Checking Back With: Entourage

I'm coming a couple days late to this, but: while I'd had hope that Entourage was back with its Vince-hits-bottom storyline this season, my faith was shaken with the very-special shrooms-in-the-desert episode Sunday. Like so many episodes in the middle of the last season, it seemed inserted to pad out the season, and really, if they have that little story to tell in a given year, then just do eight episodes and be done with it. (Also, although Joshua Tree is still a ways from Vegas, I kept expecting to hear Tony Soprano yelling "I get it!" from beyond the next rock outcropping.)

Update: HBO, not caring what I think, just picked the show up for another season.

I really want to like this show again, though, so I'm sticking with it. What have you thought of it so far? For that matter, I invite your updated thoughts on True Blood, Little Britain USA and The Life and Times of Tim as well.