HBO's Entourage
The Complete Fifth Season
Oct 21, 2009 Bernice McWilliams
What’s an Entourage?
If you’re asking yourself this question, you need to purchase Entourage: Seasons 1 through 4 in addition to 5 to fully comprehend this copious terrain of bromance. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines an entourage as “One’s attendants or associates.” The Urban Dictionary defines it as “The posse that follows a celebrity wherever he/she goes.” Hence, we have the concept for the original HBO series Entourage, which is loosely based on rapper/actor Mark Wahlberg’s titillating Hollywood initiation.
What’s a Bromance?
Bromance is defined in the Urban Dictionary as “the complicated love and affection shared by two straight males.” The American pop cultureis all abuzz with bromances these days thanks to the success of “dude flicks” Super Bad and I Love You, Man and the real-life bromances of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
The Entourage Posse
Entourage depicts four East Coast transplants from Queens, NY, who land in the middle of La La Land in the hopes their “God” Vince makes it big as a movie star. The exhilarating highs and emasculating lows of their journey reinforces their bond, thereby, depicting a bromance for the ages.
The series has upped the ante by depicting a group bromance. In this constellation of manly love there is:
- Vince is the goose that laid the golden egg. He’s the nucleus of this orbiting sphere of family, friends, agents, publicists, and assistants scratching out an existence on his dyme. He’s a Cool Hand Luke of sorts on whom they all have a “man-crush” and for whom they would blindly go to the mat.
- Johnny "Drama" Chase (Kevin Dillon) Vince’s older brother who’s living off his past sitcom glory and trying to claw his way to the top echelons of Hollywood’s elite.
- Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly) the trusted friend and ad hoc manager.
- Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), is the manservant/personal assistant who symbolizes the iconic hanger-on.
- Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) the über agent known for biting one-liners like “Let’s hug it out, b***h” to encapsulate a situation into a nutshell.
- Lloyd (Rex Lee) Gold's trusted right-hand man, who in this instance adds an added dimension to this heterosexual phenomenon because he’s a homosexual male with a “man-crush.” According to Wikipedia, gay-straight bromances are known as “homomances” or “hobromances.
- This season also see the addition of Andrew (Gary Cole), a former colleague of Ari’s who is financially strapped due to the writer’s strike.
The testosterone crew is bolstered by the estrogen brigade: Shauna ( Debi Mazar), Vince’s take-no-prisoners publicist; Barbara Miller (Beverly D’Angelo), is Ari’s thorn-in- side, tough-as-nails partner; Amanda Daniels (Carla Gugino) Ari’s out-for-blood nemesis; Dana Gordon (Constance Zimmer), an ex-lover/agent who has an undying loyalty to Ari; and, the silver-spoon bred Ms. Ari Gold (Perrey Reeves).
Entourage Episode 5
The fifth season of Entourage kicks off with the guys sorting through the aftermath of Vince’s torpedo career. His starring rule in the indie film Medellin, based on the notorious Colombian Medellin-Cartel drug lord Pablo Escobar, was met with disastrous reviews after its Cannes Film Festival debut screening.
Vince is tucked away on a secluded Mexican beach with a bevy of beautiful women at his disposal day and night to conveniently aid his burying his woes. The ever-dependable Turtle is by his side every step of the way for emotional support. Yet, Ari wants Vince back in L.A. in order to resuscitate his on life-support career. What ensues thereafter is a rollercoaster ride of missed opportunities and emotional tailspins for Vince and the guys that brings them to their knees.
This season is not without infamous cameo appearances that include Tony Bennett, Jaime-Lynn Sigler, T.I., Eric Roberts, and Mark Wahlberg, just to name a few.
The Music
The musical selections are great supporting characters for this no-holds-barred contemporary dramedy. Each note perfectly conveys the emotional timbre of the scene. The turbo-charged bravado of rap, rock, and dance-infused melodies reinforce the characters’ renegade personas and the world of excess they navigate.
Special Features
Audio commentaries by executive producer and creator Doug Ellin and varied cast members for selected episodes. Nearly a scene-by-scene description of what occurred behind the scenes while filming.
Summary
The fifth season of Entourage has been the most pivotal in the arch of stalled ambitions for its protagonist. At the same time, this episode bitingly portrays the machinations of the Hollywood process. This season will have you swearing, empathizing, and finally cheering for the future yet to be plucked.
- Title: Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season
- Starring: Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Rex Lee, Perrey Reeves, Debi Mazar, and Gary Cole
- Running Time: 360 minutes/6 hours
- 12 Episodes/3 Dics
