“Royal Pains” first debuted as a summer show on the USA Network in 2009. It didn’t take long for me to be hooked on this show. Hank Lawson ((Mark Feuerstein) was dubbed as a MacGyver type doctor. I liked the show so much that I was not happy to have to wait until the next summer for new episodes. I was glad when the wait was over and even happier that the wait for new episodes was not as long this time. New episodes return Thursday, January 20 at 9/8c.
In the first episode of the series, Hank loses his job as an up and coming doctor in New York. He valiantly saves a teen-age patient, but in the course of that patient’s life being saved, a wealthy patron of the hospital dies because Hank was more focused on the teenager. From a medical point of view, Hank made the right decision, but this decision will cost Hank everything and bring him to the Hamptons. What starts out as a weekend get away with his brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) turns into a fresh start for Hank. He ends up as a concierge doctor in the Hampton’s, but Hank is not only a doctor to the rich, but helps the less fortunate as well with his new company HankMed.
“Royal Pains” has a great cast of characters. Hank’s physician assistant Divya Katdare (Reshma Shetty) brings good drama to the show. She is a very capable physician assistant, but her parents want a different life for her. What they do approve of is her upcoming arranged marriage to Raj. Raj is a good catch and seems to be a good man. She is reluctantly willing to go through with the marriage until she falls in love with one of her patients. At the end of the last episode, her marriage to Raj is in jeopardy as she gives into her feelings for her patient with a kiss.
Hank’s brother Evan provides good comedy relief. He is an accountant and the self-appointed CFO of HankMed’s finances. He is always looking for ways to make money and promote the company. In season 2, Evan ends up with a rich girlfriend, but the return of the brothers’ father occupies much of his time. He does have a cute relationship with his girlfriend though.
Henry Winkler plays Eddie R. Lawson. He is a shifty sort of character. He has been an absent father. Hank finds it hard to forgive, but progress is made in season 2. Evan is more accepting of his father, but finds reasons for concern as the season progresses. In the last episode, we find out that Eddie has been an SEC informant and spying on Hank and Evan’s landlord Boris (Campbell Scott). In the midst of Boris revealing that he knows about Eddie in front of his two sons, it appears that Eddie has a heart attack. Boris is a mysterious figure with a deadly hereditary disease. Hank is his personal physician. He is intensely private and no fan of Eddie R. Lawson.
Two other characters that were not as critical in the last episode are Jill Casey (Jill Flint) and Ms. Newberg (Christine Ebersole). Jill Casey has been Hank’s love interest, but many complications have derailed their relationship. Hank spent a good deal of time with another concierge doctor last season. Jill was not too happy about that development. It will be interesting to see the developments in their relationship with new episodes. Jill and Divya have developed a good relationship since the beginning of the show. Ms. Newberg is another character providing comic relief. She is a socialite and seems to have an addiction to plastic surgery. She has become involved with Eddie R. Lawson.
I think “Royal Pains” is a fun show. It has a good mix of drama and comedy. The characters are interesting and continue to evolve. It is engaging to see Hank interact with patients from all parts of society. He is a good doctor and very innovative in his approach to medicine. I am looking forward to new episodes. If you have not yet seen “Royal Pains,” now may be a good time to jump into it.
Sources
http://www.usanetwork.com/series/royalpains/index.html
