7.01 - Stunted - Review

What Happened This Week? Vince almost killed himself with a stunt; Ari ignored the wife; Drama haggled with the studio over his holding deal.

The Funniest Line? Not a spectacularly funny night, but Ari's-- "I don't give a shit" -- was a nice button on the scene.

Welcome Back: Okay, so not the best premiere. I'm perfectly willing to admit that Entourage has lost a bit of its sizzle. The dialogue isn't as witty, the story isn't as entertaining and because they've given Vince practically everything a movie star can have, he's no longer interesting to watch.

What Made This Episode? Drama realizing that this industry is fucking brutal. That he can only live as the brother of Vincent Chase for so long, that he's not a star, but that he has to fucking work for it. It's a nice conflict, especially after Drama's cushy gig on Five Towns afforded the writers to lay low on his story. He was by far and away the most interesting aspect tonight.

Gripes? Why do I find myself... bored? The last time I was truly entertained, truly surprised, was when Martin Scorsese told Vince he was bringing him on board Gatsby. It was a phenomenal moment and one of the best the show has ever had, but now, resorting to episode's about a stunt that will obviously turn out fine... hey, it's not working. At least not for me. I need more conflict for Vince. I need to see him actually worry. And with Walsh coming back soon, hopefully the conflict is big.

Oh, and Turtle. I like Jerry Ferrara. He was part of what made the show so damn charming in the earlier seasons, but he's the fall guy now. Ridiculous sub-plot and ridiculous sub-plot just makes Turtle so much less of a character for me.

Cameo City: Hey, it's Nick... that son whose father was really, really talented! Yeah, that guy! He did look like he could kick the shit out of me, though. So respsect. And for Top Chef fans -- Stefan Richter made a brief appearance.

Where Do We Go? I'm hesistant to say that Entourage can't make a return to greatness, but it's looking like the show will stay a level of Vince is rich, Ari really doesn't have any problems and Drama is the most interesting character. Hopefully, I'm wrong. I really, really hope.

Next Week? In two weeks (yes, two), Ari takes a meeting with the NFL; Vince makes a drastic change; Turtle must deal with his former employee.

E! Online Reports...

Click here to read E! Online's report on the new season. Nothing too spoiler-ific, but I find myself a tad bit annoyed that nothing massive seems to be happening on Entourage. When Medellin failed, everything Vince knew was flipped upside down. Give us another Medellin.

First Review In

So while I prepare my 10-5 of the best Entourage episodes and reevaluate the sixth season, a review has popped up online and it's slightly negative...

• The NY Daily News calls the premiere "fun", but touches on the fact that Entourage needs to switch-up the storylines and up the stakes. Agreed.

Entourage Sort of, Kind of Has An Ending:

Straight from E Online's Spoiler Chat:

Joey in Fontana, Calif.: Is there an end date set for Entourage?
We just asked show runner Doug Ellin the same thing, and here's what we learned: "Next year's the plan to end it," he said. But: "Hopefully we're going to do a movie, so we'll see." Booyah! How fab is that?! So how would it all end? "Honestly, I make it up as I go, so I have no idea," Ellin admitted with a laugh. "I would love to tell you I'm like Damon Lindelof on Lost like, 'I've got the whole plan.' I've got no plan. I don't even know how I'm ending this season right now. And we're shooting the end in about 10 days." The new season starts this Sunday on HBO.

Season Six DVD Released Tomorrow!

So it's here already and Entourage's sixth season is officially released on DVD tomorrow. Once again, I'll reiterate that while parts of season six worked -- Andrew Klein -- others did not: Vince doing absolutely nothing, Ashley Marsh coming in and out of the season and unfortunately the Sloan engagement. I know the plan, at least by the end of the show, is to have Eric finally be an agent and on his own, but it's just being handled a bit awkwardly.

But I digress. I'll try my best to have a review up before Sunday's premiere, but buy the DVD and send in your thoughts. Perhaps they'll mention me on the commentaries this time?

Billy's Back!

Don't even form an opinion. Just click here, scroll down and watch an eight minute video with Doug Ellin, because around the 2:20 mark, he mentions that Billy Walsh is coming back.

Thank. God. Oh, and Carla Gugino. With that news, I may be able to forgive Ellin for season six.

Video's: Season Seven Premiere

Nothing that new, but Connolly confirms he'll be directing and Ari may be taking a turn for the worse:

Info Dump -- The Movie, The Seventh Season, The Premiere

Info dump? Can it be? Is this blog active? Do you scream down these cobwebbed halls? I'll stop screwing around and get on with it (a phrase my sex life has heard far too many times).

• Remember the movie? Mark Wahlberg's one quote plastered everywhere? Well, Doug Ellin really hasn't thought about it, but he is sure that Turtle will not be shot. Thank. God. We were all worried.

• Doug, if you're out there somewhere and you somehow read this, I agree that I think you have twenty more seasons, but let's end it with eight and then make a film for the fans. Ci?

• Lenny Kravitz. Entourage.

• More talk about the seventh season. Specifically Vince's storyline (I'm still not on board with a relationship for Vince, but hey, it could work) and Ari Gold's potential fling with Lizzie Grant. Ari cheating on Mrs. Ari? Goddamn, let's hope not. I'd hate to see her reaction.

• P. Diddy. Entourage. There's no picture, so settle for the info.
  

Season Seven Premiere

And it was pretty awesome. Of course, I wasn't there, but from this it at the very least sounded awesome. It's also nice to confirm that Kevin Connolly is definitely directing an episode, which is filming now, so it's definitely a latter episode.

Other then that, here's a spiffy picture of the gang..

Season Seven Promotional Photo

You never looked this cool:

Like the new look?

Sound off in the comments below. Please.

Entourage Officially Ending Next Year?

It's been known since the beginning that Doug Ellin, Entourage's creator, said that the show would finish out at the end of the eighth season, and even though we all wished it was just random thinking on his part, this article, which quotes Mark Wahlberg, pretty much says that after the ten-episode run for the seventh season, the eighth and final season will finish with just six episodes.

Which is fine. I get it. Entourage may have a lost a bit of edge last year with story lines that really didn't go anywhere, but the fact is... this show has had a hell of a run, and I can't wait to see what they come up with for the end. Click here to read Wahlberg's quote.

Oh, and more talk of a movie. Please don't try to copycat the Hangover. Let the Entourage film exist with the universe you've created. It'd be much more satisfying.

Another New Trailer

I've just discovered another new trailer. Click here to watch. Although it still has the music behind it, it's pretty good. This season really seems to be about Vince again, and Entourage works best when it's about Vince and the story lines moving through his world.

Entourage Promo Trailer

And the trailer I was talking about is now up. Click here to watch. Is Entourage entering a new era? Maybe folks, maybe...

Carrie Fischer Joins Entourage!

It's Princess Leia! No, really!

Okay, enough with that shit. Deadline Hollywood Daily is reporting that Carrie Fischer has joined the show as a reporter... working for Deadline Hollywood Daily. Yes, that's real, but it doesn't matter -- as long as she serves a purpose, I'm all in. Click here for more information.

Doug Ellin Talks Directing

If you're ever wondering why Doug Ellin (the show's creator) doesn't direct more episodes, The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Ellin about the crazy life of a showrunner and the little time he has to actually direct:

Doug Ellin -- who had credits as a feature film director before he got his first encounter with television on "Entourage," the show he created and now runs -- has directed only two episodes of the HBO comedy, including the upcoming Season 7 premiere set for June 27.

"The only reason I don't direct more is because we're writing the scripts and we only have two writers," he says -- though he then acknowledges another reason: As showrunner, he exerts much of the power a feature director would: "At the end of the day, I like when I'm in total charge. I'm sort of a psycho egomaniac."

A directing day for Ellin is similar to one he had during production on Season 7. "I directed a three-page scene, then went into editing on another that we had to lock down, then went and wrote a scene for another episode, and had to look for music for a midseason episode and then back to directing," Ellin says.

He calls directing "his favorite part," but admits that when a show has an established look and tone, it isn't crucial that he do it. "I try and bring what I can to it, but the director's job isn't to create a new show week-to-week."

Incredibly Buzzed

Quickly: the second episode, airing July 11th and directed by the always fantastic Tucker Gates, is called Buzzed.

Season Seven Poster!

(Courtesy of The Live Feed)

Another New Promo

Yes, there's another new promo and it apparently showcases actual footage. And yes, I'll be scouring HBO for the promo and return with haste to describe it.

UPDATE: It's basically an extended version of the already released promo, only with actual footage. It really does seem like we're entering into a new era of Entourage. Season seven seems to be expanding on the end of Drive.

Other notes:

• Turtle seems to have a business. Perhaps a limo service.

• Drama is fed up with not be able to act.

• Eric may back out of the whole Sloan engagement.