After watching the first episode of the new season of Entourage last night, I was somewhat disappointed but not surprised. In the 7th season premiere, the boys are back again and everyone seems to be doing great in life. Vinny is a mega-star, E is getting married to Sloan, Turtle is a business owner, and Drama...well Drama is doing his thing. Though people seem to enjoy the show for what its worth, I can't say I feel the same way, and I'll tell you why.

Entourage is lacking in one vital area: substance. Some may say the show doesn't need to be deep or symbolic, that the characters don't have to grow and change, that it's a "fluff piece" designed to make you feel good, and live vicariously through the stress-free lives of a Hollywood superstar and his buddies. On this point, I would have to agree. From the beginning, I watched Entourage because it had pretty girls and shiny cars, and that made it fun. That is all the show is meant to create for the audience - fun. You're not supposed to be learning anything, or becoming a better person, and I get that. But by the 7th season of watching the characters have the same exact experiences, I've become desensitized to the whole show. Its just so played. When Entourage debuted in 2004, I was fresh out of high school and looking for different things in a TV show. It entertained me, it was "cool", and that's all that mattered. Now, I can think of much better things to do with those 26 minutes of my life.

The writers may argue that they have made an attempt this season to develop the characters of the show more. However, after watching the first episode it seems as though their efforts have fallen way short. For instance, Turtle now owns his own company, a car service called "LimHoes" that was referred to briefly in the previous season. I guess that can be considered character development, but is the audience just supposed to accept this as his new identity? Last season Turtle was a couch-riding stoner who was begging Ari for an investment in his start-up. Now, he's a big-shot CEO who owns several town cars and employs multiple women. I know he attended the continuing education business program at UCLA, but its still a stretch for me. I wouldn't be surprised if the show completely ignores addressing how he went about starting and building his business in the upcoming episodes. 

As for Vince, the big crisis he has to endure in the first episode is the decision of whether or not to do his own stunts. There's a huge conference with all the guys, and Vince needs to solicit the advice of both his manager Eric and Ari, the biggest super-agent in the world who still finds the time to pay a personal visit to the Chase residence to console Vince on this matter. (Don't watch if realism is of any importance to you.) I will paraphrase the whole scene for my faithful readers, who may want a little taste of the show before they decide whether or not to watch. Here goes...

Vince: "Should I do my own stunts?"

Eric: "No, you don't want to get hurt."

Ari: "Yea, the little guy is right..."

Vince: "Should I not do it?"

Turtle: "Well, you will look like a &%$# if you don't do it."

Vince: "Okay, I'm gonna do it." 

That's about 10 minutes of the show right there. It's not very compelling stuff people. No wonder HBO hardly did any promoting of the new season. They probably screened a few episodes and said, "Yeaaa, I think we're gonna spend all of our Entourage advertising dollars on True Blood." Good choice, HBO.

Sadly, I will probably still follow along with the rest of the season, mostly to acquire some more fuel  for the Entourage fire, but also because I'm in love with Sloan. I will speak to you all in my next installment, and happy watching.

The Wire: one of the most critically acclaimed series ever created…that most people have never seen. The retired series is now in the process of being shown on HBO in re-runs and on HBO On Demand. Hopefully, a lot more people will watch this wonderful accomplishment in television entertainment now that the word has spread. The Wire is by far my favorite TV show of all time, and it deserves a second look.

The series delves into the depths of the Baltimore drug trade, portraying the dynamic between the dealers and the police. Over the course of five seasons, the show gradually incorporates other societal institutions including the political system, education and schools, and the media. The show runs incredibly deep in the sense that every character seems to be intertwined in some way with each other. The plot features twists and turns as the characters cross paths with each other, sometimes not even realizing that they are doing so. The entire concept of the show is incredibly realistic. In fact, no show in history has come close to the degree of realism that the Wire has (creator David Simon is a former police reporter, and writer Ed Burns served as a police detective in Baltimore for many years). The characters talk like real people talk, and they act like real people act. There are no clear cut good guys and bad guys. Not all the cops uphold the law; in fact several of them are quite corrupt. In some ways, the drug dealers display greater values, for the simple fact that they live by the moral code of the street.

So where does the Wire cross paths with promotional products? Enter, HBO.com’s exclusive “The Wire ‘Omar Indeed’ Crew Neck T-Shirt”. This cool-looking graphic tee features a glare of Omar that would make anyone cringe in the streets of Baltimore. The shirt also has a print of Omar’s catchphrase underneath the visual. Omar is a popular character on the show, and by far my favorite. I would be proud to go out in public sporting my Omar Indeed tee, or any of the other promotional tee shirts that HBO.com offers on its website. So check out the Wire when you have some free time, you'll be happy you did. If you do happen to watch some of the episodes, feel free to post a comment on this blog and let me know what you think of the show! 

On June 1st, 2010 a few lucky Trubies (that's the ultimately hip nickname for fans of HBO's hit vampire drama True Blood) were treated to a very special evening that left them looking forward to the new season more than Bill looks forward to a glass of True Blood at the end of a hard night. While the event, hosted by Michael Ausiello of Entertainment Weekly, didn't boast the season 3 premiere, it did boast an extended trailer and it certainly didn't leave fans empty handed. In addition to an in-depth panel featuring Alan Ball (executive producer) and cast members Anna Paquin (Sookie), Stephen Moyer (Bill), Alexander Skarsgard (Eric), Sam Trammell (Sam), Ryan Kwanten (Jason), Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica) and Rutina Wesley (Tara), fans got a little something special. No, I'm not talking about exclusive teasers for season 3, although they got them. I'm not talking about the varying discussions of Team Bill vs Team Eric, though I'm sure those abounded.

This is Motivators TV and for as much as we care about TV, we care about something FAR more important: SWAG.

As I stated, Fangbangers (another awesome nickname) didn't leave this event empty handed. They walked out of there boasting promotional drawstring backpacks emblazoned with the True Blood logo and filled with even more True Blood goodness. 3 of the True Blood books, a copy of the True Blood soundtrack, a postcard of the season 3 artwork (Nothing like a Good Cup of Joe) and a sample of Tru Blood, the Blood Orange flavored beverage based on the Tru Blood drink featured in the show. No doubt, Trubies downed those quite quickly. While it seems that the promo drawstring backpacks were exclusive, Trubies can get their hands on everything else featured in the goody bag:

True Blood Soundtrack

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Tru Blood Beverage

In fact, upon checking out the Tru Beverage website, fans can get plenty of ideas for hosting their own True Blood premiere party. The site suggests having a True Blood potluck or BBQ and offers a variety of potential ideas for a fangtastic good time.