The Boys Are Back: Entourage, Season 6
Entourage(HBO) Sunday Nights, 10pm; and on Comcast HBO on Demand
This past Sunday saw the return of Entourage, a show that has already baffled some with its longevity; and while it’s definitely an example of a program that hasn’t taken many chances throughout its first 5 seasons, perhaps the main reason is because from the beginning its formula was strong - a group of young wannabees from New York who surround a big Hollywood movie star. There was always no small degree of wish fulfillment at play, and the shows celebrity quotient has, from the get-go, been satisfyingly high.
Entourage has taken us through some of the ups and downs of the career of Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier) - Vince on top; Vince on bottom; Vince in no man’s land, but the real draw and the heart of the show is the interaction between the guys. The obvious runaway character from the start was Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), an example of an actor finding his perfect role at the right time. Piven, who has won three Emmys for his portrayal of the weasley uber-agent, brought his natural manic energy to a character whose naked ambition and greed knows no bounds.
The appearance of Ari’s assistant Llloyd (Rex Lee) in season 2 re-energized the show, providing a fitting foyle for Ari, as well a target for his non-stop abuse. Lloyd puts up with Ari’s shit, his ethnic and gay slurs, showing him nothing but loyalty and dedication (if occasional attitude) in return, but since his introduction it has been clear to those paying attention that Lloyd was biding his time, learning the business, making connections, and lying in wait till the moment was right to make his move. Episode one has Lloyd presenting Ari with an ultimatum - a promotion or he walks. It will be interesting to see what happens with Ari’s long suffering man servant.
This season will no doubt be about growing up. In Episode One Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui) convinces Eric (Kevin Connolly) that he should consider subletting her girlfriend’s house for a year while said friend is out of the country. Eric is conflicted because he knows that abandoning their latest frat-like mansion will upset the balance of cash cow Vince’s life (which is, after all, all of their concern). Meanwhile, Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) has a real live girlfriend, Jamie Lynn Sigler - playing a version of herself (the two are also dating in real life), with whom he now spends much of his time. With the Scorcese film (Gatsby) under his belt, and another big one on its way, Vince’s career is back on track, but once again he’s minus a committed relationship. Can a pretty young thing he likes who is either too busy with her career, or suddenly has to move away, or must go back to her fiancee be far off on the horizon?
We can expect more celeb cameos (including Zak Effron; Tom Brady; Matt Damon), which will inevitably either click (like Gary Busey; Saigon; Seth Green; Val Kilmer) or fall a bit short, but mostly Doug Ellin and friends have the right idea. Ellin gently prods the Hollywood establishment, but never really rips into it, for he, and the actors in the show, are now all members of the A/B-list party they portray and they are well aware of where their bread is buttered. The aim is to slightly skewer instead of roast.
One thing that is mostly dead on, however, is the soundtrack, a usually interesting and eclectic mix of classic and new rock and hip hop. The opening chapter in season six is no different, as it features a diverse mix of songs from artists like The Cure; Easy E; and The Verve. The show isn’t always as cutting edge and up to date as the music though, as a reference to Greg Garcia and the dearly departed My Name is Earl in show 1 demonstrates, but that’s the price you pay from peppering your plots with pop references. After all, they do have to film these things in advance.
Will Lloyd quit and work for someone else (studio chief Dana Gordon (Constance Zimmer) maybe)? Will Ari once again remind Dana during a phone conversation that they once slept together? Will Ari’s buddy Andrew Klein (Gary Cole) turn out to be a drunk and cost him clients, thus forcing him to eat crow and apologize to Babs (Beverly De’Angelo)? Will Eric continue to grow, obtaining other clients and separating his personal life from Vince? Will Eric get back with Sloan? Will Vince stay on top? Will bad actor Drama (Kevin Dillon) win a People’s Choice Award? Will Turtle blow it with his famous, way too hot girlfriend? Will Turtle smoke weed and play video games? Will Ari piss off the wife (Perrey Reeves) he really loves and be forced to buy her a jet to make it up to her? Will Shauna (Debbie Mazar) suggest one of the guys go fuck themselves?
Entourage has never put itself out there as being a show dedicated to examining world problems, politics, or pressing emotional and psychological issues, and it doesn’t. What it does, better than most shows in TV history, in fact, is show how a group of guys (albeit in extraordinary circumstances) behaves around one another, how hierarchy and roles are defined and re-enforced within the group, how loyalty is tested in variety of ways, and how ball busting is one hobby that never goes out of style, at least amongst male friends. The show might be repetitive, it might have a story arc that goes in more circles than a merry-go-round, but it’s usually a fun ride, and watching it is as comfortable and casual an experience as having a few beers with some old friends at your favorite local bar.