Entourage is a series based on a whole lot of manufactured, pointless drama, but ‘Buzzed’might have topped all the insanity before it because Ari, E and all sorts of people are up in arms over…Vince cutting his hair. Yep, Vince cutting his hair.
Not only is the Hairgate a completely and totally stupid thing to build a plot around, but it the whole episode was built around a random notion that Vince may or may not have taken some pain meds. He didn’t, then did. He didn’t lie, then he didn’t. I mean Vince never has much going on mentally, so I always just assume he’s at least partially high. So to give him some sort of weird rush of energy because he took a few pain meds seems pretty dumb, even for Entourage.
However (and I can’t believe I’m saying this), I actually kind of enjoyed this episode. I can’t tell if it was actually any good for Entourage‘˜s standards or this damn series is roping me back in after I thought I got out and could just watch to review it critically. At the least, I can appreciate the fact that all the characters have ‘something’to do right now. E’s helping Drama try to get a TV pilot off the ground, Turtle is having some struggles with his business and an ex-employee, Ari has the NFL in his grasp and my golly, Vince is actually breathing. Yes, the haircut and pills story is totally dumb. But if it gives us a Vincent Chase who actually has an opinion or real thought, I’m slightly more okay with. It would be great to see Vince go totally nihilistic, putting his life in danger, saying whatever he wanted, etc., if only to watch the tight-wads around him freak out. Plus, even though Adrian Grenier isn’t even a mediocre actor, he can breathe a little life into Vince when actually asked to do so.
The NFL storyline progressed nicely and in usual Entourage fashion with Ari not convincing Jerry Jones to let him work the TV contract, but still getting the opportunity to pitch the league on a LA-based team. It would be totally awesome to have this world bring in a LA NFL team, just to see how the real league would react – or if they would even allow it – and I’m glad that Ari has his own thing to work without always having to be on the phone with E. Plus, anytime I get to see more Autumn Reeser on my television, the better. She and Piven have a solid, banter-fueled chemistry that isn’t so much based on Ari throwing out insults, so if more Reeser also means a less douchey Ari, double win.
For a series that never many good ideas or wanted to pursue the few it did have, Entourage‘˜s dip into the drama-fueled haircut is still a low mark. However, the story is executed well enough in ‘Buzzed’that it surprisingly works on a typical level for the series. I hate to say this, but…the season is off to a strong start? Again, for Entourage standards. I will now go beat my head against a cinder block.
