Entourage Pros Put Bros Before 'Work'

Like a permanent houseguest, it seems HBO's hit show Entourage isn't going anywhere. The show, whose season normally runs on Sunday evenings during the summer, has resumed its third season in time to take the coveted spot following The Sopranos, which is in its final season. The combination of these two programs not only creates a powerful night of cable television, but also appears to be HBO's attempt to bring more attention to a show that holds a great deal of promise for the network. This emphasis on its future demonstrates how far the series has come from its humble beginnings.

When the series first started, Entourage was about low-level celebrity and its challenges. The early episodes focused on how Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), an aspiring actor from Queens, looked to achieve his big break in the film industry with the support of his friends and agent. From the start, the series emphasized the over-the-top Hollywood lifestyle, but the first season was driven more by the struggles of a young talented actor than by the perks of fame. In fact, the entire season had a very basic plotline that served as an introduction to the characters and to the overarching goal of the series, which was to build a megastar.

It was not until midway through the second season that Entourage had its breakthrough moment. It demonstrated that it was not a one-dimensional show, as it seemed to be in the previous season, but instead was a series that could handle several interweaving plotlines. In becoming more complex, the show also allowed Vince's best friend/manager Eric (Kevin Connolly) and his agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) to take on more central roles in the show. The repositioning of these two characters was critical to Entourage's success because the series began to emphasize not only the importance of the celebrity, but also the people who make him. This focus on the inner workings of the industry as well as the insight into the head of a celebrity is what makes Entourage so entertaining.

The developments that took place during the second and third seasons really solidified the fact that HBO had a hit show on its hands. This was clear to viewers as the show gained an increasingly more mature tone. This is not to say Vince stopped making impulsive celebrity decisions, but the structure and pacing of the show became more consistent. What is really interesting about Entourage is that the success of the series occurred simultaneously with Vince's transformation from a mid-level actor into a star. As a result, the series has the same trajectory as its characters-they keep getting bigger and better. Based on this pattern, the second half of the third season of Entourage seems to be making the statement that the series is ready to carry the weight of the network.

The new half of the season, which began on April 8, illustrated how far Entourage has come. The first episode was able to continually transition back and forth between business and pleasure by focusing both on Vince's pressing need to find a new role and his over-the-top birthday party on the Queen Mary. Throughout the episode, it becomes clear that the driving force of the season, at least initially, is Ari's desire to win back Vince, both as a friend and a client. After being fired in the final episode of the first half of the third season, Ari cannot stand to watch Vince jeopardize his career with his new agent, Amanda. In fact, for the first time in the series, viewers see Ari Gold as an emotional man as he demonstrates how badly he wants to be back in Vince's life. Ari gives Vince the script to Medellin, a film that Vince lost the role in but still dreams of starring in. Vince's struggle to resist Ari's advances will be familiar to anyone who has ever tried to move on after a long-term relationship with a significant other. As with all of the best plots in Entourage, the dilemma involves the finer points of balancing work with friendship, a balance that is extremely hard to find in a business so driven by personality. The open-ended conclusion of the episode makes it clear that this half of the season, like Vince, is going to keep getting better.