Entourage review

Today's topic, boys and girls, is Entourage. Specifically, we will be addressing the love of Vince, E, Drama, Turtle and Ari but also the concern I have for the boys as they enter season 3.

First, a little background. I live two blocks from Queens Boulevard. For those of you unfamiliar with New York's outer boroughs, it's not all mayhem and shootings. Queens Boulevard (known fondly as the boulevard of death because of hit and runs) is a huge well, boulevard that runs through dozens of Queens neighborhoods. In my neck of the woods, there are $3 million homes two blocks away and in other places, it's near one bedrooms crowded with hardworking illegal immigrants. My point is somewhere between the two extremes is where Vince and his crew are from. When they say that they come from nothing, it's not exactly nothing, it's more of a lower middle class environment without a lot of options. That's why the first season was so great to watch. It was the kind of lottery winning fantasy that everyone has, except this involved Hollywood which made it 100% cooler. What drew me to the show was the great friendship between the guys, maniacal Ari and that the show was a raunchy good time.

I was all excited for season 2 but it let down for several reasons. The whole Mandy Moore storyline was torturous. Maybe it's just me but not only could I not see Vince with a girl like Mandy, I definitely didn't see him losing his cool and career over her. In general, the writing didn't seem as sharp to me, even for Ari, for whom it would seem the dialogue would flow easily. I did like the whole agency drama for Ari because this should bring a new element to his character, especially with Lloyd as his sidekick. But I felt that the whole neverending Aquaman will he/won't he thread, combined with the last episode fight with E was exactly the same ending as season 1. In fact, all of season 2 was "less than" season 1-less laughs, less interesting and less growth for the characters. The throwaway lines were still there but I didn't feel like we moved along.

Which brings us to season 3 and my concerns. We already know that Aquaman is going to be huge so there's no tension there. The key to season 3 is where they'll take Vince and the crew and if it's going to be in the same direction. E needs to be more than just "Vince's best friend since they were 6." Drama has to be more than the butt of all jokes. Actually, Turtle's attempt at being a music manager is a great way to showcase another aspect of the character and the business just like Ari's fall is a great way to illustrate the lows and instability of Hollywood. But mainly Vince needs to be more - more than the guy that everyone projects their hopes and dreams on, more than the generous guy who's footing the bill, more than the flavor of the month hottie. But there's another issue as well. They have to keep the guest stars under control - like with any show, there should be a reason to have them there, not just in a "hey, look who we got on the show" kind of way.

I understand that it's hard to recapture the energy and surprise of the first season breakout which is exactly why the show needs to leave all of that behind. I want to see what being a real movie star does to Vince and the boys. I want to see Ari struggle. I want to see some ugly with my fantasy. The whole insider look at Hollywood and fame is a great angle but it's not enough to carry a show with this many potentially great characters. A little less Malibu and Koi and a little more Queen Boulevard and Sbarro's could take this show to greatness.

Mali Perl works in finance but her heart belongs to entertainment. She can be reached at nycmal1@yahoo.com. Her favorite moments in season 2 were:

5. Lawless Malibu.

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