Vincent Chase & E on an ‘extended vacation’
Season 6, Episode 4 ‘Running on E’

This is the first episode directed by Ken Whittingham this season, so whether there was a difference because of him? I don’t know, but it sure was the best this season. With Vincent Chase again taking a bit of a back seat because his Enzo movie being delayed by 12 weeks, an extended vacation ensues. He tries his best to get E, Turtle and Drama to join him, but ends up with no one, albeit for a few hours till Eric decides to pull the plug on his business – The Murphy Group. This was disappointing, but does it really mean the end of E’s Murphy Group? Or just the office it was residing in? It would be a shame for E and Entourage to lose the Charlie storyline, as it was quite cool to have another up-and-coming star in the midst.

Ari Gold was trying to handle a barrage of situations from all sides, it was an Ari juggling act.. under pressure Ari is when he is at his best! Dealing with Andrew Klein was great, but even better was his face off with Andrew’s lover — Lizzie Grant, the junior agent at the Miller Gold Agency (played by Autumn Reeser). Damn girl, she’s one tough women! Is she a future threat to Ari?

The music featured was way fuckin’ cool, especially if you caught the tunes of Daft Punk, and the new crew Empire Of The Sun — Check out their awesome video clip above. Awesome job, music people! Here’s the list:

• “Easin’ In” by Edwin Starr
  [E bored at the Murphy Group]
• “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” by Young Gunz
  [E getting it on with Ashley, Drama with the models]
• “Black Flag” by Duchess Says
  [Ari finds Andrew Klein balling]
• “Something About Us” by Daft Punk [Boys reminiscing the day]
• “Standing on the Shore” by Empire of the Sun
  [Final Scene]

Vincent Chase going on Facebook and stalkin’ his old classmates (Kimberley Kirsch?!)was classic. E announcing his relationship with Ashley being ‘serious’ was another predictable disappointment. Turtle getting dressed up by Jamie-Lynn was vomitus, but funny at the same time — the usual thing to do when you have a girlfriend. And how about David Schwimmer? Not the dorkus he usually is aye? He was after Lizzie, and that was more of classic Entourage. And how can we miss Johnny Drama’s casting with all those fuckin’ hot models! And when Ed Burns mentions how Drama has 25 takes with one of them, that was incredibly hilarious. There was also a bit of Mrs. Gold in there for good measure. All the ingredients and reasons why we love Entourage and why this episode was so good. We want more! …How did you rate it?

Entourage Fans Vs. The Critics: Round #1.
Testpattern’s critic Paige Newman via MSNBC

Paige has some rather bizarre points to reason why she is ‘abandoning’ Entourage such as

The show’s sense of fantasy fun was lost and reality took over.
MSN’s Paige Newman

C’mon girl, a bit of a reality check was a must for the characters. You must not have watched the series from the beginning? Unfortunately Paige, Entourage does have a story line that has developed over that past few seasons and subsequently there are high’s and low’s.

In this economy, there’s just something distasteful about openly flaunting that kind of wealth.

You didn’t really say that did you?! Complaining about the drop to reality for the characters, and now there’s a problem that Vincent Chase is splurging his wealth? Usually when times are depressing, we as humans love to have a little escapism via our fuckin’ television sets and HBO has provided us with the ideal entertainer through this great series.

And your little jibe about Entourage Season 6 being “behind the times” is a bit overboard. I see you recognize that they are shot in advance but please, cut them a little slack. Seeing Jay Leno is not such a freakin’ biggie, he has his fans, and I’m sure they loved it. And perhaps ‘Earl’ being mentioned was a little homage to them?! possible? no!? But once you start ripping into the main characters, is where I become incensed. It’s just fuckin’ low. So let’s see what you say:

“Vince seems more vacant than ever”

Have you not noticed that when series progress, people like to see what’s happening to the other characters? Plus we’re not even half way through the fuckin’ season.

“Drama, frankly, seems like an idiot”

Seems like it? He’s always been like this, and that’s why everyone loves him. With lines like this, who wouldn’t have him as an Emmy nominee? Paige, only started to watch last season or sumthin?

“Turtle, with his happy relationship and his Vince envy, is just plain dull.”

OK, finally. I can kind of agree on this one. But there has to be at least something you don’t like – if everything was perfect, it would be boring.

“And Eric, we are supposed to believe, is suddenly a ladies’ man. Really?”

With success in Hollywood, comes moolah and the women. Women’s attraction to power and authority has frequently been exemplified within the TV and Film industries. They come to E, not the other way round.
Paige, you are just lucky you didn’t rip into our Ari. Ehem, thank you.

On a happier note a belated Happy Birthday to our man Jeremy Piven! Who turned the great age of 44 last Sunday! Hip hip hooray! (Check out his Twitter for some awesome behind-the-scenes photos that he has kindly posted up for all his tweeps to see!)

Ari has to deal with Andrew’s ongoing relationship with the sexy Lizzie, while E thinks about what he’s do to next, with Charlie being a flop. And Turtle, well he’s doing his thing with you know who. Let’s hope it ramps up this season’s potential, and plays a few risky moves. If that is possible at all. Especially in a comfortable series such as this.

Now it’s time to turn those polls back on, and ask you the fan some questions. First up, should Season 7 of the Entourage double it’s episode time, to the more standard hour long length per episode? And why not double it up with another poll, simply asking are you Male or Female?