'Entourage' season premiere goes back to Gold

Season holds promise of quirky character development, non-sequitur plots

The second episode of HBO’s “Entourage” premiered Sunday night and was one of the most meaningless yet hilarious shows in series history.

The first scene has Eric and Vince avoiding new agent Amanda, which furthers the seemingly eminent plot line that the boys will eventually fall back in love with Ari Gold. Their turbulent relationship is portrayed as a lovers tryst with both parties desperate to reunite and spark the undeniable chemistry of the past three seasons.

Without the combination of all the characters together, the writers must have faced a difficult task in creating dialogue that continues to develop the cast in completely separate situations. I liken this episode to the “Seinfeld” format, in which Jerry Seinfeld repeatedly stated that his show had no real plot line or specific direction for each episode.

The most significant portion of episode two is the ongoing transformation of Gold. The audience has become accustomed to his witty one-liners and questionable racial and homosexual remarks towards his assistant, Lloyd, played by Rex Lee, and those continued through the duration of the show.

However, Gold’s growth is evident as a sudden soft spot develops in his heart. After using Lloyd as a pawn in his attempt to sign gay television writer Jay Lester, Gold realizes that nothing is worth the “gang bang by a gang of one” that Lloyd is about to receive and comes to the rescue.

The following scene is priceless, as the uber-heterosexual Gold finds himself in the middle of a gay-porn nightclub. Lester is in the process of molesting Lloyd when Gold arrives and saves him and in the process does something admirable for once in his life: He puts friendship before money. In a truly touching moment, Gold laments, “We may be whores at my agency, but we ain’t pimps.”

Without Vince Chase, Gold is a fragment of his old self, and without Gold, E is about as interesting as an infomercial. For everyone’s sake, the writers need to put these three back together before “Entourage” loses the steam it has gained of late.

In an utterly insignificant contrasting plot line, Drama and Turtle are on the prowl, trying to pick up “bitches” at the dog park – irony anyone? Drama’s hilarity continues in abundance throughout the show, as Kevin Dillon is quickly solidifying his place as one of the best secondary-character actors on television. His funniest line follows their search for the perfect girl based on her perfect dog as Drama says, “Lhasapoos are very finicky dogs, and finicky dogs have finicky owners, and finicky owners wait two weeks before they even give you a tug.”

“Entourage” is continuing its evolution by creating episodes that leave viewers on the edge of their seats, making it almost unbearable to wait the full week before the next show. If this continues then “Entourage” needs to make room for all the awards it’s destined to receive.

Episode three premieres on Sunday at 8 p.m. MST, but don’t get too excited because it might sound like you’re having multiples.

Contact Campus Press staff writer Quincy Moore at [email protected]