Still one of the best written shows on television, the shine definitely started to wear off of Entourage in 2007. The HBO series was the golden child of pop culture at the beginning of the year, and could be seen on the cover of countless magazines and the focus of dozens of TV pieces. If you didn't watch Entourage, you weren't as cool as the people who did. And the show lived up to the hype. The first two-and-a-half seasons of Entourage contained some of the best TV comedy of the decade, a brilliant mix of male camaraderie and behind-the-scenes Hollywood anecdotes. In short, Entourage rocked. But, there's reprecussions to being on the cover of every magazine that the clients of Ari Gold know about all too well - backlash.

The Show: The Entourage backlash began this past summer around the end of the last half of the third season and the start of the fourth. Partially due to overexposure but more due to its protracted plots (the Medellin arc felt like it was never going to end), people started to turn on this excellent series. Is Entourage as good as it has ever been? Not quite. The show seemed to lose just a little focus this year and people were looking for a chink in its armor. Is Entourage better than most shows on TV? Absolutely. There are episodes in the latter half of the third season, now available on DVD, that are among the best 30-minutes aired on TV. "Manic Monday," "Gotcha!," and "The Resurrection," are right up there with the best episodes of Weeds, 30 Rock, or whatever your favorite comedy might be. And, like Vinnie Chase, we believe Entourage can easily reach its peak again and possibly surpass it. Everyone has had their ups and downs on Entourage, even the writers and actors. If you think they're in down, then just wait for the up.

The DVD: As with most HBO DVDs, the visual quality and sound mix on Entourage is nearly unmatched in the world of TV on DVD. The video and audio presentations are perfect. You won't find a single flaw in the picture and the nearly-as-good surround sound track. The two-disc DVD comes with only two special features, but they're both great for fans of Entourage. The "Anatomy of Entourage," a behind-the-scenes bit on the finale will please fans, but it's incredibly short (only around 11 minutes). The better extra is a Museum of Television & Radio Panel from 2006 with the cast and crew. It's almost an hour discussion that provides tons of insight on how the show developed over its first few years. It's a must-have bonus for Entourage fans, who will also find three commentaries. Considering there are only eight episodes, that's an awesome ratio.

Final Thoughts: You're probably not starting your Entourage collection with Season Three - Part Two. To be honest, we still don't get that whole "parts" separation with the last seasons of Entourage and The Sopranos. If you've heard any backlash about Entourage, don't believe all of it. The show is still better than most on TV and HBO gives it the proper home treatment it deserves.

comment:

im probably not yet watch this season, but i think this season should be great!! which the season 1 and 2 is good.