Entourage - Season 2 (2005)

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Entourage - Season 2 (2005)

Colour me surprised. I wasn't exactly enthused by season one of this show about an up and coming superstar actor and his entourage; I thought it was very well made, but somehow it just didn't connect with me. The second season, however, is a different story. I'm at a loss as to why - perhaps the show's style, subject matter and characters have grown on me. I just found Vince and his gang more likable this time around. The main storyline involving James Cameron's 'Aquaman' movie was right down my alley, and there seemed in general to be more of the movie stuff and less of the party stuff that irked me in season 1. I wasn't too fond of Mandy Moore popping up as a love interest, but it did make the storyline interesting in the latter half of the season. There's solid character and story progression and, the eclectic humour is spot on with few misses. The storylines are as varied as ever with plenty of locales - there are visits to Sundance, Comic Con, and the Playboy Mansion, and also a little house hopping - all with the absurdity of Hollywood on full display. The fact that much of this is purportedly based on reality makes it that much funnier.

The central cast is solid, but it's Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold who once again steals the show. I imagine too much of him would get annoying, but in short bursts the guy is pure dynamite, and is surely the most likable over the top asshole on TV, possibly ever. The addition of eye candy in the form of Emmanuelle Chriqui was also most welcome, and I'm surprised a show of this nature took so long to get (what appears to be) a regular hottie. Celebrity cameos abound, and it was great to see James Cameron pop up once in a while - I wonder if his explosive personality will be lampooned in season 3. The always cool Malcolm McDowell pops up as Ari's partner / boss, and delivers plenty of snark that works well against Piven's seething, poorly concealed rage. The music and visuals are excellent - as before - and the show doesn't cop out when it comes to flaunting the immense wealth of virtually character on the show!

So yeah, I'm hooked now and can't wait to see where the third season of 'Entourage' goes. I'd like to see more of 'Aquaman', so hopefully the next season doesn't start with 'Aquaman' being something that happened off screen between seasons, which is what happened with the 'Queen's Boulevard' storyline from season 1. I enjoyed season 2 immensely and, unlike with season 1, I actually looked forward to seeing the next episode whenever the credits began to roll.