REVIEW: Entourage, Season 1

Entourage - Doug Ellin - 2004 - 9/10

Summary:

The show focuses on two best friends, Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly) and Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier). Vince, is an up and coming movie star and Eric is his business advisor, earning about $4,000 a month, cash. The two live with their other best friend, Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Vince's older brother, a has-been actor, Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon). The series picks up as Vince's first big movie, a suspense popcorn flick with Jessica Alba, "Head On," is about to premier. Herding the boys is Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), Vince's high powered Hollywood super agent. The series follows the ups and downs and the glam of Hollywood life as Vince's entourage rides his fame to fun and fortune. Along the way, they deal with new scripts, bad reviews, talk show drama, opening night, new girlfriends, obsessive stalkers, sherpas, Gary Busey, rival agents, indie movies, controlling directors and entourage-tension.

Critique:

Easily one of my favorite shows ever. It moves quickly, its very funny, and it has an easy way to victory considering it plays on the fact that everyone wants the life these four guys are living. All the characters in this first season are right on. Connolly's Eric is believable and the preferred protagonist as you see him deal with heartbreak and Vince's ego. Grenier's Vince is player perfectly as a pretty boy from Queens who doesn't know what he's got but seems anxious to lose it. Ferrara's Turtle is funny, often the butt of jokes, yet sympathetic. Dillon's Johnny Drama is a performance a small cut above as he delivers both humor and wisdom playing the older has-been, perhaps a role he knows all too well. Finally, Piven's Ari Gold is nothing short of amazing, a tour de force in ass-hole-Hollywood antics that make you laugh so hard your sides hurt. He is everyone's favorite ass hole, the king of one liners, the fast talker of fast talkers. Along for the ride are several strong supporting members, including Debi Mazar as Shauna, Vince's publicist who does so well in this first season, she is made a cast member for the next two. That still leaves a bunch of solid performances un-talked about, but I'll leave some suspense for you. The show itself is just fun - it makes you feel like one of the entourage as you see them do everything you would want to do if you or one of your friends had made it big. While the season is only 8 episodes, they all pretty much matter, and are important for moving along in Vince's career, and dealing with all of Eric's relationships. That's just the tip of the iceberg, but you should just check it out...

Verdict:

Watch it, every Sunday!

If you liked this show, watch...
...Nip/Tuck
...House, M.D.
...