terrance but Kopeski refuses citing conflict of interest which ups the paranoid Ari ante. He visits his old flame and current Terrance wife Melinda to find out what she knows about why he's gotta sell. Turns out she doesn't know what's going on but she tells him that Terrance is cheating on her. Ari gets the leverage he needs!
Jamie-Lynn is packing to leave and Turtle's being a good boyfriend who cooks all her favorite food at 11am when the UCLA co-ed send sexy pictures over Facebook. Jamie is already pretty upset about leaving and the timing of this couldn't be worse. Jamie freaks out over the slutty co-ed and demands (not in a crazy way) he de-friend her from Facebook. Cue the emotional girlfriend. It's obvious she doesn't want to go, especially since she keeps telling him she doesn't want to go but Turtle is trying to be supportive and tells her it's good for her. Typical. Later at the airport Jamie-Lynn tells him that he can see other women which is pretty much the death knell for their relationship. She gets on the plane leaving Turtle in tears.
Drama is waiting to audition when he runs into David Faustino (remember him?) when he finds out the director is the same guy (Doug Ellin) who witnessed Drama's last audition meltdown. This time it's worse, much worse as after Drama gets interrupted by Dean Cain auditioning for the same role he shows all the symptoms of a heart attack. No Drama! He manages to call Vince before he's rushed to the hospital. E still freaking out he may have caught some disease especially after sleazy agent Scotty says she gets around. E gets the call about Drama and runs to the hospital.
Drama had all the symptoms of a heart attack but it's cardiomyopithy which could lead to heart attack later on if he doesn't change his stressful ways. E is also okay and disease free even though he keeps scratching himself. Lloyd works his magic and gets him another audition but a renewed Drama passes and decides to take some time off. See how long that will last.
Ari pops in to see Terrance and low balls him to 75 million for his agency because he pulls out the blackmail card. On his way out a smug Ari shouts a threat to a hiding Lloyd. The boys convene at the Chase Mansion where they fill in each other on the day's excitement. Turtle is upset about Jamie-Lynn, Drama gives bad advice and Vince wants to go out an party. Problem is, no one else besides Drama will go with him.
Random Thoughts . . .
The one time that E tries to be a player is the time he gets a disease scare. Figures right?
The return of Ari Gold! The Pivster is at his best when he's pushed into a corner and has something to freak out about. The Andrew fiasco notwithstanding. Great touch in having the revolving door of dumb assistants and Ari firing them. Classic.
It's great to see Terrance again. Nobody gets under Ari's skin like the frightening Terrance. Once the pupil now the master does not apply as Ari always sees himself as Terrance's boy. Ari should always be in panic mode and not bully mode. It suits him.
I understand that Turtle hasn't had any relationships before but how can he be so dense? Jamie-Lynn tells him repeatedly that she doesn't want to go. Not very subtle. It was actually kind of heartbreaking to see Jamie-Lynn so vulnerable. She's a pretty good actress when all is said and done. Very surprising to see Jerry Ferrara cry though. Wonder how long it took him to work up to that?
Some more great cameos like William Fichtner, Scott Caan, Dean Cain, Kate Mara, Doug Ellin himself and of course Malcolm McDowell. Nicely done!
The doctor scene with E has been seen a million times before and we didn't need to see it again. The little elf didn't bring anything to the table, again.
I always thought Ari would end up in the hospital not Drama. That was my idea!!! Telling Drama it's his job to lose is the absolutely wrong thing to say.
Anyone else notice how bad and echoey Vince voice was when Drama called as he was in the pool? Very bad Sound mixing and ADR. Come on guys.
Turns out the viral video with Matt Damon freaking out on Adrian Grenier is fake as they showed an extended cut after the show. It's pretty funny though.
Best Lines:
"You twitched. The classic no-condom tell." Drama to E.
"I can't keep track of all your conflicts Johnny." - Lloyd to Drama.
"You look like you're stoned dude." - Matt Damon to Adrian Grenier in the PSA after the show.
Overall, I give this episode 4.8 Hot Chicks Out of 5 because of the funny scenes and the return of Ari Gold to humanity. Great situations helped everyone's performance especially little E's. I liked this episode and I'm kinda bummed that next week is the season finale for almost a year. Let's hope next week is a good one.
-- Janaki Cedanna
Next Week's Episode: "Give a Little Bit" - Vince prepares to film in Italy. Eric's luncheon date with Sloan doesn't go as planned. Drama considers leaving the business, and Turtle tries to win back Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Ari and his wife debate on whether or not to buy his old company. This is it for the year!!!
]]>In this very funny and obviously fake video, Damon is directing Adrian Grenier in a promo for his favorite charity One x One and things get out of hand. Adrian has to only say 5 lines and he keeps messing up prompting Damon to go off on him by swearing and cursing with Jeremy Piven in full-on Ari Gold mode nervously pacing in the background.
Matt Damon is an ambassador for the real One x One charity that helps children around the world in poverty. The news has already been announced that Damon playing himself on Entourage, guilts Vince into donating money to charity and the word is that it's extremely funny.
There has been some confusion on whether or not this video is fake or real as at one point Adrian asks if he should do the reading as himself or Vince as Damon refers to him as Adrian. Fake or not, this video is pretty funny as Damon goes from 0 to 60 pretty fast and I enjoyed seeing him get pissed off at Vinny because he can't act. I just wished it had lasted longer ala David O. Russell style with Damon screaming at the top of his lungs and throwing a tantrum.
Decide for yourself if it's fake or real but enjoy it!
Warning: This video contains foul language.
-- Janaki Cedanna
"Berried Alive" is an episode all Entourage fans should rally around as it actually featured the "guys against the world" theme that made us all fans in the first place. This time it featured girlfriends and Ari Gold as the outsiders looking in. I gotta say it worked. Not even an E love triangle could derail it. It even featured a great cameo by William Fichtner as the producer that fired Drama off the old "Melrose Place" way back in the day. It also featured the first night walk-and-talk I can remember. Well done. All this on the same night the show was shut out of winning any Emmy's at all!
On to the abbreviated review . . .
Johnny Drama wants out of his "Dan Cokley hellish treatment" contract so he can audition for the new "Melrose Place" but a bidding war, so to speak, erupts between Ari and Lloyd. Ari is out to destroy Lloyd's new career as an Adam Davies agent and it was pretty cool to see them fighting over who will sign Drama. For once Drama may get what he wants. In the end Lloyd keeps his only client as Ari just can't bring himself to tell Drama he's got talent. What a jerk Ari is this season.
A drunk E visits Ashley to find out what he did wrong this time and she demands to check his email on his Blackberry (I guess they couldn't get permission to call the episode 'iPhoned'.) Even in his drunkenness he can tell this is way to crazy and stalkerish. Ashley has a laundry list of issues as E later recites when he finally breaks up with her in a crowded restaurant. Even his assistant Brittany (the gorgeous Kate Mara) agrees and later invites him and the gang out for drinks. She says she's not interested in him like Ashley thinks but I'm sure that the little Irishman will make a clumsy move soon.
Turtle is having dirty thoughts about the co-eds that stole his underwear and begins to doubt his relationship with Jamie-Lynn. He especially wants the very hot brunette one that is always hanging around him. Sure he feels conflicted but that doesn't stop him from chatting her up every chance he gets despite the fact that Jamie-Lynn is the first girl EVER to love him for him. Jamie is driving him to school now ever since he told her about the prank and she gets all jealous of the co-eds when she see them. She pulls out the whole "marking her territory" trick and makes out with him in front of the school. In the meantime Jamie is trying to book another series and gets offered one filming in New Zealand which doesn't bode well for her and Turtle's relationship.
Random Thoughts . . .
I think it's pretty funny that Turtle is going out in sweater vests nowadays minus his baseball caps.
I understand how Turtle is eyeing other women. Even though Jamie-Lynn is hot and loves him she acts like a mother a little too much. No guy wants that. Him looking at the co-eds while kissing her is not a good sign.
Kevin Dillon did a great acting job in this episode. I like how he played Drama low-key in most situations, it really added some layers to his character. He doesn't have to obsess all the time right? I hope this means more stories centered around Drama. When the show does that it's successful, when it's just E then it's not.
When is Vince gonna start the Enzo Ferrari film? I'm tired of seeing him laying around doing nothing. Get back to work! I did like how he sprung to attention when he heard Lloyd left Ari.
Perrey Reeves looked pretty damn hot in this episode. That's it.
It was great to actually see Lloyd in "agent" mode. Showing up on Drama's doorstep is ripped right out of the Ari playbook. The speech he gave Drama was very sincere. See Ari, he can do it. Did we know his name was Lloyd Lee? That's funny as his name is really Rex Lee.
Who thinks that by establishing trust they need to read your emails? Psycho alert.
Anyone else think that Jamie-Lynn was gonna go into Meadow Soprano mode on those co-eds?
Best Exchange:
Turtle: "I wasn't expecting so much math."
Student: "It is a business class Turtle"
Turtle: "Yeah"
Best Lines:
"Grab me a handful of Xanaxes will you? It's ok, I'm in work mode. Go!" - Lloyd to Tom.
"Johnny, you've been my one client for over two years and I will continue to treat you like you're my only client for the rest of your career. Will Ari? I will be devastated if I lose you Johnny Drama. You think Ari will even care? I believe in your talent. Does Ari? Or does he want you because he doesn't want to piss off Vince? Or does he want you just so he can piss me off? This is the first day of the rest of your life. What do you want?" - Lloyd to Drama.
"Go. But it's because I like you all right?" - Ari to Drama.
"And I'm sorry you're a douchebag!" - Ashley to E.
Overall, I give this episode 5 Hot Chicks Out of 5 because of the Drama/Lloyd/Ari triangle and for actually handling the E situation pretty well. They could have had E mumbling a few "I don't knows" and "Whatevers" (and they did once) but him finally breaking free of the alien-headed psycho Ashley was long overdue. At least there are a Drama, Lloyd and Turtle storylines that could carry the show till the end of the season. With only two episodes left I'm holding out some hope. Let's see what happens. Check out the new Lloyd Lee video diary featuring his new assistant. Enjoy!
-- Janaki Cedanna
Next Week's Episode: "Scared Straight" - Suspicions arise when Terence wants to sell Ari his share of Ari's old agency. Drama goes on an audition for the new "Melrose Place." Eric goes to the doctor after receiving some disturbing news. Should be great!
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