Entourage Season 3 Part 2 Review

Entourage (2004-2011)
Season 3 Part 2 - 8 Episodes (2007)

Entourage Season 3 Part 2

Buy Entourage Season 3 Part 2
Created by: Doug Ellin
Starring: Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Jeremy Piven
Rating: TV-MA

Plot: 
Movie star Vince Chase navigates the road to stardom with his agent and group of friends.

Season three is split into two parts. Part one comprises twelve episodes and part two eight.
In part 2 of season 3, Vince has a new agent and is looking for a new project, but his passion project Medellín might reappear.

Verdict
While I thought Part 1 was a slight step down from Season 2, Part 2 is prime Entourage. This is a show that makes me believe it's a real window into Hollywood and this half season does a great job of that. Medellin is the driving force as Vince, Eric, and Ari struggle to make the film a reality.
While I thought Part 1 had too much Ari, Part 2 helped me realize it wasn't too much, it was just the wrong Ari. He should be over the top in all of his scenes, Part 2 succeeds where Part 1 failed.
This might be my favorite season yet. While the celebrity cameos were more tame, the core story was great, sustaining the half season.
Watch it.

Review
This season's drive was Medellin. While it still feels like a guys hanging out show, that arc provided purpose that kept the season moving, while still very much feeling like the Hollywood fantasy land I've constructed in my mind. The guys still take every opportunity to make fun of each other, and it feels authentic.
This season does a better job of utilizing Ari, while widening the scope of the show and providing a look at producing a film.

Read my previous Entourage season reviews.

Episode 8 - Say goodbye to the mansion.

Professional relationships can mirror personal relationships, and Ari (Jeremy Piven) is feeling like a jilted lover now that Vince (Adrian Grenier) has a new agent, Amanda (Carla Gugino). Ari's personal and professional life is suffering, and Ari hopes he can lure Vince back with the promise of Medellin.

Episode 3 - Ari misses Vince.

This complicates the movie Amanda found Vince, Glimpses. Adding to the complication, Vince and Amanda start a fling. I knew that Amanda was temporary, because there is no way the show would throw away the amazing character they have in Ari. As soon as the fling started, it was the writing on the wall that Amanda's days were numbered. Vince's women never stick around very long.

Episode 4 - Vince really likes his agent... really likes her.

Johnny Drama delivers the comedy when he ends up on Pauly Shore's hidden camera show.
In the early episodes, we're still seeing a bit too much of the wrong Ari. If he's not over top in a scene, the scene should be cut. If it's not about Vince, it's not a salient detail to the plot line. At this point in the season, I still thought he was a great side character that got promoted to take advantage of the fandom, but by season end, the show figured out how to use him.

Episode five has Ari and producer Nick (Adam Goldberg) trying to get a sign off for Vince on Medellin. This is the Hollywood shenanigan I want to see, Ari and Nick interrupting a service on Yom Kippur to make movies happen. They can't use phones on the holiday, which makes closing the deal difficult.
Ari loses Medellin, and this sets up an Ari versus Amanda plot line. Vince thinks she wanted him to lose the deal because she didn't find it and doesn't like Ari. Vince knows Ari wouldn't have let the movie slip away if he was still his agent, and Amanda cuts Vince loose since he's still hung up on Ari. I figured Vince would let go of her, but his continued fling with her had removed his objectivity. I liked Amanda, she feels like the driven agent in it for the money trope that is a counter to what Ari has become. She seems like a character we'll see again in the wide world of Entourage.

Ari lands a deal to get Medellin, but the catch is that Vince has to do Matterhorn first. Vince decides he's waited long enough for his dream project, and he sells his mansion to buy the Medellin script for five million to do the film his way. Eric puts what he has into the movie as well. They will co-produce.

Episode 6 - The guys try to cheer up drama with a car.

Johnny's show from Part 1, Five Town is a critical flop which crushes Johnny. The guys fix up his old car, a Lincoln Continental to cheer him up. When the show premieres it's a ratings hit. Drama is a star once again. With that and the sale of the mansion, Drama gets his own condo.

Vince, Eric, and Ari meet with an investor. Vince can't figure out if the wife is in to him, and either way could be good or bad.

Episode 8 - Medellin is a go.

Vince and the boys leave the mansion and Billy Walsh from Queens Boulevard is brought on to direct. Eric juggles an egotistical director, Nick the investor, and Ari, but he gets it done.