What I’m Watching: Entourage (Season Finale)

Entourage: Season 7, Episode 10 “Lose Yourself” (C+)

This season finale really is a mess, and it makes it hard to remember that this season was actually pretty good, and certainly a big step up for last year’s lackluster season. What’s especially troubling about this finale is that it makes it seem like most of this season’s arcs weren’t really headed anywhere, and those that are going somewhere aren’t going anywhere good. We saw enough last year of Vince down on his luck and moping around after repeated failures, so there’s no reason he needs to go to jail for possessing cocaine after getting punched out by Eminem. The list of special guest stars during the closing credits of this episode was gigantic, and just because everyone from Christina Aguilera to John Cleese is willing to stop by this show to portray themselves doesn’t mean it’s a quality program. Compare its resonance with the show that airs before it, “Hung,” and it will quickly become apparent that it’s lost much of its mojo (though it wasn’t ever necessarily as good as “Hung,” with the exception of a few season two episodes like “Exodus”). Ari’s plotline was pretty great this year, but its culmination is one that should have been a long time coming. It took Cheryl David one less year to finally wise up to the idea of leaving Larry on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and this show is one far more grounded in reality. Vince has proven once again to be an almost entirely useless and boring character, and Eric hasn’t even done much this season. Scott’s mutiny feels a whole lot like what Ari did to Terrance (whose appearance in this episode was completely random at best), and Scott does not have anywhere near the same charisma as Ari to pull it off like he did. Drama’s show needs to start filming so we can see some of that, and Turtle actually ended up having the most to do out of anyone for a change in this season. I’m curious to see what his involvement with the company he nearly overloaded and destroyed will be, but honestly, not all that curious. This show has lost much of the energy and creativity it once did, and I can only hope that the eighth and final season will be the proper motivation for a gracious recovery and return to grace.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Jeremy Piven