Return of the Mack

When Entourage premiered during the summer of 2004, it was an envious, fresh, male-targeted comedy. But after gaining quite the following over the years, the HBO staple clearly lost its way. By last season, almost every episode seemed to follow a generic formula - Turtle and Drama team up for some idiotic scheme, Vince and E put themselves in predicaments, and Ari screams at Lloyd. No matter how bleak things looked, the crew would always come out on top. Nothing bad ever happened. Can't find a plane? Well Kanye will come save the day!

Couple the recycled story lines with the irritating Billy Walsh character, and you're stuck watching a show for old times sake.

So with slight apathy, I checked out Sunday night's Season 5 premiere, and to my surprise, saw everything that originally made Entourage great - Skinemax sex scenes, lavish living and Ari being Ari (I can't believe it took him this long to call Lloyd "Yoko"). Viewers were also treated to the music stylings of Mark Morrison's "Return of the Mack" when E, Ari and Drama went to Mexico to get Vince. It doesn't get better than that!

The first 2 1/2 seasons followed Vince's rise to fame. Now that he's hit bottom after the "Medellin" debacle, it looks like it's back to square one.

Vince might even need to get help from his publicist, Shauna. But considering she's done a complete Judy Winslow, it seems unlikely.

Nevertheless, Episode 55 had me continually looking at the clock on the cable box. Just like with the early episodes, I didn't want this one to end.