If James Bond was the ul timate guy fantasy of the late 20th Century, “Entourage” — which returns Sunday night for its seventh and what is likely its next-to-last season — is what boys wish they could be like in the early 21st.
I admit that, yes, when the show first began seven seasons back, it wasn’t my favorite. And it still isn’t.
I never got why a giant movie star would live in a house with his friends like a sad, broke frat boy.
But then again, since when is TV supposed to be real?
However, I have finally warmed to the characters, or at least to Ari (Jeremy Piven) and Drama (Kevin Dillon), who regularly steal the show from Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Eric (Kevin Connolly), the other two guys who circle Vince the Gorgeous (Adrian Grenier) like low-orbit satellites.
On Sunday night’s premiere, a movie director forces Vince into performing a dangerous stunt himself — rather than letting a stunt double do it for him — by making him feel like a sissy (my substitute for the much dirtier word they use in the show). Real men don’t use stunt doubles, it seems.
The thrill of actually taking part in the fiery, near-death crash — not to mention the brain jangle that results from it — leaves dopey Vince jonesing for more movie thrills, much to the horror of Ari and Eric.
The director, Nick Cassavetes (who, of course, plays himself), is so hilariously horrible, so thoughtless, inconsiderate and Hollywood, that, well, Ari should watch his back — and his front.
This guy’s on fire — literally.
Ari, in his quest to become the king of Hollywood, is desperate to get the NFL to the table for the chance to handle their TV rights.
In next week’s episode, he does get a meeting with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, with the help of relentlessly driven agent/football fan Lizzie Grant (Autumn Reeser).
I only wish Ari would finally dump that big bore of a Hollywood wife of his (Perrey Reeves). Her character can shut down a scene faster than the union.
Meantime, Eric is dealing with his soon-to-be equally boring, whiney wife, while Turtle is attempting to become an entrepreneur, running a limo service with sexy girl drivers.
Finally, there’s the drama of Drama.
Will he get a series of his own? Will he succeed in his quest to become as big a star as his half-brother?
Failing that, will he ever get any part? And will the poor schmo ever wake up and smell the greasepaint — on everybody else’s face?
Yes, boys and boys, “Entourage” gets better and more polished each season. But it probably bites the dust after next year.
Until then, there will be many more deals to make, stunts to perform, girls to perform for and trash to talk.