The Televangelist: ‘Entourage’ Season 8, Episode 2

“Everybody’s been humbled in this group, but we will prevail!” says Billy - and you have to believe that this year it might be true.

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  • HBO.com
  • Drama, possibly dressed for a bisexual paintball tournament


After a satisfyingly redemptive season opener, we settle down this week into typical second and third week story arcs, where the proverbial “Chekov gun” is set and cocked and will, presumably, eventually go off. Fitting then that this week’s episode was called “Out With A Bang,” even though it seems to most obviously describe E’s send-off to Sloan. I grow weary of the constant E-Sloan relationship woes and would have liked to see them stabilize this season. Volatile though they may be, they really are the OTP (forum slang for “One True Pairing,” meaning characters destined to be together) of the series. E has worked hard to make a fledgeling name for himself as a manager in L.A. on Vince’s coattails, but I wouldn’t rule out him going bi-coastal and trying to sign New York talent. If Sloan is set on leaving, I predict E will follow her to end out the season.

Other relationships flailed this week, the first being the uninteresting and unbelievable relationship between Turtle and his girlfriend-turned-model Alex, who has run off to Miami to live the high life, not bothering to return Turtle’s calls. The less said of this storyline the better - if there’s anyone out there who deigns to defend it I anxiously await your arguments. I like Turtle and I like him having something to do - but I would prefer to see him “grow” by doing more with the business than ordering around barely clothed Fembots and moping after a female we have very little investment in.

On the flip side is Ari and, um, Mrs. Ari (it’s such a telling feature of “Entourage” that Ari’s wife doesn’t have a first name. I wonder if they’ll reveal it like “Sex and the City” did with Mr. Big at the end of the series) ...