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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Entourage" Episode 14

The torture never ends when working with Yeong-bin and his two most trusted people are starting to realize it. Ho-jin's work is getting harder and the things he has to do for it risk his weighing heavily on his conscience. While Joon and Turtle are off having awkward romances, Eun-gap and Ho-jin bear the weight of Yeong-bin's decisions and the time has come for the young man to face them.

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I have been expecting an outcome where Ho-jin (Park Jung-min) would begin learning from Eun-gap (Cho Jin-woong) and becoming his younger version. I am pleased to see him struggle with different conflicts and make different decisions, however. Ho-jin's inexperience shows when he mistreats his actress. While Eun-gap would even beg to help his, Ho-jin still acts as a friend more than an agent. I just wish the series had explored these interesting topics early enough to develop them well.

Ho-jin explaining his betrayal to <a href='korean_Lee_El.php'><strong>Lee El</strong></a>Eun-gap begging Ok-ja to help Yeong-bin

Before getting to our star, let us talk romance for Joon (Lee Kwang-soo) and Turtle (Lee Dong-hwi). I do like the fact that Joon's romantic scene is as ridiculous as his character's entire existence, but it is also his first step toward self-awareness, even if it is now too late to develop him. Joon recognizes his inferiority complex and Turtle his privilege. Once more, I wish we were given more human characters earlier, rather than the walking caricatures of mishaps, bickering and penis jokes.

Coming back to Yeong-bin's (Seo Kang-joon) issues, I thought Tae-yeong (Jang So-yeon) would be our antagonist, but she seems like the conscience Yeong-bin so vehemently refuses to listen to. Her words to him are cruel of course, but nothing she says is wrong. Perhaps that is the reason why this meeting shakes him so badly. Yeong-bin is a star and stars are sadly ephemeral. They are the money that moves the machine, not the stuff that gives it meaning.

Joon things his old acquaintance is trying to ridicule himTae-yeong letting Yeong-bin know the harsh truth

Yet Yeong-bin acts as if his stardom gives him the right to be self-centered and self-serving, treating the careers of others as a joke. Looking at this from Tae-yeong's perspective, how painful would the work of someone who truly cares about art be when they have to accommodate often talentless and demanding money makers? The woman is not wrong and Yeong-bin is about to experience this from Ho-jin's side as well.

Episode fourteen is probably my favorite one so far and one I wish would have been the style of the entire series. We get industry insight mixed with character drama and we even see some humanity and self-awareness from the perpetual comic reliefs. Witnessing the series this could have been is a bittersweet experience, but it is still a nice change from typical "Entourage".

"Entourage" is directed by Jang Yeong-woo, written by Kwon So-ra and Seo Jae-won and features Cho Jin-woong, Seo Kang-joon, Lee Kwang-soo, Park Jung-min and Lee Dong-hwi.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

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