Entourage Review: One Down, Two to Go

It’s hard to believe that Entourage has been on for eight seasons and we’re on the far side of its last few episodes. In two weeks it’ll be time to say goodbye to the boys for good, but for now, they’ve got a few final complications to work.

Eric (Kevin Connolly) should know by now he’s just unlucky in love, and sex for that matter, as evidenced by the drama unleashed from his hookup with new client Melinda Clarke. After booking a new J.J. Abrams pilot (apparently Entourage-Melinda isn’t on Nikita), she tells E over lunch she needs their business relationship more than their sexual one. Guest star Johnny Galecki pushes E a little more, admitting he’s seeing Eric’s ex, Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui).

As if this season hasn’t thrown him enough curve balls, this week Ari (Jeremy Piven) learns his wife might not only get the house and kids, but his business as well. Turns out Mrs. Ari (Perrey Reeves) fronted $11 million when he first started out and now wants her investment back. Ari, not having the cash, turns to Barbara for a loan in order to keep his ex out of the business. Against his lawyer’s advice, he heads to the house to talk it out, but interrupts her and her new manfriend Bobby Flay preparing a meal.

Just when Vince (Adrian Grenier) seems to be mounting his comeback and shooting the cover for his interview from last week’s episode, Shauna (Debi Mazar) reads the final article. Vince is hurt that the reporter (guest star Alice Eve) called out his womanizing, flirtatious ways. He confronts her, but is ultimately rejected again. Meanwhile, Drama (Kevin Dillon) struggles with his self-imposed strike to get Andrew Dice Clay back on his animated show, and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) tries to entertain some New York friends in hopes of opening an LA-based branch of their restaurant.

It’s weird to me that now, with two episodes to go, the creative team has finally found something for Turtle to do. After last season’s tequila business that really went nowhere, in the next few episodes we’re going to watch him expand a friend’s business into a franchise? Still, it’s better than him sitting in the background of Vince’s scenes like he did last week. I’m also wondering how far Vince can take his relationship with Alice Eve in the remaining 40 minutes of the series. Sure, there’s the ever-discussed movie follow-up, but I’m a believer that you should wrap things when you say you will.

Ari’s downward spiral got a little of what it’s been missing – human emotion – when Bobby Flay called his ex-wife by her first name for the FIRST TIME in the entire series. It’s a blink and you could miss the moment if you’re not watching closely, but Piven plays it well as his character composes himself and leaves the house with little fanfare. This defeated side of his character is entirely new.

Eric has the most work to do over the next two episodes. I have an inkling Drama’s strike, which ended this week, may not be as simple as it looks right now. But Eric just asked his partner to drop Johnny Galecki instead of Sloan, who’s yet to make a significant appearance, and is still juggling Melinda Clarke as well. It doesn’t seem like EP Doug Ellin and Company are holding anything back, but are they building up more than they can pay off?

Season 8, Episode 16 “The Big Bang” (Original Airdate August 28, 2011)

Entourage airs Sundays at 10:30 on HBO.

Images courtesy of HBO.