My last post about Entourage was six weeks ago. That was the week that the 7th season of the show premiered on HBO. I ripped into the show, making fun of the characters and their lack of substance. I claimed the plotlines were repetitive, the dialogue was lame, and that the show could not hold my attention for much longer. After watching 6 or 7 episodes of the season, I am going to bite my tongue...but just a little bit.
I must say that I have really enjoyed watching Entourage every Sunday night; I even look forward to it. Sure the formula is the same as I had previously hypothesized. Each character is enduring some of the same types of issues which will be undoubtedly resolved by the finale. Ari is battling with the agent Lizzie Grant in an effort to save his reputation, as well as the chance to bring a football team to Los Angeles. Vince is once again acting irresponsibly in a way that jeopardizes the offer for his next movie. Eric is still worried about Vince. Turtle has yet another business venture. Drama has gotten passed over for yet another job. These are the self-evident truths of Entourage that will always remain. Yet at this point, I have pretty much accepted that and it's not why I enjoy the show.
I enjoy the show because I think several things about this season have either been rejuvenated or reworked. For one, the cinematography seems to be somewhat different. I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but the directors seem to be trying a bunch of different creative shots that have never been used in Entourage before. There are several examples, but to cite one that is fresh in my mind - on the most recent episode there was a quick shot from the top corner of Ari's office looking down on him and whoever else was in the room. It only lasted for a split second, and most people may not have even noticed, but it made me respect the show much more for trying different things.
Another component of the show that has been more entertaining than in the last few years is the storylines. Like I said before, the formula for the plot of the show is always the same. But for some reason this year, the ingredients that they are using to drive those plots have been more engaging. I like how Eric has grown up a bit - he has his own office in an established management firm, and he moved into his own house with Sloan. Vince running around with a porn star is edgy and actually pretty funny. I dig the whole Avion tequila thing that's going on with Turtle and his absolutely gorgeous female counterpart. The whole Drama thing is pretty much the same, but you just have to love a guy who smashes back a ping-pong serve from John Stamos and then takes his shirt off and says, "It's going to be a long day for Uncle Jessie."
Maybe it is with the help of massive amounts of cameos from A-list celebrities that are helping to drive the show but I like it anyway. Bob Saget is hilarious. John Stamos was very funny too. My favorite Entourage cameo award is of course awarded to Mike Tyson, for coming into Ari's office and demanding that he get someone to develop the "Black Brady Bunch" for him or he's leaving the agency.
Possibly the most crucial move that Entourage did to freshen the vibe of the show was to add Scott Caan as a full cast member of the season to join Vince and his crew in their antics around Hollywood. Caan, playing the part of talent manager Scott Lavin has a rocky relationship with Eric from the start. E is worried that Scott is going to steal Vince from him, and panic arises when Scott and Vince go skydiving together without him. At some point, Eric decides to give full credit to Scott for finding Vince's latest role, and Scott is accepted into their social circle.
I will definitely be keeping a close eye on the final few episodes of the season, including one in which Kevin Connelly (Eric) is directing. It should make for an entertaining experience, and a nice segue into the final 8th mini-season and possible feature film to follow.
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