I could review a show currently airing (such as The Big Bang Theory or The Blacklist) or a show that just ended (like How I Met Your Mother or Breaking Bad), but I'm not one for conventional posts. Instead, I'd like to introduce the readers to shows, books, and other things they would otherwise never try. So to kick that off, I'm going to be pitching Entourage, a comedy than ran for eight seasons on HBO from 2004-2011. Throughout its run, it was nominated for 14 Golden Globes and 26 Emmys, and a movie based on the show will be released later this year. Note: there will be some SPOILERS, so be careful.
Entourage is loosely based off the experience of Mark Wahlberg (one of the show's executive producers) and his friends. The main character is Vincent Chase (played by Adrien Grenier), an up-and-coming actor in Hollywood. He lives with his older brother, a less successful actor known as Johnny Drama (played by Kevin Dillon), and his two best friends from back home in New York, E (played by Kevin Connolly) and Turtle (played by Jerry Ferrara). E is Vince's manager and Turtle is his driver. The last main character is Ari Gold (played by Jermey Piven), Vince's agent. Other notable characters include Sloan, the daughter of Ari's boss, and Melissa, Ari's wife. The cast may not be very well known, but they all played their roles perfectly and worked very well together.
The story revolves around Vince and his career. Much of the other character's actions depend on what Vince does. After all, he is the main breadwinner of the group. The personal lives of the main characters also comes into play. Vince is a womanizer who sleeps with a lot of different women. Drama and Turtle are the same way, but with less luck as Vince. E on the other hand, tends to get emotionally invested with any girl he spends time with. Ari is married to Melissa, a former actress with whom he has two kids. One of the continuing storylines of the show is how he tries to balance his career and family life.
All eight seasons of the show are good, but the best one (at least in my opinion) is Season 7. That's where we get to see a whole new side of Vince. Before, he was always a very optimistic, happy go-lucky guy. It's endearing, but it gets tiring after a while. The change in Vince's demeanor brings a whole new edge to the show. The only problem with Season 7: it's the third shortest season, besides Seasons 1 and 8. The other seasons either have 12, 14, or 20 episodes.
Of course, there are some negatives to the show (as there is with every show). One problem is that stories are tied up much too quickly. For example, early in the show, Vince stars in the superhero flick Aquaman. However, he has issues with his co-star, Mandy Moore. The audience doesn't even get to see how everything is resolved; next thing we know, the movie has released. This can be incredibly confusing and leads to some major plot holes. Another thing: a lack of continuity. Some storylines are completely trashed or disregarded whenever it clashes with another storyline. Unfortunately, these are far too common. Nonetheless, the pros far outweigh the cons here.
There are a lot of shows and movies about Hollywood, so what makes this one stand out? It's a very fresh take on what goes on behind the curtain. The show manages to stay entertaining and enjoyable throughout its entire run. If you're looking for a new comedy series to watch, I highly recommend Entourage.
Entourage is loosely based off the experience of Mark Wahlberg (one of the show's executive producers) and his friends. The main character is Vincent Chase (played by Adrien Grenier), an up-and-coming actor in Hollywood. He lives with his older brother, a less successful actor known as Johnny Drama (played by Kevin Dillon), and his two best friends from back home in New York, E (played by Kevin Connolly) and Turtle (played by Jerry Ferrara). E is Vince's manager and Turtle is his driver. The last main character is Ari Gold (played by Jermey Piven), Vince's agent. Other notable characters include Sloan, the daughter of Ari's boss, and Melissa, Ari's wife. The cast may not be very well known, but they all played their roles perfectly and worked very well together.
The story revolves around Vince and his career. Much of the other character's actions depend on what Vince does. After all, he is the main breadwinner of the group. The personal lives of the main characters also comes into play. Vince is a womanizer who sleeps with a lot of different women. Drama and Turtle are the same way, but with less luck as Vince. E on the other hand, tends to get emotionally invested with any girl he spends time with. Ari is married to Melissa, a former actress with whom he has two kids. One of the continuing storylines of the show is how he tries to balance his career and family life.
All eight seasons of the show are good, but the best one (at least in my opinion) is Season 7. That's where we get to see a whole new side of Vince. Before, he was always a very optimistic, happy go-lucky guy. It's endearing, but it gets tiring after a while. The change in Vince's demeanor brings a whole new edge to the show. The only problem with Season 7: it's the third shortest season, besides Seasons 1 and 8. The other seasons either have 12, 14, or 20 episodes.
Of course, there are some negatives to the show (as there is with every show). One problem is that stories are tied up much too quickly. For example, early in the show, Vince stars in the superhero flick Aquaman. However, he has issues with his co-star, Mandy Moore. The audience doesn't even get to see how everything is resolved; next thing we know, the movie has released. This can be incredibly confusing and leads to some major plot holes. Another thing: a lack of continuity. Some storylines are completely trashed or disregarded whenever it clashes with another storyline. Unfortunately, these are far too common. Nonetheless, the pros far outweigh the cons here.
There are a lot of shows and movies about Hollywood, so what makes this one stand out? It's a very fresh take on what goes on behind the curtain. The show manages to stay entertaining and enjoyable throughout its entire run. If you're looking for a new comedy series to watch, I highly recommend Entourage.
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