Entourage: Let's Blog It Out

This episode had nothing to do with Ari Gold. These things happen.

But when you commit to the Ari Gold Mine during the first episode of the season, you still have to find the AGM. Such is life when chronicling our favorite TV show.

Seeing Ari in Queens was awesome. He made it even awesomer (not a word) by delivering Martin Scorsese on the phone, flashing that smug "Look how I awesome I am" grin and then calling E "a little McNugget."

Ari the Savior is occasionally more fun than Ari the Slayer. Occasionally.

In an episode where every Ari Gold moment on screen was fantastic, it's hard to pinpoint the actual AGM. But alas, I have a job to do.

Continue reading "Entourage 5/11: The Ari Gold Mine" »

I don't know when the next time for me to be honored will occur (likely never), but I will be sure to put Ari Gold on my guest list when it does happen.

This way, he can storm into the banquet hall and verbally undress me like he did to Babs at her luncheon for being named the 33rd most powerful woman in Hollywood.

That was the stuff of legend on a Sunday night, the kind of display that makes everyone who wears a tie to the office on Monday morning walk with a little more swagger as if they'd actually act like Ari Gold in the office if need be. We all know they won't, but it's that type of character identification that makes a show a hit on TV, with critics and in pop culture.

And his on-site "apology" to Babs soldified this week's Ari Gold Mine honor.

Too bad I didn't get a chance to talk to Jeremy Piven on Saturday night at the fight, otherwise I may have gotten a little preview of my banquet insults.

We here in the Let's Blog It Out offices have always loved when Babs Miller makes an appearance on "Entourage." Hell, we've loved her (Beverly D'Angelo) since she danced around in a towel as Clark Griswald's wife in "European Vacation."

So when this episode was drawing to a close and the Ari Gold Mine (AGM) was still up for grabs, we knew as soon as we saw Babs that this was going to be the moment.

Ari wants to buy his friend's TV lit agency, and Babs is all for it. Right up until she finds out his friend is Andrew Klein.

"We need to project a certain image and that washout doesn't exactly fit the bill," Babs said.

Well, everyone in America knows how well Ari Gold handles rejection. His retort? "And what do you project, menopausal chic?"

This is why Sunday nights are worth skipping some football.

It's not always just a great line and huge mood swing that makes Ari Gold an all-time character in television history. (Although, most of the time it is.)

On occasion, what makes an Ari scene a contender for the weekly Ari Gold Mine (AGM) is his mannerisms when delivering a great line in the midst of a huge mood swing. (Recall his little skippy dance when he fired that agent with the LASIK surgery last season?)

This past episode, the AGM was solidified during Ari's rant on Lloyd explaining what would happen to the agency and Vince if Amanda Daniels (Carla Gugino) became the studio head at Warners.

His little smirk and hand gesture description capped off a scene that began with Babs and Ari's "You cougar-licious little freak."

In an episode loaded with Ari Gold moments, the AGM came early and held up throughout the entire show.

Standing over the coffin at Allen's funeral, Ari confesses: "I hate myself for the fact that even today, I still don't like you."

Pure Ari Gold. Always honest and true . . . in his disgust and hatred for people.

(HBO Photo)

Ari Gold on the golf course is slowly starting to gain traction in the "What's inherently funny?" conversation.

From his work with his therapist while she played golf (Nora Dunn) to a round with Mark Wahlberg earlier in Season 5 to his undressing of Bob Ryan (Martin Landau) this past week, it's all fantastic television.

And since we won't see any Ari-Mrs. Ari therapy scenes this season, we'll have to take the golf course scenes when we get them.

But the Ari Gold Mine (AGM) this week flips the script a little bit. Rather than saluting something Ari did, the AGM goes to something that was done to Ari.

As he lined up to putt, Ryan and Alan, Warner Brothers studio head, hammered away at Ari. Then, just as he began to putt, Ryan pulled a "Caddyshack" and screamed out "Miss it, scumbag!"

Yeah, that's a little better than "Noonan!"

I know this is not exactly politically correct, but then again this is Ari Gold we're talking about here.

His Asian accent while on a mushroom trip in the desert was beyond ridiculous. Did you happen to notice how it got more dead-on the more he did it? I wonder if it was just the editing of multiple takes, or if it was written that way or if Jeremy Piven just played it that way.

Ari's role-playing with Lloyd was beyond ridiculous. His making Lloyd start every sentence with "Confucius say" was, again, beyond ridiculous.

These types of scenes are the reason we added The Ari Gold Mine to this blog. Without the AGM, why would we ever wake up on Mondays and go to work?

(HBO Photo)

There's a reason Jeremy Piven has won three straight Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy.

It's because Ari Gold is a genius role, and could arguably go down as this generation's all-time favorite TV character.

His dustups in marriage counseling scenes are legendary. His battles with studio heads are classic. And his verbal sparring matchings with E could be a pay-per-view special.

This week's Ari Gold Mine came early in the episode when Ari, E and Vince were walking to their first general meeting with studio heads. Ari and E went back and forth at an escalating pace, creating curse words that a) I can't write here and b) never even thought of saying in real life.

God bless Ari Gold. And for the love of Pete, can someone at the "Entourage" office please get cracking on a "Best of Ari Gold" DVD. I'm fairly certain it would sell quite well, especially at Christmas time this year.

(P.S. Mr. Ellin: I don't even want any of the proceeds from those sales. Just make it happen and I'll gladly purchase it. Seriously. I won't even think about downloading it illegally.)

Genius scene. Perhaps even worth starting the conversation of Best Ari Gold scene ever.

The public calling out of Adam Davies in his own building. The -----slap. The explanation of the -----slap. The apologetic Davies. The exertion of Ari's male dominance.

No doubt that was the Ari Gold Mine for Episode 3. I've watched it roughly 43 times while nursing myself back to health the past two days. God bless DVR! God bless the AGM!

Anyone get the feeling this has Joshie Award written all over it?

As promised this past Sunday night when we invented The Ari Gold Mine, we rewatched the Season 5 premiere for the proper AGM scene.

Upon review, just edging out his initial scene of yelling at everyone at Miller Gold, is Ari walking around his office and throwing a script at one of his agents, all while he's hammering E on the phone.

What sealed it was Ari's intonation when he ended the scene with a derisive "You'll call?"

So good. Watch the vid below for confirmation.