What I’m Watching: Royal Pains

Royal Pains: Season 1, Episode 9 “It’s Like Jamais Vu All Over Again” (B)

It’s great to see Divya featured more prominently in this episode than ever before, and also nice to see her family showcased. The unfortunate thing is that the revelation that she’s a physician assistant comes in a very forced manner. This isn’t Divya’s first time riding, and therefore it’s more than a safe bet that her parents have come to see here ride at least one point in their lives. It stands to reason, then, that her father would be prepared for an insect’s life-endangering bite, and his getting bitten wouldn’t result in the accidental reveal of Divya as a physician assistant. Of course, they don’t quite catch on since they just think their daughter is brilliant, and Evan has to be the one to break the news. Her inevitable confrontation and then subsequent subservient withdrawal is endlessly frustrating, partially because she’s such a strong-willed character who lobbied Hank hard for a job and constantly stays on top of Evan, and to see her cower so unabashedly when facing her parents is a real shame. The relationship between Hank and Jill also hits the rocks, as Jill seems to be the one who’s not as into it, but then Hank will likely want to push on the brakes now that Jill’s ex is back in town. Casting-wise, I’m extremely pleased with Bruno Campos, who is most famous for his role on “Nip/Tuck.” I know that he’s a great do-gooder whose smile makes him seem like a villain from his terrific work on the four-episode series “The D.A.” from a few years ago (a great show also starring Steven Weber, J.K. Simmons, Sarah Paulson, and Michaela Conlin from “Bones”). He seems like he’s certainly a bit shady, but his presence should be annoying for Hank but delightfully entertaining for us viewers.