The much better ‘Entourage’ finale we’ll never get to see, thoughts on the one we did

A few days before the last episode of Entourage, I lost faith that writers of the show that just wrapped its eight-year run on HBO could do it justice in 30 short minutes.

After seeing the episode, my first impression was pure awe at the rabbit the writers seemingly pulled from a hat. With only a half-hour time slot to tie so many loose ends, they did a pretty damn good job of blending comedy and drama while giving the viewers a few curveballs typical of series finales.

But after thinking about it, there are a couple key things I believe would have made the final episode a bit more epic than it was already.

The build-up in the finale’s opening was as telegraphed as Tony Romo’s pass straight into the hands of Darelle Revis in the Cowboys’ season opener last week (click here for more on that), and my worries were all but confirmed in the first thirty seconds of the show.

This “Sophia” character we’ve come to know in the last three episodes takes a 180-degree turn and apparently accepts Vince’s marriage proposal? That’s just about as realistic as Vince actually proposing in the first place.

There was only one play in order to affectively bring the series to an abrupt, but that’s the problem. The storyline got so complex, and the series had to end quickly that there was really only one thing that could make that happen. This made the opening of the show far too predictable. (I called it immediately after episode 7)

Is it really believable that this strong magazine writer who was devoutly against dating her sources was presumably sexed into agreeing to marry the guy after spending one night with him?

If this actually happened, didn’t she take some convincing? Are we really to believe Vince didn’t wrestle with the decision himself? For God sakes, SHOW THAT! Show the fighting. Show her pondering the ramifications it could have on her career.

Also, what the heck ever happened to Turtle? The writers spent the last three seasons developing Jerry Ferrara’s character into a somewhat respectable guy–running businesses with Mark Cuban, dating Meadow Soprano, going to business school–and in the end he’s single and Vince is bailing him out again?

Did Turtle really deserve to fall short of happiness after all this time? Now I know the show ends with him being a multi-millionaire, but lets be honest. With everybody kind of going their separate ways, money is fleeting and wont bring continued happiness.

Jamie Lynn Sigler reappearing from nowhere WOULD! That could have added a great, unforeseen spice to the episode, and we could have seen three planes at the end instead of two.

I know that if 250 different people made Entourage series finales, we’d have 250 very different episodes. This was just my opinion, and I genuinely think these things could have made it just a bit more epic.

##

Now that I’ve said what I would have done different, let me praise this finale. It brought me to tears as it taught the real values that bring happiness. Family. Friends. For the first time in the show’s eight-year run, the focus turned from money and sex to family and love, and the gang has never been happier.

For so long, we’ve embraced Eric as the hopeless romantic. The guy who maybe falls too hard too fast. So, when he finds out that Sloan is having his child and subsequently decides to leave his company and follow her to New York–even though she hates him–it’s not a big surprise. He’s just that good of a guy.

“For the first time in the show’s eight-year run, the focus turned from money and sex to family and love, and the gang has never been happier.”

After so many years of watching Eric desire to find one woman to which to be loyal, it was great to see this one work out for the good guy.

And finally, sure enough…when all seems lost between Ari and Mrs. Ari (Melissa!?), something amazing happens. Ari realizes that while he has been working hard for so many years, time passed him by and his daughter is an adult.

And then we see Ari do something we never thought would happen. He quits his job.

Realizing that some things are more important than money and power, Ari commits to spending as much time as possible with his wife and kids.

But, in very Entourage-ish fashion, we’re left wanting more when the series abruptly ends after Ari is offered his dream job and is clearly pondering the implications of taking it.

The door is clearly open. Ideally it would be for Season 9, but I’ll be happy with Entourage: The Movie just as well.

All in all, viewers were given a great end to an epic show. Given the short, eight-episode season, loose ends were tied far better than I expected.

+Michael