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.
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