Entourage: Season 7 [Blu-Ray]

After weathering the ups and downs of a typical perspective on a movie star's career – and how that financial flux affects his hangers on – Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) enters his Charlie Sheen phase in season seven. He's comfortably back on the A-list, ready to finish Smoke Jumpers, with Nick Cassavetes behind the lens. Having his manhood challenged by the gruff director, Vincent decides to do a semi-dangerous stunt for the film, unlocking the thrill seeker inside him, or showing just how far an actor without a personality of his own will go to create a new persona. The show's namesake pack of buddies continue trying to carve out their niches, getting caught up in various business endeavours, their absence and distractions un-tethering Vince's grip on sensibility. Eric's life as an agent continues to blossom, while his reaffirmed relationship with Sloan gradually turns him into a voice on the other end of the phone, instead of a fleshy participant in the exercises of excess the rest of the crew indulge in. Seizing the opening in Vince's life, Eric's co-worker, Scott Lavin (Scott Caan), inserts himself as an enabler of risky decisions in a bid to be the "fun" manager. Caan attacks his role with cocky gusto, providing a comedic counterbalance to the crappy subplot Turtle is stuck in. With "Lim-hos" – a hot lady chauffer service, with no prostitution involved – on the rocks, Turtle accepts an offer from a cock-tease former employee to get into the tequila business. The chemistry between the often ineffectual and insecure little man and his hooch-hooch is uncomfortable and bland. Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon) fares better, taking on Eric as manager after being kept in a holding pattern with his television development deal. The return of a new and improved Billy Walsh as a solution to Drama's leading man problems is clever in its blatant honesty, making Drama's egotistical reaction even funnier than his ping-pong feud with John Stamos. But Entourage's chief attraction has always been, and continues to be, Jeremy Piven's frenetic, pit-bull of filth portrayal of lord of the agents Ari Gold. All of the disgusting and hilarious bon mots he flings at employees finally come back to bite his balls as he attempts to stay scandal-free during negotiations with the NFL. Ari's business and family stress juggling are more interesting than Vince's crisis of personal conviction, even with the added dramatic devices of substance abuse and a porn star paramour (real life porn star turned actress Sasha Grey, The Girlfriend Experience). Instead of letting Grey's performance speak for itself, a special feature, "The Shades of Sasha Grey," attempts to legitimize her casting by having her speak on her planned career trajectory and cinematic knowledge. Pandering as this is, the very self-aware Ms. Grey has a habit of cutting through bullshit with barbs of truth, even sinking one into the standards of popular perceptions of movie star morality at the expense of Mel Gibson. "Inside the Hollywood Highlife" is a typical behind-the-scenes feature, pimping the glut of celebrity cameos this season. Disappointingly, there's no gag reel, but three late season commentary tracks with creator Doug Ellin, executive producer Ally Masika, Kevin Connolly (Eric), Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven and Jerry Ferrara (Turtle) provide some extra laughs, amusing banter and inside info on the upcoming season, which the power of Piven commands be watched, regardless of the uneven quality and douche-driven nature of the rest of the show.