What could have saved Entourage from its progressing decline?

[Joe Washington]

For the first two seasons, I enjoyed Entourage. But I started to struggle during Season 3 and barely held onto the show during Season 4 and 5. It wasn't until the Season 5 finale that I decided to completely give up on the show.

If you can go back in time, what changes you would have made to the show to keep it from becoming the pile of crap it is today?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Well maybe I shouldn't be in this thread because of spoilers because I'm on the DVD schedule, not the HBO schedule, but I just watched the first disk of S5 and to me, the show is funnier than ever. Maybe it's getting into over-the-top self-parody territory (the longer this show goes on, the more inevitable it becomes) but it's always been on the edge of surreality. Even in LA, are people really that insane?

I do like the way they are finally putting more focus on Vince and Eric, who after all, are supposedly the leads of this show, but have been eclipsed by the (admittedly entertaining) antics of Ari, Drama and Lloyd.

To me, Entourage is the kind of show that starts off at a high enough level that, even when the inevitable they've-milked-this-as-much-as-they-can decline sets in, it will be a while before it becomes no longer worth watching.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

I think season 5 was really very funny with Joshua Tree, Drama's "relationship" and ensuing brief alcoholism, and the fighting to make a doomed film with an insane director who hates actors. I think people don't like it because it starts with Vince as a loser and things gets worse for him. Which I think made Vince a character rather than just a prop to which the boys had to react.

 

[Kirby]

I'll get back to you; I've only watched through season 3, which I thought was just fine. I should be starting season 4 soon.

 

[Mr Light]

I just finished watching S5 on DVD and I find myself enjoying the show more than ever. The first season I could barely bother to watch, but as the show got on I felt it got more interesting. The Aquaman stuff was cool but the Medeallin fiasco was absolutely hilarious. Also as the years went on Ari became a more interesting character (and Lloyd is the perfect sidekick and he wasn't introduced until what S2? S3?).

 

[The Evil Dead]

People really seem to expect a lot from Entourage when it's really just a nicely shot, well edited single camera comedy show no different than say 30 Rock. I am looking forward to the show's return, the antics of the b-b-b-b-b-boys really make me laugh.

 

[Mr Light]

It look me a long time to get into the show as I found the characters to be utterly unsympathetic for the longest time. It was only in Season 4/5 that I started to care about them as his career started to implode. Drama was always the only character I cared about because he was so hilarious pretentious and lame. But in Season 5 I started to like "E" as well with his little side business he actually came off as a decent human being. But Turtle and Vince? Meh.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I think people don't like it because it starts with Vince as a loser and things gets worse for him. Which I think made Vince a character rather than just a prop to which the boys had to react.

That's what I like about S5. Vince has never been a well developed character, and at long last they're giving Adrian Grenier something to do other than lounge around and look sexy. They gotta drag him thru the mud for a while so we can finally get a handle on who the heck Vince is. I have a hunch that he could turn out to be an interesting guy, but they actually have to write that into the script and then put it on the screen before he can get there. Do people not like character development or something?

 

[ManOnTheWave]

AIR, when the show was in development, they debated whether or not they'd actually have Vince in the show. He was going to be an offscreen character who would be referred to. I do think the show is ultimately about E and his ascent from pizza boy to the new Ari, but I'm glad the whole cast is getting fleshed out. Even Turtle had something of a story arc!