Entourage: Season 4

• Condition: New.
• Format: DVD.
• Box set; Color; DVD; NTSC; Subtitled; Widescreen.

The fourth season of Entourage follows Vincent Chase's quest for legitimacy (and O) through his dream project, the Pablo Escobar biopic Medellin, whose development deal was the focus of season three. As expected, the production is riddled with troubles: Vincent (Adrian Grenier) and Eric (Kevin Connolly) clash over the ability of the film's director, Billy Walsh (Rhys Coiro), to handle the grand scale of a film. Eric even flies in O-winning screenwriter Stephen Gaghan (playing himself) to the shoot in Colombia at Billy's request in order to rescue the script, only to send him home when Billy comes up with the ending himself. ("I've never had anyone pay me not to work before," says Gaghan in a hilarious cameo. "It was nice.") But as the pet project puts strains on their friendship, Eric finally takes a step off of Vince's coattails to become a manager in his own right; his first step is snagging actress Anna Faris (as herself) as a client (in true Hollywood form, after she hits him with her car). As buzz on Medellin ebbs and flows, Eric and Vince's agent, Ari Gold (Emmy winner Jeremy Piven) wheel and deal to lock in distribution and spin the behind-the-scenes drama to their advantage. Key to the negotiations is a swaggering, hotheaded studio magnate named Harvey Weinhald--the caricature is obvious--who threatens the life of any agent who double-crosses him. And that's right where our boys land, but is it a gamble that will pay off? The fourth season, as always, is rife with celebrity cameos (Dennis Hopper, the late Sydney Pollack, Kanye West), but the Medellin plot pushes out any chance for other Entourage cast members to get a storyline (Johnny Drama gets a condo! Buys a hat!), which ultimately becomes a detriment considering that Medellin, as the big finale at Cannes attests, may not have been worth all the hype. Bonus features include commentary by the cast and creators, a panel discussion, and the Medellin trailer, which with its slo-mo, self-important music and bad makeup, is a gem. --Ellen A. Kim