Entourage used to be one of my favorite shows on TV. It was funny, had a couple great characters, and, most importantly, offered us a glimpse behind the curtain and into the "real life" of celebrity, a world that us "normals" rarely get to see outside the distortion of tabloid journalism.
For a few seasons this formula worked perfectly, offering fans a level of escapism akin to classic Hollywood identification. Then the show took a turn to the dramatic... Yes, the last few seasons, in my opinion, have really been missing the mark. They've replaced the comedy with narratives revolving around Hollywood clichés of drugs, sex, and rock 'n roll in an attempt to bring some weight or gravitas to these fluffy characters. Why was this a mistake? It was the fluffiness of the series that people found so endearing, and once they turned all serious, well, people started to lose interest.
The final season of the show is gearing up, and hopefully it will mark a return to the glory days of actually laughing (or smiling) while watching our boys handle their celebritized exploits. TV Guide caught up with series regular Constance Zimmer (Dana Gordon) and was able to squeeze a few juicy details about the last season's plot. First, she comments on how the now single Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) and her character might engage in a little sexual nostalgia, saying, "What happens with us is what I think fans have been hoping would happen at some point [...] It could be a little raunchy!" Sure, their sexual history always added a level of tension (and laughs) to the series, but I would rather see him make amends with Mrs. Ari because their relationship provides one of the few "likable" aspects of Piven's character.
She continues with another (scary) quote that suggests the soul-searching drama of the past few seasons will continue as we'll "dive very deep into their inner cores of who they are as people, which we haven't been able to see. We've seen a lot about the work and the industry, and this is about what these people are deep down and what they've been missing in their lives." Great, so it seems like the laughs are again playing second fiddle to the character drama (not Drama the character... you know what I mean).
Lastly, there has been a lot of talk about a possible Entourage film to conclude the series, and Zimmer also makes quick note of this, saying how the show, "definitely ends in a way where you're going to see all of the characters, and wonder, 'Now what happens?!'" Now what happens? Hopefully, no movie... but that's just me.
The new season of Entourage premieres July 24th on HBO.
