Damn, Ari… That Is A Tough One
“Do you want to know what heaven really is? Try being God.”
Did you see “Entourage” on Sunday? You know the final “Entourage”, the end of the series, the last jaunt for Vince, E, Drama, Turtle, and Ari… Oh yes, and Ari. Ari Gold, the dark horse, the character you love to hate, the one that is really your favorite and the reason you turn in each week. Or maybe not. Point is, Ari Gold is a stand out character on a stand out show. And this season, while Vince rebounded from rehab (and Sasha Grey), E took over his former future-godfather-in-law’s business, Drama found a hit TV show, and Turtle became a millionaire after selling Avion, Ari Gold was going through a hellish divorce and losing his grip on everything he worked hard for.
In the show’s series finale Ari had an epiphany. He realized that all his wife and family really want is his time and full attention. After working to the bone at the cost of everything, Ari decides to leave his job as the head of the most powerful agency in Hollywood. He walks out to the triumphant sounds of opera music, rushes home, and surprises his soon to be ex-wife with a year’s stay in Italy, no cellphones, no conferences, and no work. Whew…
It was a noble gesture. So noble that his wife decides to cancel her divorce plans, and the two relocate. Everything ends up happily ever after, until…. The final credits roll, and we are taken to Italy, as Ari and his wife are sitting outside in the sun, drinking wine and looking totally chilled. His wife gets up to get another bottle, when the phone rings, and Ari is offered the job of a lifetime.
Watch:
Man, what is Ari to do? That guy said, “You want a sports franchise, buy one yourself,” as if you can just pick that shit up at Target or something…. He said, “Do you want to know what heaven really is? Try being God.” Damn. That’s a tough one. Ari literally just saved his marriage by quitting his job and moving to Italy for a year, only to be offered the job he’s practically worked his life to have. It’s a tough position to be in. I’m sure when Ari quit his job, and promised to take a year off, he had no idea of the job offer that would soon come his way. This new job offers a tremendous amount of money, and the real thing that Ari craves: power.
What will Ari do? That, most likely, will be the basis of this much talked about “Entourage” movie. What should Ari do is the real question. On one hand, he has his wife and family who he just re-committed to. He went across the world to block out his distractions, and he made a promise of 365-days. On the other hand he has this new job offer, one that won’t come around again. That’s what it’s really about. He doesn’t need the money. He told his wife that he already had money enough for 5 lifetimes. What it’s really about is Ari’s thoughts of returning to the United States after a year in Italy and seeing one of his rivals or young schmucks that he mentored in that top seat, doing a job that should be his. And I feel for him.
Many times I’ve had plans with my girlfriend that I’ve had to cancel to do something for work, or see about an opportunity. I’ve also had opportunities that I just let go by because I had already made a commitment to people that I love. In each scenario there have been times I’ve felt fine with my decisions, and others where I was kicking myself for days. Ari’s situation is like that, only times 1,000.
Hard decision on one hundred thousand trillion.
In a perfect world, the old man trying to get Ari to take his spot will wait it out a year and let Ari keep his promise to his wife… Uh, at least give him 6 months. But, as of now Ari has a week. A week to come to terms with passing up this job. Or a week to buy his wife all kinds of shit, and make tons of new promises for their life back in L.A. when Ari takes his place as “God”. There’s no easy answer to this question. And that’s why they can make a movie about it. The thing about it is though, at least to me, that heaven can wait. His wife cannot.
That’s tough, Ari… Damn tough.
