It must have been birthday night on HBO, because not only did Tony celebrate his special day on the season premiere of “The Sopranos,” but so did Vincent Chase on “Entourage.” We already knew that Turtle would be in charge of the party planning, so the big question on everybody’s mind was if Vince would actually invite Ari to his big soiree. Some might say that’s not much of a question considering Jeremy Piven’s importance to the success of the series, but after the pair’s fallout at the end of last season, it seemed like we might never see Ari again. At least for a couple episodes anyways.
That wasn’t the case, however, as Ari was quick to strategize on winning back his number one client. It began with an awkward phone call (you know, the kind that a dejected ex-girlfriend has with the boy she’s, like, totally in love with) and ended with an even more awkward face-to-face at the aforementioned birthday party. Of course, the middle is the most important part, as Ari’s birthday gift to Vince was none other than the script for “Medellin,” the much sough-after Pablo Escobar biopic that Vince lost during the “Aquaman 2” scuffle with Warner Brothers. Ari claims that Benecio del Toro’s is about to pull out – despite the fact that Vince’s new agent, Amanda (Carla Gugino), says otherwise – and though he’s been offered a new period drama directed by Sam Mendes, Vince decides to wait it out. Just in case Ari is, for once in his life, telling the truth.
Meanwhile, Turtle discovers a way to actually make money from Vince’s birthday bash (a stroke of genius, really: he gets Victoria’s Secret and Skyy Vodka, among many others, to sponsor it), while Drama obsesses over his new billboard for the Ed Burns pilot that’s been picked up by NBC. It’s called “Five Towns,” and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t look exactly like the recently cancelled “The Black Donnellys.”
Overall, the big premiere wasn’t that great, but it did offer plenty of promise for the final six episodes of the season. Will Vince finally get “Medellin,” or will he lose both projects in the process? Plus, has Ari met his match in Amanda, or does Gugino’s appearance have guest star written all over it? It’s definitely an interesting rivalry, but one that will no doubt blow over much faster than it probably should.
And you’ve got to love the way they did it. As soon as Lloyd called Vince “Mr. Chase” and said “they’re waiting for you in the conference room,” you knew what was about to happen and you felt damn sorry for Ari. I did anyway. It was painful to watch, just knowing that Ari could’ve saved the relationship had he brought Vince and E into his office, sat down, and admitted that he fucked up. Instead, he threw the flashy corporate presentation at Vince, and he crashed and burned.
Regardless, Ari’s on thin ice. And yes, I saw the previews for next week, but the signs have been there all season. Ever since Ari moved into his new digs, Vince and E haven’t been getting their typical star treatment, which I suppose is understandable considering Vince hasn’t worked a single day this season (seriously). Plus, Ari’s already proven himself to be a snake on several occasions, tendencies that don’t mesh well with Vinnie’s principled nature. This Bob Ryan catastrophe could very well be the final straw, or at least the event that’ll spur the “will he fire him or won’t he” cliffhanger finale next week. My wife said there’s no way Vince would fire Ari because Ari’s too important to the show. Well, duh (don’t tell her I said that), but that still doesn’t mean Vince can’t send Ari packing. In fact, a desperate Ari would be a lot of fun to watch next season as he does whatever he can to get back in with the boys. I say Vince ends it next week, and we’re all left wondering how long the break will last.
