Entourage, welcome back!

Cafe Society
#1

Well, Vinnie and the guys are back and we were treated with a run of new HBO series tonite. Considering there’s a Deadwood thread and a Lucky Larry thread so I figured it’d be a crime if the best show of the lineup didn’t have a thread.

Some thoughts:

Perry Reeves was looking awfully hot, nipplelicious. I thought it was amusing that here character was revealed as being a trust fund baby, probably figures though, Ari would probably never marry a girl that wasn’t loaded and therefore able to be a fallback plan.

Seeing Ari’s new office and how self-conscious it made him was a nice touch. Hope they don’t beat him down too much, if his character isn’t a total bully he loses his charm.

I’m totally loving Lloyd’s character, I figured that with him following Ari out of the building last season he’d be given a better position instead of still being his assistant. Granted they would lose some great comedy opportunities without Lloyd being the walked on assistant, but he could be the walked on junior agent. Then they could have brought in a revolving door of hot assistants or brought in a new character to get abused by Ari.

The moms were a riot and the guys all biting the bullet and inviting them was priceless. Seeing Turtle’s mom busting his balls at the airport totally makes sense based on his character. Wonder if the guy’s families will be making regular appearances. Was it implied that Vince and Johnny’s mom’s only reluctance to going was the travel or were the estranged somehow? Seemed like just a fear of flying to me.

I’m going to miss Mandy Moore this season, she’s so damn adorable. She was perfect for Vince, the exact opposite of the chicks he usually lands.

I’m really starting to dislike the trend of these episodes lacking any nudity. Early on there was always some gratuitous nudity and let’s face it, these guys live and die to get pussy. And damn it, that’s part of why I watch! Gimme more LA trim! Seems like every HBO show does this, as it gains an audience they stop with the T&A.

Wonder if Mandy was replaced on Aquaman or if her and Vince just sucked it up and tolerated each other?

Great James Woods cameo, and his IRL girlfriend (a 20 year old daughter of a golfing buddy!) making an appearance was fun. Great cans there. I wish I knew how stuff like that was taken by Hollywood insiders. Seems like the kind of thing that’d get people talking. But what do I know, I live in Chicago. Apparently he never got his tickets, eh?

Did you notice how they totally glossed over the fact that Shauna was knocked up! Figured there’d be some good burns available there. We’ll have to monitor that situation.

Anyways, I’m glad it’s back. This show cracks me up. Makes me want to move to LA and be a slimebag.

#2

I enjoy this show… but I don’t really know why. There’s really nothing to it.

James Woods as a crazy ass version of himself was great.

Debi Mazar being pregnant was weird. I had to wonder if we are supposed to ignore it.

#3

Hilarious Jimmy Woods cameo.

Lloyd has been one of my favorites, and the new offices for Ari are great. He can’t just bank on Vince for now though.

Mostly a set-up episode, this. I thought they’d string things out until the premiere of Aquaman and play up the Mandy Moore storyline some, but I guess they cut right to it. Must have something else in mind. . .maybe more stories about Ari getting his operation up and running.

I’d also like to see more of Turtle trying to get his thing going. In the “previously on Entourage” stuff, they showed a clip with him with that CD that he doesn’t own, so maybe they plan to return to that.

#4

I’d say less of a set-up episode than a wrap-up episode. Their MO has been to have a season begin with him premiering a movie (“Head On” in Season One and “Queens Boulevard” in Season Two) and each season ending with him leaving to film one (“QB” in Season One and “Aquaman” in Season Two), so what they did here pretty much follows the formula previously set. Each season is consumed with Vince’s downtime and the business aspect of promoting himself, his films and navigating his way to his next project. I’m sure the “Aquaman” storyline will continue in the background a bit I’m sure, but I suspect they’ll largely get away from it into the next film and the rest being leisure time and various goof offs.

Yeah, having Turtle get into the Rap/Record Producing game in earnest would create lots of opportunity for comedy and drama. Though if he’s too successful it might screw up the Turtle-as-fuck-up niche the character has developed. Can’t have all the guys becoming successful in their own right or else it stops being Vince’s “entourage”.

#5

Yeah, almost as good as the Gary Busey one.

#6

This is my current favorite HBO show. so I’m also glad it’s back. I agree that we need to see more about Lloyd, particularly after what we learned about him in the “Exodus” episode, which was my favorite so far.

As a reminder, that was the second-to-last episode of the second season, in which Ari was fired from the agency and in which Lloyd delivered the pep talk in the “prop car from the Fast and the Furious.” He talked about how he worked his ass off at Stanford Business School, graduated at the top of his class and now was looking forward to getting rich with Ari. I’d think that a top graduate of Stanford Business School could be making $150,000 or $200,000 easily in another industry rather than being abused as the executive assistant of a Hollywood agenct, so Lloyd is qualified to do much more than he has been doing.)

#7

Right up there with the Pauley Shore one(s).

#8

Sweet Zombie Jesus, she was hot. Looked her up on IMDB. Her name is Ashley Madison. I find that hilarious, because it reminds of that creepy dating service for married people.

thwartme

#9

I think that Bob Sagat’s was the best.

I have really enjoyed this show despite myself. The Ari character is just awesome. He’s supposedly based on someone real.

#10

They make that point a lot in the series. Eric makes a statement to his girlfriend that “they have Wharton grads working in the mail room”.

Lloyd could certainly make that kind of money as an abused first year Associate at a New York investment bank working 120 hours a week.

People are willing to put up with a lot of crap in those types of jobs because they know the end goal is you get to roll like Ari and become a power broker in the industry. Most of us who can wouldn’t put up with that kind of crap in an ordinary job because there isn’t a chance in hell of ever making millions of dollars within a few years.

So in other words, Lloyd isn’t some dumb secretary the temp agency sent over.

Turtle really isn’t a “fuck-up”. Drama’s the fuck-up. He constantly blows opportunities because of his behavior. Turtle is the “hustler”. He’s the guy constantly wheeling and dealing. It makes sense that he would see an opportunity to promote Saigon. They shouldn’t make him a white Russel Simmons though.

#11

Reminds me of Swimming With Sharks.

thwartme

#12

That was really my feeling early on. It was like watching guys in a frat.

And sometimes, it still is. . .but like any good show, it has distinct, well-written characters. They each have strong personalities and they deal with each other in a fashion consistent with their character (e.g. look at Ari’s relationship with E, Turtle, Drama and Vince – he has a different way of interacting with every one of them). None of the characters ever gets left behind by the writers. There’s humor. There’s honest emotion. There’s drama. (little d).

On the surface, it seems like a show that people who read People should be attracted to, but it’s not starting a third season because people are just interested in who Vince sleeps with next.

I think part of the problem was how HBO originally packaged it.