You Gotta Pay For It : Entourage

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Series Name: Entourage
Television Network : HBO

Running Time : 30 Minutes
Broadcast Run : July 18th, 2004 -Present(87 Episodes)

Entourage, HBO's male orientated Sex in the City has been on the air for seven seasons and is set to air it's scheduled finale September 12th, this next Sunday. The show stars Vincent Chase(protrayed by Adrian Grenier) as an A-List movie celebrity, having broken out with his protrayel of male lead in to the movie "Head On." Since breaking out in the movie business, Vince has had his ups and downs, appearing in both hits(James Cameraon's "Aqua Man," Martin Scorsese's "The Great Gasby") along with a few professional clunkers, ("Medellin" by Billy Walsh, "Smoke Jumpers" by Verner Vollstedt), but until this season, always remained chipper.

He's followed around his level headed but occasionally quick to violence manager "E", Eric Murphy(Kevin Connolly), his brother and former star of the short lived classic "Viking Quest" Johnny Drama(Kevin Dillon), and best friend slash driver slash attempted entrepreneur Turtle(Jerry Ferrera). E spends the most time on Vince's career, reading scripts and helping him decide and get his next project. Drama spends the majority of the time on himself, whether he's wallowing his long since forgotten roles on 90210 or as "Cubs Fan #9." Turtle spends most of his time ripping on Drama and playing video games over the first few seasons.

Vinny Chase is managed by Ari(Jeremy Piven), a character that deserves all the nominations that Piven has received for the role. Foul mouthed, bordering on insensitive, Ari has a soft spot for Vince, and very few other people in the business. Evenetully, Ari becomes fond enough of Lloyd() to promote him as an agent, and Lloyd is then tasked with finding Johnny Drama work.

In the most recent season, Billy Walsh, famed director of the failed Medellin, a four hour independant Sundance Winning epic "Queen's Boulevard" and numerous other not so unprofitable pornography films, returns with an idea for a Drama television show titled "Johnny's Banana's" At first, Drama isn't happy to be portraying an animated orangatang, wanting his mug to be on screen, but eventually warms up to the idea. Vince, however, after a near death experience, spirals into adrenaline kicks, cocaine, and sleeping slash falling in love with porn star Sasha Grey. After being offered the role of a new superhero in a deal that could land him eight figures with back end residuals, Vince continues to go down his path of self mutilation. The latest episode saw Lloyd, at a house party with Drama, Turtle, and Turtle's newest flame, find a large back of cocaine hidden in the kitchen.

The problem with Entourage is that not one episode truly stands above the rest, and that's no more appropriately shown than in this current season. Plus, even when the shows characters are hitting personal low points, they always seem upbeat and charismatic. This season has shown Vince doing things I'd never imagine his character to even consider. Perhaps it's their attempt to show how a near death experience can truly alter someone's  perception on reality, but that doesn't mean we have to turn what's supposed to be an uplifting show(about douchebags, certainly) into an after school Lindsey Lohan special.

Entourage is a solid show when it's hitting all cylinders. When sputtering out and needing a smog check, Entourage is little more than a halfway repetitive show with characters becoming derivative of themselves. When the show straddles that line between complete douchiness and loyal friendship, there's not a guy buddy show better than this one.

Okay, maybe Rescue Me.

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