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S06.E13: Ganging Up

Tara Ariano

By Tara Ariano
in Royal Pains [V]

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Tara Ariano

Tara Ariano

Hank and Evan search for Emma following her disappearance while Paige and Evan discover startling news about Bob. Elsewhere, Jeremiah realizes he needs to make some changes, Divya faces another custody complication, and Boris worries about his illness.
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Moose135

Moose135

I don't disagree, betsyboo, a neat resolution for everyone. I haven't heard anything about another season - when does USA usually make those announcements? Sad to say, but I'm not sure I'll be sorry if it doesn't come back.

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catray

catray

Someone who is more knowledgeable than myself: if Rafa gave up his parental rights when Sashi was born (I'm assuming this is the case-- I don't think we know) does he really have a chance of getting sole custody of Sashi? Again, this seems more of a plot to generate some drama than anything else.

Van Dyke!! I've missed his smarminess. I had to laugh when Hank asked, mock horrified, if there were more than one of him. His brother definitely had the Douchey Van Dyke down, but without the underlying charm the "original VD" has.

So Dr Bob isn't really a Dr? So long Bob! Or not... But honestly, I think it's kind of sweet that Jeremiah showed up at his door.

So... Divya and Raj? Are they going to try and make this happen now that they are both unattached.

I liked Paige confronting Hank over his treatment of Evan; thank god, finally!

I am mostly happy with where this season leaves off-- yes there are some danglingly ends but overall I felt better about where the show might be headed. Or maybe they just manipulated me with the rosy Hamptons sunset and music. I guess in some ways it could be a series finale, but it seems unlikely that USA would cancel this. Doesn't it do well in the ratings?

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izabella

izabella

So Dr Bob isn't really a Dr? So long Bob! Or not... But honestly, I think it's kind of sweet that Jeremiah showed up at his door.

 

I thought that was really sweet, too!  I want Jeremiah to find happiness, and hope Not-Dr. Bob can help him!

 

I was hoping for a NewParts Neuberg sighting when we visited Eddie in NY, but no.  So sad.

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nenya

nenya

I actually would not mind a Divya/Raj reunion. One thing I liked about their relationship was that they had a friendship, and allowed each other to pursue their passions. I also remember the episode with the stripper, and how we were supposed to wonder if Raj did something, but he ended up being a gentleman. I didn't like the suing storyline (and couldn't believe that Divya wouldn't get lawyers involved) but if we pretend that didn't happen, Raj seemed like a pretty good guy. I actually see that as a better pairing for her than Jeremiah (though I love him). 

 

But this did seem like a series finale. I did get fooled at one part though. When Hank was running after Evan, and then when Evan took Paige upstairs and it focused on his ringing phone, I thought it was leading to another Hank accident/cliffhanger. I am so glad they didn't go in that direction.

 

But yes, the episode did seem like a series finale. And as much as I enjoyed the first few seasons of the show, I guess I can be okay with that. 

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happyhumanist

happyhumanist

Oh, puffaroo--me too!! I am happy that I recorded the ep so I could fast-forward over those fame wh***s. This is probably the part I hate most about RP--product placement of reality "stars." 95% of them I have never seen before. I know they must be famous somehow by the way the actors fawn over them.

I do agree that this felt like a series finale. If it is, then I'm ok with that. USA has cancelled all my favorite shows (or will--White Collar). So I'm used to it.

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ganesh

ganesh

If they have the need to include cameos with criminals like the Kardashians, then I hope they end the show. Otherwise, I don't know what else is left to do. I think it might be time to wrap it up anyway. USA shows end typically with "life goes on" and not wrapping everything up perfectly.

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Ohmo

Ohmo

I think Royal Pains is following the CSI: NY model.  No decision appears to have been made about renewal yet, which means the writers didn't know when they wrote the episode.  So, they wrote something that could function as a series finale if need be, but they left some options open as well.  Boris' disease seems to be progressing. If there's one more season, that could be a storyline. Paige could get pregnant. That would be another storyline.

 

I'd like to see one more season.  Eight to ten episodes would be nice, but I do appreciate what the writers did with this episode.  If this was the series finale, I'll take the Royal Pains and CSI: NY approach any day of the year instead of the disaster that befell The Glades!

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ganesh

ganesh

Of course Paige could get pregnant. What else would a woman want? Look at Divya. Now She Has It All. She brings home the bacon and fries it up in a pan. She'll never ever let Raj forget that he's a man. 

 

That doesn't sound like enough to sustain a season. Growing their new foundation/hospital would be interesting, and Paige and Russell's business, but along with the COTWs, there's not much else going on. 

 

They could easily put a cap on the show with a 2 hour movie. 

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charlieboo

charlieboo

I was amazed at how quickly even the writers lost interest in Charlotte. Not one single character mentioned her when they were speaking to Hank about his future. Her only purpose was as a plot device to let that poor publicity-starved Kardashian have a brief moment in the spotlight.

Also, this episode began on the same day (or maybe the next) that Emma left. And wasn't Charlotte still in the hospital recovering from a near-fatal fall and adjusting to her sight? And yet not a scrape or bruise on her and no difficulty navigating at lunch. (maybe the Dome has moved from Chesters Mill to the Hamptons?)

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Ohmo

Ohmo

(edited)
Of course Paige could get pregnant. What else would a woman want? Look at Divya. Now She Has It All. She brings home the bacon and fries it up in a pan. She'll never ever let Raj forget that he's a man.

 

 

Not sure what Paige has to do with Divya.  To me, they are two entirely different situations.  Paige and Evan are married and have been for awhile.  They seem very much in love and, based on the season finale, enjoy an active sex life.  Unlike The Big Bang Theory with Bernadette and Howard, for example, there's been no indication that Paige and Evan don't want kids.  There's also been no indication that they are waiting to have kids or that Paige can't get pregnant  for some reason.  For a large number of married couples, having children is the likely next step unless one of the above factors is in play.

 

It'd be a way to reintroduce Paige's parents for the last season, and for those who want Evan to be more adult in his behavior, this could provide that change in perspective.  If RP comes back for another season, even an abbreviated one, logically, I'd think it'd be the final one.  It seems likely to me that a season of any length would include something major for either one of the Lawson brothers.  I don't see either one of them dying.  RP is a light show.  Hank has left the Hamptons and come back so many times, doing that again would be redundant.  Evan having a baby with his wife with whom he's very much in love would fit the light vibe of the series and make more sense to me than say, Hank marrying Charlotte.

Edited by Ohmo
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twoods

twoods

(edited)

This season had ups and downs but it was better than last season so I wouldn't mind it coming back. It is summer fluff and since Rookie Blue and Suits is off my DVR due to shitty seasons, this is all that is left (I am not going back to special snowflake Annie in Covert Affairs).

I would like Divya and Raj to make another go at it, and for Jeremiah to shine as a board member. I also like Van Dyke so would love to see him back. Just no Emma!

Edited by twoods
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Ohmo

Ohmo

(edited)
My point was that the "give female character a baby" plot doesn't always have to be the default, what can we do next with the character, move. Paige has actually stuff going on.

 

 

True, but I think it's the most likely for the vibe of this show, especially in a final season.  In one way or another, family history, lineage, and/or traditions have been a thread throughout the series.  We've had the bond between the Lawson brothers and the Lawson family drama with Eddie and Emma.  We've had the whole arc with Boris.  We've had the thread of arranged marriage in Divya's family.  There's been the arc about Paige's adoption, her family's history, and her mother's illness.  Newberg got involved with Eddie.  The show has done stories with Tucker and his dad.  Oz turned out to be Cinco's sister.  Divya's dealing with Rafa's mother.

 

Family is stamped all over this series, and Paige is married to Evan.  Neither Lawson son has any children, so given how the show has dealt with family in the past, I think the writers would likely visit family in some way during a final season.  It's just part of what the series is.  Evan and Paige having children is definitely not the most original move in history.  However, RP is summer fluff, not edgy cable.

Edited by Ohmo
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purplemonkey

purplemonkey

I think Boris was wistful when he saw Hank and Evan together because he lost his brother Dima/Dmitry.

Are you kidding me Jeremiah? Viviana is leaving town, and he doesn't even turn around to watch the hottest piece of ass he's ever seen walk out of his life? Is he so well mannered that he doesn't have a linger, even an accidental one?

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Boton

Boton

(edited)

 

That doesn't sound like enough to sustain a season. Growing their new foundation/hospital would be interesting, and Paige and Russell's business, but along with the COTWs, there's not much else going on.

 

It felt like a "keeping our options open" series/season finale to me too, but if they are renewed, I'd like to see them use this to wipe some of the slate clean.  Continue with the Boris disease subplot, at least enough to provide continuity, but then really focus on the hospital and foundation.  Let Evan really become a mover in the Hamptons community in addition to with HankMed.  Let Hank continue to do the lighthearted COTW, but maybe interject a few more complex cases since they now have a hospital at their disposal; maybe use Jeremiah in this way, since his background is in research.

 

I'm 100% against Paige having a baby, because babies (on television, that is) sideline female characters or turn them into impossible Wonder Women.  Either the character is pinned to the schedule of the child actor (thus reducing plot possibilities), the character talks about the baby all the time, or the character proceeds like nothing has happened and every viewer remarks on the impossibility. With Paige and Evan, you just know we'd have to suffer through the obligatory "Evan spends sleepless night after baby cries for 10 hours" and "Evan is left with baby and can't figure out diaper" subplot before we just sideline Paige in domestic bliss with no desires other than maternal ones. That's not all that fun for me to watch, frankly, and it has already happened to Divya to an extent.

 

ETA:  Also, with something like 20% of women between 40-44 making it to that age without ever giving birth, it would be nice to see a few more female characters whose story arc doesn't end in motherhood.

Edited by Boton
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BungalowSummer

BungalowSummer

(edited)

 

it would be nice to see a few more female characters whose story arc doesn't end in motherhood.

 

I agree. The downfall of Divya as a character was pregnancy and motherhood. I railed about this over at the other place. She was an intelligent, accomplished woman who fought her family's cultural traditions to have a career that she loved. But that wasn't enough for a teevee lady, she wasn't complete until she had a babeh so she could wearily wave the "I have it all!" flag, except of course for a reasonable husband. If there's another season, it will undoubtedly be used to reintroduce Raj as husband material.

 

That's why I vote "NO" to any Paige pregnancy, for all the reasons stated above. Goofball Evan would be in overdrive.

 

The way the ratings cratered this season says to me that the showrunner forgot what this show is about. Instead, we've had Divya and her baby bullshit and the dreadful Emma crapfest. Only at the end of the season, with Evan stepping up with some good ideas, and Boris deciding to buy the hospital, has the show returned to a promising direction. And they should remember -- this is a show about adults in a very adult environment. While it may be about two brothers, it is not primarily a "family" show.

 

mojito, thanks for the link. They also had this chart, about how all the USA shows have suffered crashing ratings. If anything, RP is doing better than many of their other shows, despite a catastrophic 34% drop in the demo and 43% drop in viewers, year-to-year. It only trails Suits and White Collar, and not by that much. Covert Affairs is practically sub-basement. No wonder they've held a clutch of CA episodes back from airing. I wouldn't be surprised if they air them in winter to fill in after another show bites the dust, and then cancel it.

 

Despite all my criticisms, I've always liked Royal Pains. It's the only medical show I can tolerate. It has been light, fluffy, full of pretty scenery, gorgeous houses, ridiculous clothes and statement necklaces, and inconsequential doings. Every so often, they had more serious situations, but it always came back to the bouncy music, perfect lawns and white sand beaches.

 

In fact, I've looked forward to Royal Pains every summer because watching it was much like spending the day at the beach. At the end of each show, like the end of a day at the beach, I'd be kinda sun-drunk, my ears filled with the sound of waves and gulls, my eyes tired from the brightness. If the show is cancelled, I will miss it very much.

Edited by BungalowSummer
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mojito

mojito

 

I'm 100% against Paige having a baby, because babies (on television, that is) sideline female characters or turn them into impossible Wonder Women.

Me, too.

 

Wouldn't it be novel to 1) have a couple giving no thought to having a family, or 2) deciding if pregnancy happens, it happens and then  shrugging it off  when it doesn't happen without the drama of infertility and all that entails? As far as I know, either of those scenarios would be new territory for a television show.

 

P.S. Thanks, BungalowSummer.

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twoods

twoods

I wonder if they take into effect the DVR ratings, because everything has sucked the past few years (even on network tv). Also these huge gaps between seasons doesn't help, along with going away from the premise of the show that made it popular.

I like the progression of Jeremiah as the past few seasons have come along. He's still awkward but knows when he needs help.

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ganesh

ganesh

That would explode all of television. There is no higher attainment for a woman but to have a baby on television. Her professional success is but a mote in comparison. If Paige ran for President and won in a landslide, she would be a complete failure if she did not immediately have a baby. 

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Ohmo

Ohmo

(edited)
I wonder if they take into effect the DVR ratings, because everything has sucked the past few years (even on network tv).

 

 

I went and peeked in the Networks forum, and it matches what I've been reading about USA. People don't seem to be embracing the shift that the network is trying to do.  I think that affects Royal Pains either way.  Either the series will get cancelled because the network is going to go all-in on its new vision or RP could be given another year as a transition or to give the network time to develop some new lighter fare.

 

I'd like Van Dyke to return in a final season, along with Paige's parents and Newberg.  Since it's unlikely that we'll get Ezra Miller back, I'll take a mention of Tucker via e-mail or text.  Something like that.  I'd also like to see Marissa again.  Raj can also come back, along with Russell.

 

I don't need or want: Jill, Eddie, Emma, Bob, or Divya's parents.  I'm a realist, though.  I don't think there's any way to avoid having Eddie around if there is a Season 7.

Edited by Ohmo
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Curious5

Curious5

Watched for years but mostly because my husband likes it.  Go figure!  Hank's love life from the beginning has been a drag for me. It's been fluff from the beginning and that's alright.  It has been irritating at times though.  Doesn't anyone want to yell at Even to put on his big boy pants?  And who in the heck pay for Paige and Evan's wardrobe?  Do guys really wear matching colored shoes with their pretty pink or yellow coats and shirts?

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Curious5

Curious5

My favorite was Jeremiah!  I am so over roles with women trying to do everything.  And shows that have to have women as the head of the FBI, CIA, NCIS, and head of the hospital as in this show.  But it seems we gravitate to the odd dysfunctional person.  Enter Jeremiah!  Is it the typical role is boring so we like the odd one?  Sonya in the Bridge and Jeremiah here. Sherlock (Johnny Miller) in Elementaryand House.

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ganesh

ganesh

I think playing an odd character really gives an actor a chance to flex their chops so they're not any better than anyone else, but they have more to work with.

 

It's also a cop out by the writers because they seemingly can't make the "normal" characters interesting and they just fall back on tropes. I mean, Divya was fine until recently, but they went the whole baby route because they either ran out of ideas.

 

Which is so weird with this show. Paige has been fine since she's been on the show. I've been saying if they want to refresh the show to shift the focus to Paige, Evan, and Jeremiah and just have Hank be content to do the weird cases of the week. 

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WE12

WE12

This crazy, I'm just now getting into Royal Pains and its packed with all sorts of twists and turns that keeps viewers on their toes. Hank a sarcastic guy with a hero complex and Evan is an 'I'll get you to smile whether you want to or not' kind of guy, and together they rock the show. I must give huge props to others, too, like Divya. Who can't seem to make up her mind on who she wants to be with. And let's not forget the silver fox, Boris Kuester von Jurgens-Ratenicz, who I see as a very unpredictable character who LOVES his privacy and will do just about anything to get what he wants.

In the finally, some would say Boris was pissed that Evan walked away from him. I think he looked sort of...far away. Like he was seeing Hank and Evan, but not seeing them at the same time. I like to think he was seeing himself and his late brother, Dima.

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