Four Is the Perfect Number After All: HBO's "Entourage"

I'm really not sure about Entourage's new character Dom.

After all, it's taken me this long to stop getting annoyed every time that Turtle appears on-screen. But Entourage's producers have seen it fit to introduce a fifth wheel into the Entourage gang (not counting Ari, of course): namely ex-felon Dom (guest star Domenick Lombardozzi of The Wire), who made his first appearance in Sunday night's episode ("Dominated"). Whether Dom will be staying permanently is anybody's guess, but Vince has already given him the illustrious job of head of security... despite the fact that he's the biggest security risk since that loon Chapman wandered up to the Dakota.

I get the fact that Dom is supposed to invite trouble and shake things up for Vince and the boys, but, at the same time, I can only really handle one annoying Entourage player at a time and that role has been filled by Turtle since the very beginning. That said, it was amusing to see Eric, Drama, and Turtle all get bent out of shape about Dom usurping their roles within the group. Drama is the chef, Turtle the driver, and Eric the confidante; Dom is just... baggage. Baggage with a criminal record and a penchant for walking around the Beverly Hills manse in the nude.

To me, Entourage has always been more about the relationship(s) between these four guys than the guest star of the week. Plus, I'd much rather that any conflicts come from within the group itself, rather than from an outsider who has wandered onto the series. While that doesn't mean that the show can't include characters from their pasts resurfacing and stirring things up, the inclusion of Dom just felt a little too... "tv-ish" for lack of a better word. We'd never heard of the guy and suddenly he's broken into Vince's home and is watching porn on his sofa. (Did it strike anyone else as a too convenient and a little too scripted?)

Otherwise, Entourage's third season has been a fantastic ride (except for a little awkwardness in the premiere episode, but then again, all of their season premieres have been stilted) and I'm happy to see that supporting players Shauna (Debi Mazar) and Mrs. Ari (Perrey Reeves) seem to be getting some character development. While I love the guys, it's great to see the show continue to invest as much time into the people around them as the foursome themselves (which is why I'd rather not have a brand new character in the mix).

Additionally, it's fantastic to see Vince (Adrian Grenier) suddenly become the biggest star in the world after the box office success of his James Cameron-directed feature Aquaman, but I hope that Vince doesn't become too big for his britches. That said, I'd prefer Entourage stick to the insider's perspective of the industry and leave Dom's soap operatics to other series. It's far more interesting to see the gang negotiate the trecherous waters of Hollywood life than negotiate with a naked felon.

Let's hope that something--other than the Dominator--comes along to trip up the Golden Boys a little, because we don't want this entourage turning into an actual success story. At least, not quite yet. After all, it took Entourage exec producer Mark Wahlberg a while to ditch the Funky Bunch and score an Italian Job.

"Entourage" airs Sunday evenings at 10 pm ET/PT on HBO; episodes are also available on HBO On Demand.

What's On Tonight

8 pm: Gameshow Marathon (CBS); My Name is Earl/The Office (NBC); Smallville (WB); Master of Champions (ABC); That '70s Show/That '70s Show (FOX); Everybody Hates Chris/Love, Inc. (UPN)

9 pm: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS); My Name is Earl/The Office (NBC); Supernatural (WB); Primetime (ABC; 9-11 pm); So You Think You Can Dance (FOX); Eve/Cuts (UPN)

10 pm: Without a Trace (CBS); Windfall (NBC)

What I'll Be Watching

7 pm: Hex on BBC America. (10 pm ET)

Still rather unimpressed by Hex but there's little else on at this time. On tonight's episode ("The Release"), Azazeal's plans for Cassie become clear. And let's just be clear, they don't include marriage, right? Right?

8-9 pm: My Name is Earl/The Office.

On tonight's repeat episode ("Stole a Badge"), Earl attempts to return a police badge he had stolen years earlier. Then on a repeat of The Office ("Christmas Party"), an office tradition of Secret Santa turns bitter when Michael suggests a game of Yankee Swap instead.

9-10 pm: My Name is Earl/The Office.

An hour later, it's the same tasty combo again. On another repeat episode of Earl ("BB"), Earl tries to reunite a former flame with her estranged father. And then it's my very favorite episode of The Office ("The Injury"), in which Michael injures his foot on a George Foreman grill and disrupts the entire office, while Dwight has a personality change from a car accident. If you didn't download the episode from iTunes (thanks to a rather nifty free download card in Variety), here's your chance to put this on your TiVo until the DVD comes out in September.

10 pm: 5 Takes: Pacific Rim on the Travel Channel.

On tonight's installment of 5 Takes: Pacific Rim ("Vote: Thailand or Cambodia"), the reality/travel show I just can't say enough about, the gang sets off--depending on the results of the viewer poll--for either Thailand or Cambodia, their final destination before heading home. I'm getting sad just thinking about this wonderful series coming to an end as we say goodbye to Gabe, Renee, Tony, Tiffany, and Josh. I'm going to miss you guys...