Anyway. TMN/Movie Central viewers still getting over the end of summer mint Generation Kill can settle back into their excellent smug, "aren't we fancy because we pay for premium TeeVee?" feelings this weekend.
Entourage is back, and this time it's paired with one of the shows HBO hopes will resurrect its buzz-worthy status of long-ago times (c. 2004)First, the boys of Entourage. It's not exactly a secret, or a bold stance to say that last year kind of left a lot of people cold. It finished strong with the Cannes episode, and the episode in the synagogue was quite possibly one of the best installments ever, but overall, Vince and the Boys weren't rocking it like they used to.
The shakeup that was coming was inevitable. In reality, unless Vince is challenged in some way, it's just not going to have the crackle you need.
So Season 5 of Entourage, based at least on the screening of the first two eps, pulls the reinvention card. Medillin, the 'dream project' of Vince that formed the backdrop of the last couple of seasons, is a DOA-flop. In the opening episode, you hear that it was hooted down at the screening in Cannes, and compared to The Hindenburg.
Johnny Drama is still doing well on his career upswing, thanks to his TV role. But Vince is down in Mexico, hiding out with a beard and having Sex on the Beach. Turtle's picking up the leavings.
The first ep is actually a little flat, because the mechanics are all tilted toward getting Vince home. But once that unfolds, it's really in Episode 2 where the show shows the promise of this season. Vince isn't the hot young thing -- and he might not be coming back. This is Gretchen Mol territory here. For once, Ari's best scene isn't a big funny -- it's a key, sobering scene where he shares with golf-partner Mark Wahlberg the notion that he might not be able to get Vince back on top.
A season of Entourage where Eric still has a lot to prove, and Vince is reading scripts. Interesting start. Hope they can continue with it -- because I'd really love to be able to root for Entourage again.
True Blood, on the other hand, is a show that I'm going to have to take some time to get used to. Based on the leaked pilot, I was unsure. Now, having seen Episode Two, I think it's bought my viewing for a few more weeks. Not to get too much into Jill Golick territory here, but one of the things that most struck me structurally about True Blood was that they seem to be resurrecting a very old TV trope that we haven't seen for a while -- both episodes 1 and 2 end on a big horror cliffhanger.That's a smart gambit. I hope it continues.
As befits its Young Adult Novel provenance, True Blood takes a bit of gothic horror stuff, and mixes in the strong heroine and the uneasy humor. It's an odd mix...but there's something compelling about it, and the chemistry between the leads is good.
True Blood needs a bit of time to grow. Oh, but here's another thing about it that I found very interesting. They recast the role of the best friend. And for once, they went for somebody who was the better actress rather than the prettier actress.
It's almost enough to restore your faith in this business.
almost...
1 comment:
Never could quite get into Entourage, though I'm not sure why. My suspicion that it's largely because it's all guys opens up way too big a topic for a drive-by blog comment.
Now you're making me curious about the True Blood recasting -- I liked the girl in the leaked pilot well enough, but it did seem to bode for a one-note character. If I'm inferring correctly from your assessment that we can look forward to more going on there, I'm all for it. (Nota bene: Sookie may be perkier and more adorable than is strictly legal, but if someone put Harris on a YA shelf, they were driving under the influence of Stephenie Meyer sparkle!crack. You'll find her next door to Kim Harrison and Tanya. We love our 'H' chicks in contemporary/dark fantasy...)
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