Royal Pains – We can get some wine, Burgundy is fine

It is often said that all good things come to an end. Such is the case when it relates to USA’s hit series Royal Pains. It seems the third season, a fluff filled arrangement of sunny locations, intriguing medical cases and nifty fashion, has come to a conclusion with a finale that was rather poignant. That’s always nice I suppose. So, without further ado, let’s make like Hank in the opening credits and jump right in, shall we?

Jack is dead. Somebody get me a Kleenex … and some gin. Despite the brief hallucination that Hank may have had at the start of the episode, Tom Cavanaugh’s character is sadly a goner which, as you can imagine, has put Hank in a pretty foul mood. Who knew such moods were achievable in the Hamptons? I certainly didn’t. In fact, I think I learned in State and Local Government that being happy was a law in the Hamptons. Yup. I sure did. Wait a second … I just realized something! Is that why I didn’t graduate with honors?

Let’s not get sidetracked. At the end of last week’s installment, I predicted nothing but turmoil for Hank, and it seems I was right. I’ll admit that I did really feel sorry for him especially when he was watching footage of Jack teaching him how to golf. Brotherhood is good for the soul, folks!

And for that matter, so is gin.

I digress. I think Mark Feuerstein did an excellent job in conveying sadness and frustration. I don’t know what it feels like to lose a true friend, but it’s something that I definitely don’t want to endure. However, should Hank beat himself up over this? There’s a question I’d like to see answered in the comments below. In all honesty, I feel that he did nothing wrong. Hank warned Jack about his condition and he wouldn’t listen. It’s sad, but it’s also true. Without a doubt, Hank is a fantastic doctor. If the world of Royal Pains was indeed a real one, I’d still trust him to help me in time of need … but I’d let that fine Divya work on me … and by work I mean … check my blood pressure.

Sheesh, people. Get your minds out the gutter!

Still, gorgeous Molly Sims may have been in the episode as Divya’s latest patient, but my eyes were fixated on Divya herself. What is it about Reshma Shetty that captivates me so? Not only is she pretty, but she carries herself well. Every single time she was on screen I found myself uttering, “That chick is bad!” Perhaps that’s because she is. As usual, Divya saved the day. She also found solace in being kind to Evan which, in turn, freaked him out a bit. I can’t say that I blame him. Divya without her prickly demeanor is a bit awkward.

After buying her shares in the company, Evan took a meeting with Boris and his business savvy cousin Claudette. It turns out that she designed some kind of medical clothing contraption that won’t exactly be a hit in next year’s JC Penny collection. Naturally, Evan is seeing dollar signs, and for that reason, he and I could be friends. However, Hank, being cautious, disapproves which leads to tension between the two brothers. I’d now like to point out that Sam, one of the readers of my Royal Pains recaps, had an inkling that Evan may use Divya’s shares to his advantage, and that’s just what he did. He now feels that he’s in charge … but last time I checked, Hank was the one with the M.D. Oh, boy.

In other news, Jill did nothing as usual. Sorry, guys. As much as I like actress Jill Flint, I still feel that she’s wallpaper in this show … pretty wallpaper, but wallpaper nonetheless. How much is she being paid? The writers seem to struggle with her character. Seriously. Has she had anything worthwhile to do? Are she and Hank even seeing each other? What the hell is going on? Perchance they can handle Jill better in the fourth season. Aside from feeling guilty about taking Jack on the boat, Jill just kind of stood in the background … and did … nothing. Whatever.

Speaking of Jack, it turns out that he didn’t want a funeral. How’s that for classy? To that end, our four leads — well, three leads plus Jill — gave him a toast on the golf course. It was a nice scene … one that reminded me how much better everyone in the Hamptons look. I’m jealous. Perhaps I need more gin.

And that about does it for the season finale, folks. Ladies and gentlemen, it has been my supreme pleasure recapping the second half of the third season of Royal Pains for you. I do hope you’ll join me for the fourth season this summer. In the interval, I’ll be reviewing Psych which returns next week, so get ready! However, until then, we have a few questions to ponder. For starters, how will Evan use his newfound leverage with HankMed? Will Divya ever get her shares back? Will Jill get a decent storyline? Will it rain in the Hamptons next season? I’d like to know. Enlighten me! Feel free to sound off in the comments below!

Clacked by Jaylen Christie
on Feb 23, 2012 @ 13:13 EST5EDT