It’s a good thing Entourage has spent its history creating such a vivid sense of friendship that we just like spending a half-hour hanging out with these guys, because the show really isn’t that funny anymore, and its “plots” are so slim I have to put quotation marks around the word “plots.” This week’s sixth-season premiere found its best moments at Ari Gold’s office, where Lloyd is demanding a promotion. I like Lloyd, and I like Gary Cole playing Ari’s rather weaselly colleague. (Let’s face it, I like Gary Cole in just about everything. Don’t you? Lately I’ve had an urge to watch him again in his terrific 1984 TV-movie Fatal Vision.) But what does it say for Entourage that the non-members of the entourage are more interesting than the entourage these days?
Vince getting his drivers license? Z-z-z-z-z… Vince prepping for a Tonight Show appearance? A Tonight Show apperance with Jay Leno and not Conan O’Brien? Even allowing for the time-gaps in the series’ production schedule, couldn’t the producers have forseen this, and booked him on, say, Jimmy Kimmel? Seeing Vince on the Leno set already feels old, not even nostalgic. This was compounded by the moment when Vince said he’d save a racy anecdote about having a threesome “for Conan” — i.e., for a later hour. No, Vince, you’ll be saving that threesome for Jimmy Fallon.
Now, the good stuff: I’m still tickled by the notion of vacuous Vincent starring in Martin Scorsese’s version of The Great Gatsby. (Who do you guess is his Daisy? It’s probably Scarlett Johanssen, but I wish it was Megan Fox.) And while everyone I know says they’re kinda sick of Johnny Drama and his huffy insecurity, I’m always completely charmed by Kevin Dillon’s total commitment to Johnny’s brash vanity. Dillon never does the cheap actorly thing of showing how much he loves his character; he’s admirably brutal in making Johnny a desperate second-rater even now, when Drama has achieved TV stardom.
Yet I have to say I’m not too invested in Eric’s search for a new place to live, the metaphor for him getting too mature to continue lounging around with the guys. If E is too old for that sort of thing, isn’t Entourage implying that we all are?
What did you think? Did you enjoy last night’s premiere?
The entire problem with this show started two seasons ago when it began centering around E instead of either Vince or Ari. It’s never recovered from that and likely never will. Let’s see Jeremy Piven’s brilliant, Vince is a movie star, there’s no plot for him and we have to waste half the episode talking (yet again) about Sloan and Eric Murphy’s hot streak. Yeah THAT’S what we want to see from basically a male fantasy show in Hollywood. Not the light, fun actor’s life of the first two seasons, or the manical, hilarious, massively successful agent with the hot wife and two kids. No just center it around the manager.
What a horrible, awful show. This show is one of the most overrated shows in recent history. HBO usually has a strong line up of original programming, but this is one of the worst they’ve ever churned out.
I have always and will always love entourage!
i love the characters the friendship, ARI, even aris wife
and especially SLOAN (E’s on again off again gf)
I enjoyed it, I thought it was a great first episode of the season. The Jay Leno thing, I admit didn’t really fit in, seeing as he doens’t do the show anymore but it was overall funny.
I think there is to much focus on E and Sloan. Sloan is becoming Yoko of the group . I would like to see more Hollywierd Parties with more fomouse guest celebs and their strange ways ( GARY BUSEY )
They had a chance to make this show great and interesting several times over the last couple seasons by changing the dynamic. Ari could have took the studio head job, Eric could have parted ways, but instead they opted for the very unrealistic ending of Vince getting a call from Marty S. and everything works out…AGAIN.
It was just so unrealistic and predictable. The show fails when pushed to be great. Plot line, Vince doesn’t care about his career, Eric gets frustrated, Ari rides in on his white horse. Turtle and Drama have a whacky adventure. For anyone over 30, Do you remember the episode of Three’s Company that was based on a misunderstanding? Wait, they all where. This show has gone there and lost its soul. Sad because I loved this show and would like to again.
I think the whole Leno subplot was a huge misfire. Featuring a now outdated version of “The Tonight Show” on a show that routinely centers around what’s “in-style” and “what’s hot” and frequently shows the ebb and flow of the entertainment industry from one scene to another came off as kind of pathetic last night. Any other show could have gotten away with this, and it wouldn’t have come across as a major oversight. But when your show is about the entertainment industry and is always trying to be “hip” and “fresh,” you should always be as current as possible. Having said that, I actually liked last night’s episode. It was rather understated for the most part, which is usually my preference. I was disappointed with Lloyd though. His character should have quit on the spot instead of taking Ari up on his offer.
I HATE the Eric Sloane plotline! It is SO boring and Sloane is SUPERannoying! Hopefully Vince will move a hot girl into the house and then predictably cheat on her and treat her badly and all kinds of tabloid heated drama will pursue! lol
How do you know that “saving for Conan” didn’t mean “saving for when Conan takes over the Tonight Show?” It doesn’t seem like there is a trip to New York on the schedule.
FYI, Vince already did Kimmel. EW, stop hiring writers to recap shows that they haven’t been following.
Ken, you nailed it. I still like watching the show, but I don’t laugh. The E stuff is annoying already. It is like the show is his, the everyone else is the supporting cast. Sad, because he’s the weakest character on the show.
The reason they didnt have conan was because when the episode was aired the conan set was not built yet so Jay Leno was what they had to do in LA
I honestly like the “transition” it appears the show is taking. Vince sitting by himself at the end kind of sums up that the other guys are growing up. The Leno appearance was a mistake I will admit, unless it has something to do with something that will happen later in the season (i.e. Vince’s movie where he will play Enzo Ferrari (Leno is a car guy)). But I do believe that everyone will eventually appreciate more later on in the season what this first episode did.
Entourage has always had funny moments, but I’ve never really thought of it as a comedy. Usually it just elicits a smirk from me as apposed to actual laughter, so I’ve never thought the show owes me laughs. I enjoyed this premiere episode quite a bit, especially since it focused on the boys having to adjust to changes, which is something the show always seems to tease, but never really follows through on. I think the show has come to a point where it needs to make a decision about whether it will continue to indulge the adolescent fantasy lifestyle or show the crew maturing into men. I’m hoping for the latter, since I think the Hollywood daydream was getting stale, but I have a feeling I’m in the minority.
Gem,
If you’re going to comment, at least learn a bit of english first. Let me help…the drama will not “pursue”, but “ENSUE”. Keep watchin’ that T.V.