I'd have to check the DVD library, but it seems like nearly every new season of HBO's "Entourage" has featured actor Vincent Chase and his "boys" -- manager Eric, brother Johnny "Drama" and driver Turtle -- moving into a new house.

Season 6 premiered Sunday night with the boys again occupying a home that was new and old -- the one they lived in when Vince was on top of the Hollywood food chain.

The coming weeks will determine whether or not the location has deep plot meaning... For now, I'm just glad that the guys are coming to my house once a week.

I always considered "Entourage" to be a wisecracking little brother to HBO's previous Sunday night staples "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City." It is a look at life in Hollywood's fast lane through the eyes of four buddies from Queens. It had cool clothes, breezy dialog and enough "inside baseball" references to make the 22-minute episodes seem criminally short.

Jeremy Piven's portrayal of obnoxious agent Ari Gold was reason enough to tune in (especially when he was berating his Asian assistant, Lloyd, played by Rex Lee). Kevin Dillon's multi-layered take on Johnny Drama, the loser brother, was another highlight.

Some very smart people I know have ripped the show for stagnating in recent seasons, but Vince's struggles last season -- while trying to recover from the taint of "Medellin" the meltdown of "Smokejumpers" and his inability to land an audition with Gus Van Sant -- set the stage for this season's comeback.

Though the brush with failure didn't seem to have a profound impact on Vince (played by Adrian Grenier), who is riding high after starring in Martin Scorsese's Gatsby-inspired flick, Sunday's episode seems to hint that his personal growth will come from watching his buddies evolve.

In the opening minutes of the premiere, we find out that Eric is on a hot streak with the ladies and considering getting his own place. Of course, Eric a bit reluctant to tell Vince, whom he claims doesn't like to be alone.

"You've never seen me alone," Vince counters. "You're always with me 'cause you can't be alone."

"Have you ever lived by yourself?" Eric asks.

Vince fires back: "Have you? And the guest house doesn't count."

That exchange -- with the two buddies wondering if they can live apart -- sets the tone for the rest of the episode, which is entitled "Drive." Vince learns how to drive for a movie role, but that also makes him less dependent on his buddies. Johnny Drama, a D-List personality who plays Frank Stallone to Vince's Rocky, is entrenched on a hit prime-time series. Turtle is dating former Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler.

Vince may still be the meal ticket for his buddies, but they're forging lives independent of the group and the episode ends with him alone in his mansion.

Personal growth doesn't end with in the "frat house," though. The most interesting plot lines Sunday involved Ari's relationships with Lloyd, who is demanding a promotion, and his agent-pal Andrew Klein (Gary Cole), who is in the midst of his own comeback.

Though the episode moved a little slowly and had some dated references to defunct shows like "My Name is Earl" and Jay Leno's version of "The Tonight Show," there were enough elements to keep fans interested in what is going to happen next.

With the actors aging and writers likely running out of plausible ideas to keep them linked, "Entourage" may be on its last legs. As a fan, I hope the show can sprint to a strong finish.