  Entourage will be missed, but not necessarily for the ongoing story line involving Mrs. Ari (played by Perrey Reeves, left) and Ari (Jeremy Piven). The series concludes Sunday, Sept. 11 on HBO Canada. |
Entourage never was supposed to be important.
It never was supposed to be deep. It never was supposed to have social relevance.
But after eight seasons, as the series heads toward its final episode - Sunday, Sept. 11 on HBO Canada - Entourage stands as the classic example of a show that gained gravitas through longevity.
At the beginning, people viewed Entourage as a lark and a “larf.” But the longer it went on, the more seriously people took it. That made it a target for criticism that it’s misogynist, it’s materialistic, it stereotypes gays and ethnic groups.
But Entourage simply was supposed to be about four dim dudes who suddenly had it all. It wasn’t designed to be a window into anything other than friends sticking together through bizarre circumstances.
“It’s a guys’ show, it’s a young man’s show,” said Entourage creator and co-executive producer Doug Ellin. “It’s about young guys and how they really talk.
“From the get-go, Vince (played by Adrian Grenier) and Eric (Kevin Connolly) were always very respectful towards women. Drama (Kevin Dillon) and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), who really weren’t getting women, were the ones making obnoxious comments. Ari (Jeremy Piven) has been a pretty great family man since the beginning and pretty respectful of his wife in terms of actions, but maybe not words.
“So if you’re watching a show about guys trying to get women, I guess certain people will levy criticism against us. But I don’t feel it’s true."
Entourage loosely was based on the exploits of co-executive producer Mark Wahlberg and his circle of friends when they first hit the Hollywood scene. Likewise, Piven’s over-the-top Ari Gold character loosely was based on real-life agent Ari Emanuel.
One of the things that greatly will be missed is Ari Gold screaming “Lloyd!!!” in exasperation at his put-upon underling, played by Rex Lee. But one thing we won’t miss, frankly, is the back-and-forth B.S. between Ari and his wife “Mrs. Ari” - actual character name Melissa - played by Perrey Reeves.
Over the past couple of seasons this has been the weakest part of Entourage. Shouldn’t Mrs. Ari know by now that Ari works in a business where a thousand things happen every day that could ruin their dinner plans?
“(Mrs. Ari) is based on my wife, so if she’s not sympathetic, my wife is probably more unhappy than you are,” Ellin said.
“I see this in most of my friends’ lives: Their wives want a compatibility with their husbands more than they want the toys. She wants someone to come home to talk to, not a BlackBerry to sit in her face.”
Ellin pointed out that in the world of Entourage, Mrs. Ari is the one who has money. She gave Ari money to get his business running.
“(Ari) has had some well-written, brilliantly acted speeches over the years - “You want the house, you want the this and that” - but she can have that without him,” Ellin said. “Hopefully people see that.
“I think she has a very simple request: ‘I want your focus and attention when you’re around me.’ I don’t think that’s too much to ask for.”
It’s still irritating, though. Ari either has to do his job “full out” or get out. Doing it with “balance between job and family” is not an option in his line of work, and Mrs. Ari should know that.
Anyway, who would have thought that as Entourage exits, arguably the main story of the final season would be about the questionable future of a long-standing marriage?
Depth through attrition.
Entourage - the quintessential “guys screwin’ around” show - has taken us to places we never expected.
bill.harris@sunmedia.ca
