Entourage – Fake penis or real?

I think it’s fair to say that it’s an unusual day when a secondary character’s story becomes more prevalent and deep than a lead’s. Not to suggest that Jeremy Piven’s Ari is anybody’s backup dancer on Entourage, but the show is ostensibly about Vincent Chase’s universe, so it’s fair to suggest that those who orbit him play second fiddle to him.

Yet the emotional depth of Ari and Mrs. Ari’s story far outweighs the shallowness of Vince waving a fake penis out of his fly before taking a drug test. On the whole the drug test was decent comedy relief, but moments like the game of hot potato with the fake appendage at the end was as stupid as it was predictable.

Rob Morrow returned as Jim Lefkowitz, attorney to the stars who last appeared as Ari’s lawyer last season. I never watched the show, but it’s always fun to see what the Northern Exposure star is up to.

So Morrow’s presence was fun, as was the gang offering up ideas on beating the test that was guaranteed to reveal the joint Vince had recently smoked. I loved how Turtle’s attempt at the pee test served as a baseline for Vince, and Drama’s vinegar drinking insanity was awesome. The very idea that he can chug vinegar straight is frightening.

I liked seeing Vince turn to Billy for help, in part because I’ve been a little disappointed with the awfully spare use of Rhys Coiro so far this season. The only really solid image of him that I have so far is with that stupid point on his head from the hoodie he was wearing in the recording studio.

And okay, the fake penis loaded with clean urine was humorous. But that’s what Vince is up to now? He just saw a guy three seconds after he’d shot himself in the head … even Turtle’s repeated “I saw brains” line made more sense.

It’s really Ari who’s keeping things afloat right now. His life’s a mess, and he can never seem to avoid further shooting himself in the foot. What did he hope to gain from showing Dana off to Bobby Flay? Flay wouldn’t care that Ari’s dating, and it was only bound to blow up in Ari’s face. I don’t want to see him and the missus split up, but Dana actually could be a good ending to Ari’s story for the series (although not before we learn Mrs. Ari’s first name).

Which reminds me that the series is coming to an end soon. In fact, the episode titled “The End” is less than a month away. So what’s coming? Where are any of these characters heading? Ari’s story is one likely to come to some sort of conclusion, but no one other than Vince — and arguably Johnny — even has things going on in their lives. Turtle? Maybe he ends up with a restaurant. Okay…. Eric? Chasing Sloan to New York (please no)? What else does he have?

Will the boys simply end up where they began, out to breakfast in sunny LA, Turtle delivering Vince’s latest movie’s one-sheet and everyone arguing over whether or not it flatters the unseen parts of Vince’s body? And is that what we want? There are two kinds of stories: one with a clear beginning and end, and another where we’re merely voyeurs peaking in on a clearly defined moment in time, conclusion or no.

Do you want Entourage to be the former or the latter?

“Don’t mind him; he’s seen way too many episodes of Law & Order.” – Scott to the cop, about Drama
“Been on more than I’ve seen, actually.” – Drama

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Aug 15, 2011 @ 14:00 EST5EDT