I can say without any prejudice that Entourage is my favourite television show. That being said, it's very hard to write an unbiased review or give an unbiased vote based upon the actual merits of the individual episode. So like any warm blooded mammal would, I did the exact opposite.
Deep inside my critical and skeptical noggin was a lot of unanswered questions right from the very start. Questions about Eric and Sloan, Eric and Lavan and about Eric and Vince. Hmm...now that I write that all out in full, I think I see a pattern emerge. So putting aside the fact that E seems to be the central figure in this series at this point, I will continue. I couldn't help but be confused and somewhat disappointed that the series is going to try and squeeze a satisfying ending out of this season; and yet leave so much to the imagination so early. I sense foreshadowing of an "it's all a dream" ending in the last episode, so help us God.
As for the overall feel of the episode, I found it reviting and funny and everything that Entourage has always been for me. Aside from all the loose ends, I couldn't help feel a sense of welcomed familiarity, even though i've been getting the same sense for over 3 seasons now. The compassion is there, the comedy is there, and barring some unforeseen crap in the near future, I'm going to chalk this episode up as just a lead up into greater things. Basically, I'm giving it a 9 based solely on the warm and funny feeling I got from watching a new Entourage episode and watching the guys continue to grow and evolve. However, if this was a show that I had never seen before, I fear my vote would be far less generous.