Review: Royal Pains
USA follows up their cool and stylish Burn Notice with the cool and fun Royal Pains. I guess the best way to describe it is “House goes to the Hamptons” but Dr. Hank is way more likable and charismatic than House. After letting a rich patient die to save a kid who collapsed while playing basketball, Dr, Hank Lawson is fired and blackballed from getting another job. He eventually loses most of his possessions and his fiance. His younger brother Evan shows up to bring Hank out of his funk, saying he got invited to a private party in the Hamptons. Hank caves and while at the party saves a girl poisoned by insecticide. The house’s owner, Boris, is extremely grateful and offers Hank his guest house for the summer. Word spreads about the new “concierge doctor” and Hank begins getting offers from other wealthy people to perform various medical services for them.
The show has a great cast and good writing. Mark Feurstein, who’s mainly been in romantic comedies and sitcoms, is terrific as Hank, who reluctantly agrees to help the wealthy patrons of the Hamptons but also help those who can’t afford to go to the overworked local hospital. He gives off a very trustworthy vibe that you would hope your own doctor would have. Paulo Constanzo, probably best known from Road Trip, provides the comic relief as Hank’s brother Evan, who’s always looking for ways to get rich/laid. Relative newcomer Reshma Shetty is Hank’s assistant Divya, who is able to provide him with an SUV full of medical equipment and scrounge up potential clients. She and Hank seem to be making a good team, as demonstrated by the latest episode where they attempt to figure out what’s wrong with a senator’s quarterback son. Rounding out the cast is Jill Flint, who’s had mainly supporting roles on shows like Law and Order and Gossip Girl, as Hank’s love interest Jill Casey, who runs the local Heritage Hospital. She’s extremly smart and funny and she and Hank have great chemistry.
The medical situations the crew gets into are pretty interesting week to week, from trying to figure out why a ballerina passes out from certain foods to performing a triage with common household items. The clients Hank has to deal with range from quirky to douchebags (I’m looking at you guest star Andrew McCarthy). Between this and Burn Notice you’ll almost get a tan from the amount of beach shots you’ll get. There’s also gorgeous shots of mind blowing mansions every 5 minutes or so. If you like shows like House then you’ll probably dig Royal Pains, it’s like a margarita to the former’s scotch.
4 out of 5