Entourage season 5 premiere *spoilers*

So we're 3 episodes into season 5 of Entourage and all is not right with Vince's world. Eric is signing clients and making a mark for himself as an emerging player; Drama is a star in his own right now having made 54 episodes of Five Towns; Ari's playing agency games with former underling Adam Davies; and Medellin is picking up stinky reviews before going straight to DVD. It's down to Turtle to transport him down to paradise for some r&r, some girls, fruit, tequila and debaucherous Entourage fun. This is where Entourage's strength lies. The gnag mentality of the boys vs the world, lapping up the ridiculousness of their surroundings and living the lives we wish we had. Much as most dramas/comedies need adversity, with characters this colourful in Entourage, does Vince need it too?

It seems that Entourage, now it has season-long arcs, is trying to grow the boys up and tell some proper drama instead of giving us the peek into the masculine bonding rituals in Hollywood that we're used to.

That's not to say that Season 5 of Entourage is weak. It's just not as fresh as it was. It's still fresher than most, with an ace soundtrack, brilliant visuals and gorgeous gorgeous girls draped over the funniest coolest guys we wish we knew. So far in Season 5, Vince has been convinced to return from paradise to face up to his career decisions and find he hasn't got a career, much as Ari still loves him. He's in career jail. He has to sell himself and charm everyone in the biz and play the game a bit. It's almost reminiscent of post-Gigli Affleck, although Affleck has gone on to do more interesting stuff than get back on the studio train. Maybe we'll see a new side to Vince. Maybe we'll see him at the top, shagging everyone in sight and getting into scrapes only Entourage could show. Either way, this season is good but not great. I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops over the coming weeks.

Preview here:


And while we're on the subject of Affleck and Gigli: