Why do I watch Entourage?

Here's my problem. when you turn on HBO to watch television, you expect a higher class of show. Comedically, Entourage IS that higher class of show. It's still very entertaining despite what I'm about to say. But as far as the storylines go, I'm not sure the fans who're watching the show as loyally as I am realize the hornswaggle that's being played upon them.

As massively entertaining as the show is, and with all the little windows it purports to provide into the world of a budding mega star... it doesn't. There's no conflict. There's nothing that goes wrong for more than a half-hour's worth of television -- and that sort of watered down sitcom-writer thinking is not what HBO has promised me. The longest-running conflict, Vince's Mandy Moore obsession, lasted two episodes or so.

Case in point, last week's beginnings of conflict between Eric and Vince over their feelings about fictional would-be blockbuster Medellin, into which they've put all of their cash. Eric, in a fit of panic, takes every step he can think of to get the movie fixed and, supposedly, save Vince's career. He even goes groveling to Harvey Weinstein. Vince, who liked the flick, doesn't even care. He's off partying with Dennis Hopper.

Now, this could be the beginnings of a big split between the two. Vince dumps Eric as a manager and Eric goes on to run a studio in a perfectly Superman/Lex Luthor storyline that would be compelling and still have that basis for entertaining comedy that the show has a stranglehold on.

Turns out it's not. Everything's OK now, since the movie's been accepted into the Cannes film festival. Conflict resolved. Everything's OK for another week, until one of the kids forgets to do their homework and has to be at school in an hour. Wait... that's Full House.

Show me a scandal in the tabloids -- some intern on set claiming Vince did something to her. Show me one of the guys getting arrested for something. Show me the movie ACTUALLY bombing. Give me a reason to worry about your characters.

I don't care how great it is to be a successful star. Basing a fictional show on that merely puts it on the level of reality shows like Girls Next Door and Hey Paula. Why waste writers on something like that?