Royal Pains Review: 50 Strains of Fame
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It's no secret that I've warned time and again that the path of discontinuity Royal Pains has approached through Season 4 with was akin to "Dancing With the Devil," and if tonight was not the ultimate culmination of that fear, I don't know what is.
Finales of any kind are prime opportunities to tie up loose ends and unleash plots that the audience didn't see coming. But between the awkwardly executed addition of HankMed doctors and the many introduced/unexplored relationships, this finale didn't knock my socks off.
Let's start with Divya, whose steamy moment with polo player, Rafa apparently turned into quite an evening for the usually very reserved physician's assistant. It didn't take long to see that it was becoming more than just a one-night stand. But what is it becoming, exactly? To be fair, while in her presence, I haven't actually heard Rafa say very much to Divya or even about himself. This was more true tonight than last week.
What are we going to do when he leaves? He's only supposed to be around for a week according to Divya herself.
I also don't think that every time Divya is presented with more than one thing taking place in her life, whether it be two jobs last season or now with Rafa, she should be portrayed as distracted to the point it compromises her occupation in some way. I got a flashback to when she accidentally prescribed the wrong medications to a patient in the Royal Pains Season 3 mid-season finale.
Mix that with the Lady Gaga-esque pop star, Eva and Dr. Sacani's attempts to treat her while clubbing, and it only gets stranger. I couldn't tell the whole time whether he was crushing on her the same as he was on Divya, or whether Eva was meant to be an emotional stand-in for Divya? It could even just be that he's starting to warm up to people in general.
At the same time there was the fallout from the revelation of Paige's adoption to address as well. The bombshell that dropped at the end of last week's hour had me believing it would be a focal point of this episode. In reality, it took a back seat to the hodge-podge of other plots that emerged.
Though her denial lasted a good part of the episode, Paige eventually admitted to Evan that it was taking its toll. Whether her new college digs or Evan's statement that they move forward and start from scratch together will ease her inner turmoil is yet to be seen.
Then there was the matter of Marissa and Carlos' sudden and inexplicable reappearance. While I appreciated the effort to bring them back into the mix, it seemed to me a little too late.
This feeling was only enhanced when it became clear that the most qualified pediatrician to treat the little one was also the same doctor Hank semi-stood up for at dinner earlier in the season to be at Boris' beck and call.
Hank just keeps moving from woman to woman. I don't know how to feel about it in all. The minute Jill leaves there has to be another woman in Hank's orbit; that is not the way to conceptualize a character.
I do like the pediatrician, and I hope for continuity sake she sticks around. Maybe the final few episodes will have them both together and attending Eva's concert?
Which story line interested you most this week?
C. Charles is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow her on Twitter.