Piven, Connolly, Grenier, Ferrara, Dillon will debut season five on HBO this Sunday

By Brian Frederick

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 9/7/08 – - “Let’s hug it out!” says super agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven).  HBO’s big TV hit ‘Entourage’ is more than just the rise of shinning star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and his tag along buddies from New York who come to Hollywood in search of their dreams.  It’s all about buddy connection and the use of slang and SoCal… LA, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, and girls girls girls with an occasional acting job or two for Vince.  Sometimes Vince gets millions, other times “it’s all about the art,” Vince says.

“The ladies” of the day are rated for their attractiveness.  There is “hot”, “LA hot” and then there is “Vince hot” as Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) points out every now and then.  “Vince hot” is what the rest of the entourage can’t get unless of course Vince buys it for them.  As a matter of fact, “Vince hot” is what no one can get!

Vince, E, Turtle, and Drama are as cool as cool can get while living a Hollywood dream and the boys have been living up to those standards thus far in the series, except for an occasional bump or two.  Vince being the sole provider of cash for his entourage can’t really seem to afford the Rolls Royce in the garage or the ten room mansion and thousand dollar sneakers he bestows upon his buddies.  It’s all part of the crazy life they live.  The boys lifestyle’s take precedent over the films Vince does.  The millions Vince gets, never seem to be enough to support the entourage way of life.  They are always struggling to keep money or find ways to pay for things while surrounded in the luxury of the Hollywood Hills or Beverly Hills or Malibu.  Every few episodes has the boys moving from mansion to mansion or condo with little concern for what the next day will bring them.  Of course when they run out of “weed” it’s a big problem, especially for Turtle.  The future guarantee for Vince’s next film is right around the corner waiting in Ari’s office.

The real theme behind all the hoopla of  ‘Entourage’ is the tight friendships the boys have amongst themselves and that includes madman lunatic Ari.  “Ari is our friend,” Vince said in one episode.  Any studio can make a show about money and lots of it but friendships are difficult to convey to the public and the boys make you feel like you are a part of the entourage.

This year the series is expected to be different in the sense that Vince will experience a real down-turn in his career and put the entourage team in panic mode.  It’s not going to be so cool for the boys in the beginning of season five, especially after Vince’s terrible reviews of Medellin at the Cannes Film festival.  He goes into hiding in Mexico and once again the dynamic duo of E, a.k.a. Eric, (Kevin Connolly) Vince’s best friend and manager and resentful Ari, try to save Vince’s arrss and the entourage way of life.  The problem now is that Vince is not the Goldenboy of Hollywood and no one wants to throw millions his way.  The guarantee for Vince’s million dollar movie is not guaranteed anymore.  For the first time, Vince will seriously think about his career without E or Ari while hiding out in Mexico.  But not without his own entourage of endless woman to satisfy his bruised ego.

Will Ari go back to his old job?  Will Vince go back to commercials?  Will Eric go back to managing a pizza restaurant?  Will Drama (Kevin Dillon) fade away?  Will Turtle… go back to…well, what will Turtle go back too or will the boys find that next great movie for Vince and keep the roller coaster coasting?

Welcome home boys!