What I’m Watching: Royal Pains

Royal Pains: Season 2, Episode 8 “The Hankover” (B+)

This episode was interestingly edited and presented since the “24 hours earlier” bit didn’t actually give us too much insight into how everything happened other than to show that everyone got really drunk. Still, it was a fun start and an entertaining, if not entirely believable in terms of character motivations, episode. I’m particularly fascinated by how well Hank and Emily (who he continues to call Dr. Peck) get along, and how neither seem to think that getting together will pose a problem for business. I’m also not sure how long Anastasia Griffith’s contract extends and whether she’ll just up and disappear sometime soon. In the meantime, there’s plenty of other romantic drama in the air. It does appear that Raj and Divya are going to make it, much to Evan’s chagrin since he clearly cares for Divya and she also enjoys his company, much as she wouldn’t readily admit it. Watching that video at the end did prove enlightening, even if all earlier indicators suggested that arranged marriages should include supplemental sources of satisfaction and fulfillment. Seeing characters act much more loosely than they usually do, like Hank wanting to punch an old bully in the face and Divya and Jill partying all around Manhattan the whole night, was enjoyable and helped make this one of the least serious hours this show has had yet. Like many other things that wouldn’t work elsewhere, this show pulls it off admirably and, most importantly, entertainingly, putting in just enough medicine and actual case work to stick to the premise of the series.