When "Sex and the City" left the air in 2004, many people wondered how HBO could possibly replace one of its biggest hits. But as it turns out, they already had something cooking, and only a few months later, "Entourage" premiered. Though it wasn't exactly the replacement that most female viewers were hoping for, the new series finally gave guys their own show about a quartet of friends who enjoy the finer things in life. No, not Cosmopolitans and fashion, but the rock n' roll lifestyle of a Hollywood movie star. Vincent Chase might be the only true celebrity of the group, but that didn't stop his friends from reaping the benefits, or the audience from tagging along.
The series started out a bit superficially – the first season was more about booze, bud and banging hot women than the relationships between Vince and his friends – but over the years, "Entourage" has become a more complete package with rewarding storylines to balance out all the cool toys, exotic locations and celebrity cameos. Not that we still don't like all of that, because we've been big fans from the start. Check out all of our "Entourage"-related coverage below, including actor profiles, DVD reviews of the first six seasons, and the latest updates from our Entourage Blog.
Well, that’s a wrap – the guys of “Entourage” have slammed their last car door, and though it’s a little sad to see the series end, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it probably should have happened sooner than it did. But while the last few seasons weren’t quite up to par with the early years, Doug Ellin has done a nice job of rewarding the fans who stuck by the show with a fairly conclusive series finale that delivered the feel-good happy ending that just about everyone was expecting. "Entourage" has gone to some pretty dark places in recent seasons, but it was always going to end only one way.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that it didn’t have its problems. For starters, I don’t really believe that a woman who was so opposed to the idea of even dating Vince would suddenly agree to go on a date with him and then accept a marriage proposal in the short span of 24 hours. Not only is that incredibly disrespectful to the audience, but it completely undermines who Sofia is as a character and what made Vince fall so head over heels for her in the first place. Nevertheless, Vince and Sophia have decided to tie the knot in Paris, and Drama and Turtle have taken it upon themselves to convince Sloan to be in attendance – although she doesn't entirely believe their story at first.
But while Sloan is honored to be considered important enough to be there for the big event (how Billy Walsh, or even Scotty Lavin for that matter, was left off the guest list is a mystery), she’s concerned that it’s all just a ploy to get her and Eric in the same room together. I’m sure that was partially the plan, but Vince and the guys were never going to let Eric run off to New York without at least trying to fix things. And though Vince initially made it worse by accidentally dropping the news to Terrence that Sloan was pregnant, he made things right in the end. That speech to Sloan was both sweet and touching, and it’s yet another example of how much Vince has matured since the first episode.
You could say the same thing about Ari, who’s been fighting tooth and nail to win back his wife all season. But while he’s always been able to talk a big game, Ari showed that he could follow through on his words as well by impulsively quitting the talent agency when he realized that it would be the only way to save his marriage and his relationship with his kids. I have to admit that it took me a little by surprise, because while I fully expected for him and Melissa (whose first name reveal was awfully nonchalant considering all the attention it's been given throughout the years) to get back together, I never thought that he’d give up the only other thing he loved in order to make it work. In hindsight, however, it makes sense that quitting would be the only way that Mrs. Ari would take him back, and I applaud Ellin for allowing Ari to make that kind of sacrifice.
So, to recap: Vince is headed to Paris to marry Sophia; Eric has hopped on a plane with Sloan to work things out; Drama’s star is on the rise; Turtle is a millionaire; and Ari quit his job and moved to Florence with his wife… only to receive a call from the head of Warner Bros. days later offering him the chance to take over as CEO. That was a pretty cheeky move on Ellin’s part, but if a big screen movie really is in the works, then it’s the next natural place to take the story. Because even though they got their happy ending, you’d be crazy to think this is the last we’ve seen of Vincent Chase and his entourage.
If the shot-callers at HBO were uncertain whether the next season of "Entourage" should be its last, then this season pretty much confirmed it. What started out as another promising year quickly turned into a rehash of Season Five.
Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara really shined in some of the season's best subplots, while the emergence of Ari Gold's softer side allowed Jeremy Piven to inject a little humility into his performance.
This isn't the same show that debuted on HBO four years ago. But after watching Vince, Eric and Ari struggle, strive and progress over the years, we'd argue that's a good thing.
Fans of the show know 'Entourage' wouldn't survive without the caustic Ari, so heading into April's fourth season, the question isn't if, but when Vinny and Eric reunite with Ari.
Everything is once again right with the world: Vince is sharing the spotlight with his boys, Eric's having threesomes, and Ari is the biggest, and funniest, prick on TV.
Loosely based on the experiences of executive producer Mark Wahlberg during his Funky Bunch days, 'Entourage' succeeds on the strength of its exceptional writing, not surprising since 'Seinfeld' vet Larry Charles penned several episodes.