Entourage - TV Review

Entourage can be kind of a tough sell. Why would I want to watch a pretty boy, luckier than he deserves to be, struggle through those little Hollywood problems like which hot actress to go home with or which sports car to buy? And why on Earth would I be interested in the parasitic friends of said actor whose main accomplishment was staying friends with the right guy? Well, because I always give HBO original programming at least one shot, I watched the pilot and haven't complained since. In fact, I've had one thing to say about Entourage to everyone that asks me about it - watch one episode and you'll be back for more.

The appeal of Entourage isn't in all the fancy sets and pretty people (although second season guest stars like Amanda Peet and Jaime Pressley certainly don't hurt), it's in the incredible ingenuity of the writing. This is one of the best written half hours on television week in and week out (probably only second to Arrested Development for the Best Comedy title). And the funniest thing is, going into season two, which debuts June 5th, my expectations were low. I worried that season one was just a fluke and that the characters would get tired and the writers would run out of plots. Silly me.

The writing team behind Entourage kick off the season with promise by demoting Vince's (Grenier) "It" status. He can't get the part that he so desperately wants because he's taken too long between projects (something that happens to hot young actors all the time). So, now he's forced to decide between actively pursuing the role of Pablo Escobar, the part he really wants but might not be "A list" enough for any more, and donning the green tights to bring Aquaman to the big screen. That concept alone should make you smile. If it doesn't, Entourage may not be for you.

But as funny as the basic ideas and behind-the-scenes jokes are on Entourage (two words - Torque 2), the real strength of the show, and the strength of any good comedy, is that the writers don't forget their entire ensemble. Every character, from Kevin Dillon's scene-stealing Johnny Drama to the always hysterical Jeremy Piven to even the lowly Turtle, gets some character development and hysterical moments in just the first two episodes of season two. In fact, if the writing on Entourage has a chink in its armor, it's that the supporting characters are usually more interesting than the enigmatic lead. Despite the small hole at the center of Entourage, the rest of the pieces more than makes up for it. I could watch an entire episode about Ari, Turtle, Eric, or Johnny but the writers give you just a little bit of each in every episode and makes you want to come back for more.

And come back you will. Watch one episode this season and you'll probably get hooked. And if you're a season one fan worried about the show spinning its wheels, there's no need to concern yourself. Just start talking to your friends about getting past the pitch to the heart of the great writing on this show - whatever the subject matter, it's just the quality of the comedy that will bring you back.