The Boys Of ENTOURAGE Are Back But Are They Better?

It’s been so long since we’ve seen ENTOURAGE that I almost had to Wikipedia it up just to remember just what the heck was happening since the last time these boys were rollin’.  But all it took was a few seconds of watching the new season to remember just where we left off.  Although it took me until the second episode before I even cared.

Previously on ENTOURAGE…
Vince risked it all for “Medellin” – his over the top biopic of Pablo Escobar – but the risk didn’t pay off.  The premiere screening at Cannes left the crowd booing and Vince and Eric without an offer.  Oh and a really pissed off Ari (but that’s nothing new).  We were left wondering if “Medellin” was just a blip on the radar for Vinnie Chase or a sign of dark times ahead.

Life after Medellin…
When Season 5 of ENTOURAGE returns tonight at 10pm on HBO we see Vinnie doing what he does best – which is, um, not someting we should be talking about here on the PG-13 version of GMMR. It seems Vin and Turtle have gone off the grid and have been living life large in Mexico. Booze, women and beach – the boys are happy. But it seems they are the only ones that are.  Eric and Ari are dealing with the reality of “Medellin” being a colossal flop, and that the once rising start of Vincent Chase is quickly fading. Things pick up when Ari gets a call from a director that thinks Vince would be perfect for his new role, but trying to get the boy off the beach is a whole other matter. Eric puts it all on the line to get his friend to return to Hollywood only to get burned once again.

Meanwhile, Drama is enjoying his long distant, iChat relationship with Jacqueline, the French ‘Viking Quest’ fan he met on Yair’s yacht at the end of last season.  His series is still a hit for NBC but Drama’s diva ways could get him in trouble with the big boss.

Oh and Turtle is doing what Turtle does best….living off of Vince’s leftovers.

Never short on cameos, ENTOURAGE has more than a few familiar faces in this first episode back.  NBC head honcho Ben Silverman and NBC exec Teri Weibnerg make brief appearances, which I’m sure isn’t going to play well in light of the recent allegations that Silverman has been having a bit too much fun on the Hollywood scene as of late. Former child rapper turned actor, Bow Wow, is on board as Charlie, an up and coming comedian and the latest client to join Eric’s new management company – The Murphy Group. And fans of 90210 may recognize Ryan Eggold (who plays teacher Ryan Matthew on the new show) as one of Drama’s “Five Towns” cast mates.

There’s always a certain buzz that follows ENTOURAGE. Its the show that gives us mere mortals a look into the twisted world of Hollywood.  If nothing else, ENTOURAGE has always been cool and trendy.  But as the show enters its 5th season I’m not sure the same old, same old is going to cut it anymore. The characters haven’t really evolved much over the years and its starting to feel a little stale.  Their circumstances have changed but their reactions remain predictable.  The real humor of the show has lies with Drama’s drama and Ari’s antics, but both are becoming a bit of a bore.  There’s only so much yelling I can take before I want to muzzle Ari.  And Drama? Well I have to wonder if this guy ever ate lead paint when he was a child. Tonight we’ll see Turtle trying to get laid, Ari and E at odds over Vince’s career, and Vince being laid back and letting things happen to him without any real involvement. I’m glad we still have Lloyd – at least he’s making me laugh.

Before I let myself get all doomsday on you, I will say that I’ve also seen the second episode of the season and it’s an improvement on tonight’s premiere.  There’s actually a tiny bit of character development and I surprised myself by actually laughing (which is rather sad considering ENTOURAGE is a perennial in the Best Comedy category at the Emmys).  Then again the entire episode could have sucked and perhaps I was just loving seeing GOSSIP GIRL Leighton Meester reprise her role as the wannabe Britney (or at least the wannabe Britney circa 2004).

ENTOURAGE may not be perfect and yes it does feel a little lazy but I’m still a sucker for the version of Hollywood that it creates.  I think it’s a fun diversion on Sunday nights. I’m not going anywhere and I’ll continue to watch.  If Vincent Chase’s career can bound back from the train wreck that was “Medellin” I’m sure ENTOURAGE can find its way back to being relevant and funny too.