I’m technically on vacation, but it couldn’t keep me from catching the season premiere of Entourage (a day late, but my Slingbox pulled through). Many of those who saw the screener ahead of time didn’t have many good things to say about it, like calling it “a men’s Sex and the City.” Ouch. Still, it couldn’t keep me away.
I’m thinking I’m getting too old for this show, probably as much as the guys are getting too old to be acting like they do in it. What was once a bunch of young guys who were buddies, hanging out, causing trouble together and discovering what a new L.A.-based lifestyle had to offer is now five years old … and the guys should have graduated by now.
In some respects, they have “graduated.” What I mean is, they’ve matured well beyond being newbie L.A. boys. They know this town and the people in it know them. The thing is, they still act like children, and I don’t mean that in the having fun sense. I mean it in the childish sense.
And, you know, it’s not the show’s fault, really. It had a great run for a few seasons and then, for me, declined in season five (or maybe a little earlier). The formula that made this show fun is getting harder to follow when everyone’s now five years older. It’s going to start looking creepy when these guys are still fucking 21 year-olds at parties, and there’s only so much longer that Turtle can go looking for an ultimate pair of freaking sneakers without him looking pathetic. The formula needs to change, and based on this episode, it hasn’t yet.
There’s still room to improve, though. Where the season did it right was put Vince in a position to grow up, just as — to some degree — the other guys have. E is getting his own place, Turtle’s got what appears to be the most steady relationship he’s ever had, and Johnny’s show is still kicking. As seen in the scene above, Vince is now left to face much of his future alone. It’s up to the writers to now figure out what to do to make the show just as fun as it used to be without putting these older guys in the same kiddie shoes they filled four years ago.
Like my friend Tom said on Twitter earlier tonight, this episode actually would have worked out pretty perfectly as a series ender. But since it’s not, let’s see what the rest of the season has in store.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee
on Jul 13, 2009 @ 23:51 EST5EDT
Ari and Lloyd are always fun. Watching the other fellas felt like dragging myself out of quicksand – laborious, exhausting and not too much fun. Here’s hoping next week picks up.
And just to add credence to my point about low-t: Vince can’t be taught how to drive!? What kind of real man can’t be taught to drive? That’s not attractive. Then there’s E. It won’t be long before his girlfriend forces him to sit down to urinate at the new place and he happily complies.
I really hope this show regains some strength!!
Is this the final season? It sure looks like the beginning of the end. Entourage is still one of my favorite shows ever, but I agree with you. It may be time to wrap it up before it just gets old and tired. This show will rock forever on DVD!
I think this episode was a good setup for everything you ask for. Vince will have to live without his Entourage. Turtle will start something new with his girl. E will get into a serious relationship and live on his own. Lloyd will lose 15 pounds (when I first saw him I thought “man the guy got fat during the hiatus” and it looks as if it was on purpose to lose it immediately – talk about method acting).
Sure they acted childish (again) but to be honest I think the showrunners noticed that the guys need to move forward themselves. The show’s still doing it for me, even though I bitched and moaned about Turtle screwing up keeping his secret due to Drama’s nagging at the end of last season.
But if they DON’T move forward in the direction that was hinted at during the second half of the episode, the show’s a goner for me as well.
Look at “Rescue Me”. Season 4 was BS, now it’s better than ever. I’m still holding my breath for Entourage (not so much for Breaking Bad, mind you, THAT show needs to move forward more than this one IMHO)…