By Mark La Monica
I scored the offer of a lifetime from my connects at The TV Zone: an invite to borrow an advance copy of the first five episodes of Season 3.5 of "Entourage."
It was a tough decision. It was a brain-wracker. A gut-turner. A craving tormenter.
How does one decide? On the one hand, it's brand new "Entourage" available simply by walking downstairs and picking up the DVD. I could be the first kid on the block to see it and then tell everyone if the new season is good or bad.
On the other hand, watching the first five in one sitting (because you know how easy that is to do) would basically ruin the every Sunday in April and the first one in May. It could also effect the spontaneity of reacting and writing off the show each week, the No. 2 reason this blog has been so successful. (The No. 1 reason is the 60,000 or so folks who read this blog last August and the tens of thousands who continued to read in the offseason.)
But, still, it's brand new Entourage!
I had to seek outside counsel from several circles of my world. Some had solid advice. Some just wanted to know if I could burn them a copy.
Leaning toward turning down the offer, I was convinced it was the smart move after reading a quote from Mark Wahlberg in an HBO interview.
"The next eight are phenomenal," he said. "I don't even want to read stuff anymore, I just want to turn on the TV on Sunday night and watch it like everybody else."
When one of the executive producers is so fired up about his own show that he won't let the surprise of each new episode be ruined by script readings, you know you're onto something big. (Or, the EP is mad lazy. Not the case this time.)
So, I turned it down, content to be among the people when it comes blogging it out about "Entourage."
P.S. I did reserve the right to borrow the DVD in-season in case I'm away one weekend and can't feed my addiction on the road one Sunday at 10 p.m.
Comments (7)
I think you made the right decision, even though it would be awesome to see all the new shows right off the bat. You would have nothing to look forward to except everyone else asking “what happens next week”. Keep up the Blog its one of my daily stops on the internet when I’m at work. ~D
Tell you what I'm prepared to do for you (Only because I'm a giver, give, give give, never take, always give)
I will sacrifice my sunday nights by watching all 5 episodes for you, then give a thumbs up accordingly!
You're full of it and anyone reading this knows it.
Dear Anonymous,
Although I may be full of this "it" you speak of on some occasions, never do I do such things when writing.
Alas, I have not seen any episodes yet.
Sorry to disappoint you.
Well, Mark may not have partaken in the five advance episodes, but Paul Brownfield of the LA Times did. Here's what he had to say (no spoliers, don't worry)...
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-ontv27mar27,1,6246935.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews
I have been reading you regularly, and it's obvious that this would be a gut-wrenching choice. I would have to say that you made the right choice - but specifically because of your #2 reason - reacting and writing. The reason why this is so fun is because I can fall off the couch laughing at something and just *know* you'll be blogging about it too... But if you knew about it beforehand, you'd be dusting off old memories of how you reacted before - just not the same.
Was that new music being played during opening credits tonight?