Is pining for Vince turning Ari into a softie? Is Vince's hot new female agent (Carla Gugino) making him act like a wuss? Will the practice of agency "flirting" give way to actual agent flirting? These are the big questions as HBO's "Entourage" [1] starts up the second half of its third season this Sunday, April 8, at 10 P.M. EDT. At least with "Entourage," we know that getting those questions answered will be a blast. What is it about watching these guys that just makes me want to take shots of Patron and sit by the pool all day?

I got an early look at the first two episodes, and I can assure you that the series is still on top of its game. The episode airing this Sunday night is more of a welcome-back romp than a vehicle for plot development, but it's a good setup for what's to come. Ari Gold is on the verge of a rather unusual breakdown, Turtle and Drama are picking up chicks at the dog park, and Eric is still trying to strike a balance between Vince and Sloan.

Things really heat up in next Sunday's episode, though, when Vince realizes his new agent is impossible to ignore. Need a refresher? You can buy the first part of season three [2] on DVD. Or, to watch the teaser for part two of season three,

Photos courtesy of HBO [3]