What I’m Watching: Entourage

Entourage: Season 6, Episode 2 “Amongst Friends” (B)

Well, I can’t say that things really got going here. It’s the premiere of Scorsese’s “The Great Gatsby,” and therefore Vince and his buddies are living large just like they used to, free and clear of the continual problems that plagued them during season five. Nothing much is happening with the guys, however, and therefore the show doesn’t really have any momentum on which to coast at the moment. E’s two different possible romances are both somewhat intriguing, but I imagine he’ll bounce back and forth a lot and perhaps head nowhere. Having Emanuelle Chriqui back is good, and casting Alexis Dziena (“Invasion”) as E’s other potential flame is a smart choice. Jamie-Lynn Sigler is proving not to be as interesting as she could have been, and Turtle just seems so baffled that he’s actually dating her. I worry that’s an indicator of what will soon happen – he’ll no longer have her in his life and be right back to what he was before. The problem with that is that it’s a doomed plotline; it doesn’t seem like there’s anywhere for it to go. There’s nothing worth mentioning about Drama or Vince. The one area where this episode excels is incorporating new agent Andrew Klein into Ari’s story. It’s always a treat to see more of Perrey Reeves as Ari’s wife, and watching her have fun is quite enjoyable. The introduction of Autumn Reeser (“The O.C.”) as rising agent Lizzie Grant should be a boon for the show, if she stays on for an extended arc. Turning Ari into the moral person he’s not is a cool revision of his character that keeps him fresh, and keeps Jeremy Piven’s Emmy-snubbed performance excellent, just as it was at the start of the show.