Well fans seemed to enjoy my review of the season premiere of Entourage so I will keep the tales of Vince’s and his boys going by covering the second episode, “Unlike a Virgin.” While this episode had some definite high points it’s still lacking in the glitz and glamour that made it so amazing.
This week the boys are trying to re-establish their lives after being apart all summer. Vince has been trying to find work only to hear that no one wants him. Eric tries to get two hillbilly writers (guest stars Lukas Haas and Giovanni Ribisi) to put their script and their management in his hands. Johnny and his long-distance French girlfriend hit a snag when he doesn’t call her at their pre-prescribed time. Turtle and Ari are left along for the ride.
This episode was a definite highpoint due to all the guest stars. In a single episode we saw Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester return as season one, former virgin, pop-star Justine Chapin and acclaimed actors Lukas Haas and Giovanni Ribisi as a redneck, gun-toting writing team. It’s storylines like this that make Entourage the hilarious show it is, because this could only happen in Hollywood. This episode also set up a different turn in direction, with Vince finally agreeing to cave into the “studio” way of doing things and not making little-known indie films. This has been a huge struggle throughout all four seasons and it’s a very bold direction to take the series. I don’t want to spoil the episode for anyone but we also see the return of a certain female character that didn’t really grab me on the abbreviated season she was in, but the route this episode takes definitely leads up to some strife with other characters.
I said it with the premiere and I’ll say it again for “Unlike a Virgin” but I’m not seeing the humor of past seasons. There is a great Ari outburst but that was it. The subplot with Justine Chapin really didn’t go anywhere, as much as I wanted it to, and I just really wish the series would go back to it’s focus…Vince. The subplot with Eric and his agency is getting a bit tired so I can see why the certain character mentioned above has returned, because his character just seems so weak this season. I also mentioned that Turtle and Ari are simply along for the ride this season and that’s because they don’t do anything, the second episode just sees them following everyone else’s coattails. I’m still hoping for that improvement.
The acting wasn’t anything to write home about this episode. Leighton Meester is always adorable on Gossip Girl and here she’s purely Blair Waldorf notched up to 11 so no great stretch. I adored the acting done by Haas and Ribisi, I really hope they return later on and their story goes somewhere. They are very much the Billy Walsh of this season. Other than that the boys are purely playing their characters straight and there’s no big stretches.
I’m still waiting for Entourage to kick up this season and I’m still on the fence on whether the boys have lost their magic. “Unlike a Virgin” gets a 3/5 this week.
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