Entourage: Episode 6

by gummimochi

Even the best and longest of relationships can hit a bump in the road every now and then, especially when four friends live under the same roof. Although our boys might know that avoiding the issue won’t solve anything, taking that first step toward reconciliation is the only way for them to move on. Because when push comes to shove, these guys are the only ones who will cheer each other on.

 
EPISODE 6 RECAP

We catch up with the boys at a wedding, where reporters try to get a shot of Young-bin (then groan when Joon and Turtle block their view). As the couple (So Yi-hyun and In Gyo-jin) read their vows, Joon points out that So-hee is also in attendance.

Chuckling in the back row, the other guys wonder why Young-bin even bothered to confess his feelings for So-hee if she was going to reject him. They stifle a laugh at Yi-hyun’s story of how the groom confessed his feelings for her while she was admitted at the hospital, and Young-bin cringes when he locks eyes with So-hee.

Rapper San E sings the congratulatory song, and during the reception, Joon agrees to a role in a low-budget film where he plays the adult version of the child protagonist. Turtle: “What sin could the child have committed in his past life to grow up and look like him?”

Mutual friend Lee Eun points out the handsome gay couple she’s brought with her, but then their attention is shifted when Turtle runs away from a bee. He has Joon inspect the bee sting on his pelvis and this physical closeness is witnessed by the gay men who ask how long it’s been for them.

Turtle honestly answers about seven years, oblivious to the fact that he and Joon have been mistaken for a couple. Heh.

Elsewhere, So-hee mentions to Ho-jin about how all the guys are avoiding her, figuring that Young-bin must’ve told them about his confession right away. When she asks how Young-bin is doing, Ho-jin says his buddy is on an emotional roller coaster, but adds that she shouldn’t feel too bad.

“It’s not that I dislike Young-bin,” So-hee says. She admits that she likes him too, but she’s too focused on her career right now. Ho-jin tries lightening the mood, saying that her agency must love her, but So-hee stays on topic and asks him to relay to Young-bin that she’s doing fine. They have to see each other tomorrow for the script reading after all, and Ho-jin guesses everything will be fine.

Ho-jin leaves the table and finds Young-bin sulking just around the corner. Young-bin rolls his eyes when he’s told to learn from So-hee’s perspective of prioritizing work before love. When he hears that So-hee’s doing fine, Young-bin pouts that he isn’t.

Ho-jin asks how he’ll manage tomorrow’s script reading then, and Young-bin says he’ll have to go and deal with it.

Cut to: Young-bin sitting at home in his sweats saying that he can’t possibly go. Ha. Ho-jin gets exasperated by his friend’s fickle mind, though Turtle says that’s just how all actors are. He and Ho-jin pick at their salads until deciding to have cup ramyun, and Young-bin whines that he can’t go to the script reading.

Young-bin argues that he doesn’t want to disappoint the director on his first day, since he won’t be able to concentrate on acting with So-hee there. Ho-jin all but sighs when Joon takes his cousin’s side and the threat of no dinner doesn’t faze him.

He asks what lie Young-bin plans to spin then, to which Young-bin replies that he has no idea. He leaves that to Ho-jin and gives him a thumbs-up.

Eun-gab drives his daughter Yoo-bin to school that morning, though he can barely get an answer out of her because she’s too busy on her phone. He worries that she’s too attached to the device, but she says all her friends are always on their phones too.

He puffs up with pride when she says she takes after him, pleased when she cracks up seconds later… only to realize that she was laughing at her phone. He asks whom she’s talking to and gets the classic pre-teen response of “whatever.”

When she asks for a new pencil case, Eun-gab shares how back in his day, he’d be given hand-me-downs. She says kids hate hearing the “back in my day” stories, adding that Mom told her to get a new one. She writes it down for him so he knows which one to buy, and runs out of the car without giving him a kiss.

Eun-gab arrives at the office where Joey reports Young-bin’s request to schedule the script reading for another day. He then pulls out a decorated box from his desk drawer and tucks his daughter’s note with all the others she’s written over the years. That’s downright adorable.

He’s startled to find Joey peering over his shoulder and learns that CEO Kang didn’t show up today. Checking his daughter’s Instagram, he stops short to see a series of photos of Yoo-bin with another boy. Omo. He jumps again upon seeing that Joey is still there, then realizes the boy is a child actor.

He’s totally on the money, as we see that he’s none other than the child protagonist in Joon’s new movie. The boys look on from their car, and when Turtle wonders what they’re doing here when Joon isn’t even scheduled to film today, Joon says he needs to become close with the cast and crew.

Ho-jin thinks it wasn’t right of them to lie out of the script reading just to hang out on a movie set. He stops Young-bin from accompanying Joon for a tour on set, afraid that people will take pictures of him, so Turtle heads out instead.

They say hello to the director and are introduced to the child actor Wang-ho (Nam Da-reum), who has no idea who Joon is and asks if he’s even an actor. The kid gives Joon a smirk, much to his annoyance. Joon swears he’ll outshine the kid with his acting, but then shrinks after Wang-ho is showered with praise for his emotionally moving performance.

Eun-gab arrives home to his daughter texting away. He asks his wife about the boy featured in their daughter’s Instagram, and she plainly identifies Wang-ho as Yoo-bin’s boyfriend. Yoo-bin leaves the room irritated when Eun-gab tries to get her attention, and his wife tells him to leave her be.

But Eun-gab argues that he’s just being a dad, bringing up how protective his father-in-law was when he was chasing after her. His wife says that’s entirely different and adds that Wang-ho is a well-mannered boy. Eun-gab says it’s all an act, but is silenced when his wife fires back if he’d like it if other people said the same about their daughter.

He gets worked up again upon learning that Wang-ho is a first-year in junior high (a seventh-grader by American standards), arguing that boys his age are ruled by hormones. “90–no, 98 percent of their thoughts are dirty and the other 2 percent are about video games!” he hollers.

He launches into a rant about how dangerous those boys are, but his wife cuts him off and tells him to get ready for dinner.

Joon stays up all night practicing his lines and yells at his buddies when they offer to come watch his scenes. Ho-jin then gets a call from CEO Jo, who’d like to arrange a cast dinner before filming begins.

We cut to Eun-gab, who gets an angry call from CEO Jo complaining about how difficult Young-bin is being—he’s postponed the script reading and being dodgy about the cast dinner. She asks if he’s distracted with another project or busy dating, and Eun-gab defends the idea that Young-bin is likely busy training for the role.

She gets annoyed when Eun-gab tells her to talk to him first about anything related to Young-bin, since she thinks it’s enough to tell one co-CEO. Telling him to look at Young-bin’s schedule, she hangs up.

Eun-gab follows up with Ho-jin, who cites that Young-bin is still suffering from a cold. He’s surprised when Ho-jin tells him that Young-bin will attend the script reading today, but has to hang up to catch up to his wife and daughter outside her ballet class.

It turns out Wang-ho also attends this class, and recognizing Eun-gab as an agency CEO, he greets his girlfriend’s father very professionally. Eun-gab learns that Wang-ho’s father is an average salary man, and when he asks how long they’ve been dating, his wife ushers the kids into their class.

When Eun-gab heads to the bathroom, he overhears Wang-ho complaining to his mother about why he needs to be in a low-budget film that’s completely beneath him. He tells his manager-mother to get him out of it and is irritated by her nagging.

Eun-gab is waiting outside when Wang-ho exits, and readily admits to hearing everything. He’s satisfied to have confirmed his theory that Wang-ho is an entitled child actor, adding that Wang-ho would’ve been in real trouble if he were part of his agency. But Wang-ho tells him to take care of his own actors and says it’s a relief that Yoo-bin takes after her mother.

Eun-gab barks at him to stop seeing his daughter, and then Wang-ho finally breaks, screaming in English: “Don’t make me angry! I hate you!” Startled, Eun-gab runs out.

Ho-jin waits for Young-bin to finish his script reading for War Terminator on his own with the director, and jokes that Young-bin survived. But then they learn that Young-bin has to do a screen test with So-hee, and Ho-jin later tells Young-bin that he’d better not squirm out of this one.

He wonders how long Young-bin plans on avoiding So-hee by lying and inconveniencing everyone. He barks that they have to tell Eun-gab about any schedule changes in advance, and when Young-bin complains about the music in the car, Ho-jin changes it in a huff.

Both guys are still annoyed when they arrive home and hear Joon playing the accordion. Over at his home, Eun-gab is caught stealing his daughter’s phone in the middle of the night by his wife. She tells him to put it back, not having any of his counter-arguments about how strict his own father was, and says they’ll be visiting Wang-ho on his movie set tomorrow.

Joon is still upset when he arrives on set with Turtle, who jokes that he has no reason to get so “fired up” without a female counterpart. Joon is worried about acting with a child actor for the first time, but the director reassures him that he’ll be fine—plus it’ll help if he isn’t too good in front of Wang-ho.

Joon gets even more nervous after Wang-ho sends him another smirk. He runs to the bathroom when he’s told they’ll start right away, and Turtle finds him practicing his lines alone. Turtle touches a nerve when he asks if Joon is intimidated by Wang-ho’s acting, and Joon’s protests confirm it.

Eun-gab arrives just then and masks his surprise to see Joon and Turtle. He pretends that he knows everything about his actors and says he’s here to see them, and the trio head over to the set. Upon seeing his family, Eun-gab swears that he’s here because of work, pointing to Joon.

He gets riled up again when Yoo-bin refers to Wang-ho as her boyfriend, and then follows after her. Joon starts backing away again, and Turtle is impressed that the kid has a girlfriend.

Over at home, Young-bin and Ho-jin both stop short when they enter the living room simultaneously. What follows is a stilted conversation about what the other plans to do in this part of the house, then they both double back the way they came.

Back on set, Joon and Wang-ho film a scene where their characters meet for the first time. In the scene, Wang-ho’s character refuses to believe that he grows up to become a good-for-nothing. He promptly starts strangling Joon, who struggles until the director calls “Cut!” and calls for Joon to fight back and hold his own, not act like he’s in trouble.

But they go take after take without any improvement until the frustrated director calls for a break. Eun-gab confronts Wang-ho for inviting his daughter on set when he specifically told him not to meet her. But Wang-ho has a thing or two to say about Joon, and advises Eun-gab to tell him to drop out of the project.

Eun-gab threatens to badmouth Wang-ho all around town, to which Wang-ho says that Yoo-bin hates how much of a potty mouth her father is. She’s also afraid that she’ll be chubby like him, Wang-ho adds, insisting that every word is true.

To that, Eun-gab retorts that Wang-ho will never grow to be tall with his tireless filming schedule. He adds that his daughter won’t even look at him then, and warns that he’ll blacklist Wang-ho if he continues to be arrogant and rude. So when Yoo-bin approaches them, Wang-ho puts on his best pity face and tattletales on her father.

She takes him away, completely ignoring her father, and Wang-ho sends Eun-gab a satisfied smile. Eun-gab then projects his anger onto Joon when he asks about his performance, berating him for getting outshone by a kid.

Eun-gab gets even angrier when he learns that the entire staff has gone out to dinner with CEO Kang. He tells Joey that he and CEO Kang aren’t fighting and sends her off to get him some food. He tackles the pile of scripts on his desk, but is distracted by thoughts of his daughter, and takes out the box of Yoo-bin’s drawings and notes again.

He flips through the pages, resting on an old diary entry where Yoo-bin wrote that she wanted to marry her father when she grows up. All the memories bring tears to Eun-gab’s eyes, and then his emotional moment is cut short by Joey’s interruption.

Joon plays another depressing tune on his accordion that night, and when Ho-jin gets up to leave, Turtle tells Young-bin to stop their childish fight. So Young-bin follows Ho-jin out to pick up food at a restaurant far from their home.

When Young-bin complains about the distance, Ho-jin admits that he wanted to get away from him. Plus, Joon loves this place. Young-bin remembers the days when they traveled by bus to eat here and tells Ho-jin to care for him as much as he does for Joon.

Young-bin isn’t surprised to hear that Ho-jin hasn’t rescheduled the screen test. Ho-jin gets a call about that very matter just then, and to his surprise, Young-bin tells him not to change the date and cites that it’s because he’s sick of Ho-jin’s nagging.

Ho-jin is understanding to Young-bin feeling awkward around So-hee, but he still needs to focus on work. Young-bin knows that he’s right, and says that Ho-jin can stop sulking. Ho-jin returns that he was angry, and when Young-bin says he was being immature, Ho-jin spits back, “That was you.”

Young-bin pouts that yeah, he’s immature, but he plans on listening to his manager now because nothing scares him more than an angry Ho-jin. He’s told that he’s seen nothing yet, then when Young-bin punches him in the arm, he hits him back twice. Then of course Young-bin has to hit three times, and Ho-jin four. That spurs a punching match between them that ends with Young-bin punching him in the family jewels. Ow.

Now that their argument is behind them, Young-bin and Ho-jin head out to the screen test. But just before they enter the building, Ho-jin gets a text alerting him about another dating scandal that’s broken out between So-hee and Kang Haneul.

He checks in with So-hee during their screen test, concerned that the press will have their eyes on her. He adds that the public will forget about the dating scandal soon enough and advises her to stay off of social media. She in turn asks if he’s all right since he didn’t attend the script reading, and Young-bin honestly tells her that he didn’t go because he was trying to avoid her.

She figured as much, and Young-bin says he still feels awkward around her, but they’ll soon be too busy to let that be an issue. He doesn’t want to get in trouble with Ho-jin either, and they both chuckle at how scary Ho-jin can get.

He acknowledges how easy it is to talk to her, and she points out how hilarious it is that they’re having such a serious conversation in these suits. He jokingly says they shouldn’t look at each other then, “Because you look really funny.”

The guys go shopping, and Turtle is happy to hear that Young-bin and Ho-jin have made amends and about Young-bin’s heart-to-heart with So-hee. Joon is the only one still sulking and he gets upset when Turtle says that rote memorization won’t make him into a better actor.

When Joon asks why Young-bin’s throwing So-hee a celebratory pool party, Young-bin says So-hee is stuck at home and they promised to get a drink after her drama ended. Both Joon and Turtle agree that it’s better not to have this party because it will only drag on Young-bin’s unrequited crush.

But Ho-jin thinks it’ll be a good idea since Young-bin and So-hee have to get along as co-stars. Young-bin smiles at the support, and Joon smiles at a picture of a girl in a bikini.

Eun-gab peruses his daughter’s Instagram which has even more photos of the couple than before. His CJ contact stops by to ask if he has any male child actors who can film a movie in Jeju for four months. Eun-gab immediately recommends Wang-ho for the role.

Young-bin rents out a pension for their private pool party and Turtle tells someone to stop Joon from drinking too much before his filming. Joon barks at him when Turtle says he’s upset because a child is a better actor than he is. He pushes Turtle aside on the grill and soon he’s chasing Turtle around the pool.

They’re joined by Ji-ahn, whom Young-bin invited to their little party. Ho-jin tenses awkwardly and the other guys tease him that he must be really happy. Turtle points to something on the ground and tries to push Joon into the pool, only to be pushed in himself.

He splashes water to prevent Joon from snapping a pic, and then Ho-jin and Young-bin collectively swing Joon into the pool. A pool fight ensues, and then Young-bin and Ho-jin jump in.

Later that night, Young-bin, So-hee, Ho-jin and Ji-ahn share glasses of wine. So-hee wonders why the other two guys didn’t join them, and Ho-jin awkwardly agrees that they should’ve stayed since there aren’t any couples here. So-hee picks up on Ho-jin’s crush and swoops in to ask what Ji-ahn’s ideal type is.

So-hee nods understandingly when Ji-ahn says she doesn’t have an ideal type; she likes charming men. Acting as a wingwoman, So-hee remarks how Ho-jin is pretty charming too and adds that he’s a nice guy.

Young-bin piggybacks on that statement, saying how guys hate being called nice because that makes them seem boring. But So-hee argues that women like nice guys who take care of them.

Ho-jin buries his face in embarrassment when Young-bin and So-hee take turns remembering how Ho-jin once made a gift for a girl that he never gave her. Ho-jin says this is a prime example of how being called nice is an insult, and then immediately tells Ji-ahn that Young-bin is the ultimate nice guy for liking So-hee even though he was rejected twice.

Giggling, Ji-han places a hand on Ho-jin’s thigh, asking if it’s okay to hear this story. Distracted now, Ho-jin tells the rest of the story of how Young-bin signed onto the film because of So-hee. That definitely makes things awkward between Young-bin and So-hee again.

Meanwhile, Joon continues to whine to Turtle, who finally has heard enough. Taking a deep breath, he tells Joon that he’s a decent actor in spite of his looks. But then the director approaches Joon with bad news: Wang-ho has pulled out of the project and they’ve changed the child protagonist… to a girl. Oh no.

Joon acts disappointed and hugs his director friend, bidding him well, then his face splits into a happy smile.

Eun-gab, meanwhile, gets the happy news that Yoo-bin is crying because she’s broken up with her boyfriend. He keeps his voice level and suggests that they go out to eat. He runs right into CEO Kang, who’s heard about Young-bin’s so-called busy schedule. She wonders—Eun-gab didn’t put him up to it, did he?

He’s taken aback when she asks to talk, pointing out how she didn’t want anything to do with him when she took the staff out to dinner without him. He says they can talk tomorrow and runs out, putting his family emergency first.

Eun-gab follows up with Ho-jin about the cast dinner, to which Ho-jin says any day is fine now. Ho-jin changes the subject by asking after Eun-gab’s daughter, and Eun-gab replies that he’s headed out to ease her broken heart right now.

He tells Ho-jin that there’s nothing more important than family; they’re the reason why he works so hard every day. He believes that Ho-jin should settle down and have kids, and then adds that Young-bin is like family too. The sudden heartfelt advice prompts Ho-jin to ask if Eun-gab has been drinking, and Ho-jin lies that they’re at home before hanging up to speak with Ji-ahn.

She says she has to get going, admitting that she stayed longer than she intended to. Ho-jin walks her to her car and she offers to give him a ride since she didn’t drink a drop tonight. When he says he needs to stay with Young-bin, Ji-ahn suggests that he’s acting like an intrusive third wheel.

He insists that that isn’t the case and clamors to open the door for her. She drives off, and Ho-jin slaps himself for being a moron. Yeah, way to go.

Meanwhile, Young-bin and So-hee hang out in the hot tub. She admits she had fun today since her busy schedule and the dating scandal left her exhausted. She says her acting performance suffered because she was too distracted, which led to poor ratings for her drama. It was enough to make her worry whether she was doing a good job.

His eyes fixed on her, Young-bin says she’s done well and she’ll continue to do so. “You’re a good actress and a good friend. And an impressive human at that,” he says. But he adds that she has poor taste in men, and that makes her smile.

She wonders if Ho-jin told him what she said at the wedding, but Young-bin doesn’t know what she’s talking about. They agree that Ho-jin can keep a secret to a fault, and when Young-bin asks what that was, she replies, “That I like you, too. That you’re a good kid.”

She tells him the caveat that she’d like to focus on her career right now, so Young-bin asks if she’ll consider him once their movie is complete. She smiles.

Eun-gab calls Ho-jin again (still calling him “Cup Ramyun”) to ask if Young-bin is aware of So-hee and Haneul’s previous relationship. Upon being told that Young-bin knows, Eun-gab warns Ho-jin to make sure nothing happens between Young-bin and So-hee.

Asked why, Eun-gab says actors rely on their emotions, so they’ll turn to other people for comfort. If that person happens to be a co-star, they’ll lock eyes and end up dating. Ho-jin says they have nothing to worry about since So-hee won’t agree to that, and walks outside as Eun-gab says that it’s on him if something happens between those two…

…And Ho-jin sees Young-bin and So-hee making out in the hot tub.

 
COMMENTS

Oh boy, that’s going to complicate things. And it’s going to be on Ho-jin’s head. Given Young-bin’s longtime unrequited crush on So-hee, I hadn’t expected her to admit to having feelings for him too. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s currently on the rebound from an unsuccessful drama and relationship, which makes me feel bad for Young-bin. Even if I never quite understood why he and Kang Haneul would fight over her character’s affections, Young-bin has gone out of his way countless times just to show that he cares. I’d think it’s safe to say that he cares too much, since everyone but So-hee at the time knew that he signed on to War Terminator because of her.

I wasn’t surprised that Young-bin tried to avoid her following her rejection, though it was unprofessional of him to not show up to a script reading because of her. Having Ho-jin face the brunt of those decisions makes me wonder how seriously he takes his own career if it doesn’t involve his feelings. And if he doesn’t take it seriously, why do Ho-jin and Eun-gab work so hard to make him successful? His character still seems to be building his career and the anxiety Ho-jin and Eun-gab exhibit nail in the idea that he isn’t famous enough to have all the projects he wants.

So as much as I was impressed with him clearing the air with So-hee, I can only imagine this kiss will quickly spiral into a mess of things. Perhaps an overarching conflict will be a good thing for this series, which has mostly consisted of small and simpler issues like whether Young-bin will or will not take on a project.

Or perhaps we’ll see more of Eun-gab, who continued to move me in this hour. I always found it hilarious how aggressive and bossy he’d be with people like Joey and Ho-jin, only to be meek in his own home. His protective attitude toward his daughter was sweet, and I did like how he was right about Wang-ho being an entitled brat, though legitimately scared for him when Wang-ho went totally off the rails. But what I loved most was how he kept all of his daughter’s memories safely stored in a box, which says so much about how much he treasures his family. He might be a workaholic, much to his wife’s chagrin, but my heart goes out to him when he says he works this hard to provide for his family.

He might even see a bit of himself in Ho-jin, who is learning how to better work the system every day. But underneath the veneer of surviving the drama, this world is filled with nice guys. Even if the guys think that being called nice is something terrible, the ladies of this world are more than willing to prove that being nice doesn’t always mean finishing last.

 
RELATED POSTS

• Entourage: Episode 5
• Entourage: Episode 4
• Entourage: Episode 3
• Entourage: Episode 2
• Entourage: Episode 1