HBO

Entourage Finale: Bros Before Closure

The idea of doing a finale for a series like HBO’s Entourage seems to go against the very idea of the show. Whereas some series, like Lost or The Shield, demand a final closure or reckoning, Entourage has always been dedicated to the idea that things just go on. This is not to say that I wanted the show to last forever—the show has seemed to be on autopilot since the Medellin arc ended—but there was not real narrative reason that it shouldn’t.

So Entourage ended last night with an ending that could just as well have been a season ending. This serves a practical purpose, since there’s been talk about continuing its story in the movies. But it also fit the spirit of the show, which made it clear over the years that there might be an obstacle here or there, but—despite the title “The End”—the Vince and company’s bromance would go on.

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Entourage Watch: Bad Bromance

Quick spoilers for the season finale of Entourage coming up as soon as I get over my amazement that I am actually blogging about a season finale of Entourage. From the season that Entourage began, its creator, Doug Ellin, was clear on what he did not want the show to be: a black-humored or satirical [...]

The Fascinating, Fearless Implosion of Entourage: How Far Will They Fall?

Note: This is less an episode summary than a larger discussion of the series’ surprising change in direction. Oh Entourage, how you confound me. I’ve rarely had such an emotionally turbulent relationship with a TV series – alternating between apathy and sympathy, between eye-rolls and gasps. What once was a great show about a meteoric [...]

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TCA Roundup: The Cable Guys

The Television Critics Association press tour wrapped up over the weekend, with a blast of announcements from various cable channels. Whether it was the swords of Spartacus and Game of Thrones, the gangland pistols of Boardwalk Empire, or the ripped-bicep gun show that is Jersey Shore, they came heavily armed. (And look! Someone’s shooting a [...]

David is Now Goliath: Entourage's Urgent Quest to Remain Relevant

Entourage returned Sunday night – a fact that, in previous years, would have been cause for jubilation around my house. But over the last few seasons, what used to be a witty, cutting, edgy observational drama about four young friends navigating the halls of Hollywood power has instead become a sort of male-oriented Sex and [...]

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TV Weekend: Hung and Hangin' on HBO

This Sunday, HBO returns the second season of Hung and the seventh of Entourage, two series that I continue to follow despite their considerable challenges, but for very different reasons. With Hung, the story of a Detroit-area male prostitute (Thomas Jane) and his pimp (Jane Adams), I feel that there’s a really good dark comedy [...]

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Neighborhood Journalism II: Adrian Grenier, My BFF

There really is no escaping TV. Case in point: as I posted earlier, I was biking to my local food co-op this morning when I came across the setup for a shoot of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire pilot. But that was not the only TV-related encounter I had this morning; it was not even the only [...]

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The Morning After: Againtourage

  HBO’s Entourage returned last night. I’d put up a spoiler alert, but we’re talking about Entourage, so things progress at their own leisurely pace. How leisurely? Enough that Jay Leno is still hosting the Tonight Show. My Name Is Earl is still on the air, and a hit. Perhaps this was the result of [...]

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Finale Watch: Resurrections on HBO

Spoilers for True Blood and Entourage coming up after the jump: