Fans, yesterday we watched an episode of our beloved "Entourage” with the knowledge that the show will soon be no more, a day perhaps more popularly known as the first day of the rest of our “Entourage”-watching lives.
Just like I watched last night's episode with renewed resolve after the announcement that the show would end next summer, the writers seemed to sense that renewal, and I thought they delivered a downright sexy, vintage episode.
When we last saw Vince at the conclusion of last week's show, "Hair,” he was in much-less-than-vintage shape, lying face down on the side of the pool in his birthday suit. In last week's blog, we spoke on Vince's downward spiral, and a few readers openly guessed exactly what was in the Avion tequila Vince and everyone else seemed to be so in love with.
Well, if the title of this week's episode, "Tequila and Coke," is any indication, the downward spiral is officially underway. By the way, is it just me, or does that combination just SOUND like a bad morning/afternoon/evening after?
I can think of close to two billion other combinations that bring blissful joy to life, such as "peanut butter and jelly," "ham and cheese," or "nachos with chili and cheese." But tequila and coke? Not so much.
Starting on the title's grim note, the show swung in a pretty clever direction. While Vince is indeed on a ride of his own with some newfound friends and recreational drug use, "Entourage" managed to baste in the juices of its own subplots, and oh, how I loved it.
Let's count the ways shall we? Since I don't want to be quoted as stating the "The Five Reasons I Loved ‘Tequila and Coke,’” let's just call this portion of the blog, "The Five Reasons I Loved the Show," in order from least to greatest.
5. "After party!"
Take note people. Any episode in that utters a mention of those two words will be fun to watch. Two minutes in, Turtle clues Eric in on Vince's announcement and the house is packed with hotties guzzling Avion. I'm entertained, and it’s only been two minutes.
4. The politics of alcohol
Seeing Turtle shake hands and kiss babies in the name of his new venture into the booze business has had its ups and downs. This week, the storyline took a compelling turn as he worked his magic to gather cases of tequila to a place known as "ground zero for breaking products in Hollywood." Of the finer moments of this episode, Turtle's story can stand up and be counted.
3. "Johnny goes Bananas!"
Billy (a.k.a. William) Walsh's pitch on the plight of an animated, misunderstood Gorilla based on Drama was pretty hilarious. It was even funnier when Drama got more and more pissed as the pitch went on. The name suits him, and this scene ranks high among the best "drama" he's ever given us.
2. Lizzie lays down her sword
As smarmy as Ari Gold can be, there's not a fan of the show that doesn't openly root for him at almost every turn. When it comes to Lizzie Grant, the story has been a nasty one, but I wasn't sure I saw this coming.
Ari eats a heaping helping of humble pie, talks Lizzie down from the ledge of her vendetta and the two call a truce. It was a triumphant moment for the hateable guy that we know and love, but it may have come just a bit too late.
1. The priceless dialogue of Ari Gold
There are simply too many great one, two and three-liners delivered by Ari Gold in the history of "Entourage.” For all the things I'll miss about the show, Ari is about five of them.
In this episode, Jeremy Piven as his alter-ego Ari once again delivered an entertaining, Emmy-nomination worthy performance. His interaction with assorted characters is always stellar, and I can't seem to pick a favorite among the Ari/Dana, Ari/Lizzie and Ari/Babs dialogue offered in this episode.
By a neck, I'll have to give the nod to Ari/Babs. She doesn't think Ari should talk to Lizzie, and Ari seals the conversation with a brilliant reminder: "I think you know what I think about your thoughts Babs..." Simply put: priceless.
Overall, it was a flat-out fantastic episode, and there were many other moments worth mentioning. This season is getting fun as it rolls on, and we're officially having it. The "Entourage" ride is a thrill again, but sadly, we don't have much time left in the park to ride this roller coaster before the gates close... so strap in and hang on.
See ya next week! Loved, kinda liked, or hated the show? Let us know.