TV Show Review: Royal Pains - Season 8

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: More wonderful episodes with these characters

Cons: We have to say goodbye to them

The Bottom Line:

One last Hamptons trip

Filled with fun and laughter as

HankMed says good-bye

HankMed’s Final House Calls

I think everyone knew it was coming.  Two years ago, the USA Network renewed Royals Pains for season 7 and 8, but each season would only be eight episodes.  While they waited until this spring to officially announce that season 8 would be the final season, I wasn’t surprised to hear the announcement.  However, the writers and creators took advantage of this news to craft a wonderful final season that will leave all fans thrilled.

As this season opens, it’s the start of a new summer, and the HankMed gang is getting ready for business as usual.  Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein) has a new potential girlfriend.  His brother Evan (Paulo Costanzo) is still trying to balance the demands of HankMed and his job running the hospital.  Meanwhile he and his wife Paige (Brooke D’Orsay) are still trying to have a child.  Dr. Jeremiah Sacani (Ben Shenkman) is attempting to get back to treating patients after spending most of the year in the lab.  And physician assistant Divya Katdare (Reshma Shetty) is anxiously waiting for word on getting into medical school while expecting a child with her new husband – Raj (Rupak Ginn).

While the HankMed gang deals with all this going on in their lives, Hank accompanies Boris (Campbell Scott) on a trip to Hong Kong, Jeremiah treats his favorite author, and we meet a family of kids who need help.

But there is definitely change in the air.  First, Hank and Evan’s father Eddie (Henry Winkler) reappears announcing his upcoming marriage to Ms. Newburg (Christine Ebersole) before he vanishes.  Then a surprise reappearance from Jill (Jill Flint) captures Hank’s interest again.  Are things changing for our characters?  Where will everyone end up?

Yes, there really are only 8 episodes in the season, and they are jam packed full.  There is not a wasted second here.  As always, the emphasis is as much if not more on what is going on with the characters as it is the medical mystery of the week.  Oh, we get some new clients and their ailments, but we tune in because of these characters.

And the final episode nails why.  (No, I’m not going to spoil anything.)  These characters are a family.  They have stood by each other through thick and thin, and they truly care for each other.  Oh, they may fight and have disagreements (we do need conflict on a TV show after all), but they work things out in the end.  I have loved watching their relationships grow and change as the characters grew over these eight seasons.  For fans like me, this didn’t disappoint.

Which brings us to the final episode.  It was perfect!  I’m actually a little surprised I didn’t bawl all the way through it, but there were so many wonderful moments between the characters as everything was wrapped up.  And I am absolutely thrilled with how they wrapped things up for the characters.  In fact, I was so happy with it, my poor roommate had to listen to me ramble on about it a couple times that night after I’d finished watching it.

Since the writers were treating it as a final season, they brought in quite a few past characters for cameos.  Many of them showed up in the musical episode, which was a lot of fun.  And let me just say, the female cast is super talented.  The men hold their own when it came to singing, but the ladies shine.

Of course, I’m going to keep the praise going by talking about the great acting.  The stars and the recurring actors nail their parts once again.  The guest stars rise to the occasion as well.

If you are a fan of this show, you’ll be thrilled with how it ended.  Buy Royal Pains Season 8 today so you can enjoy it over and over again.

Season 8 Episodes:

1. Stranger Danger

2. Palpating the Orbital Rim

3. Fly Me to the Kowloon

4. Doubt of Africa

5. Saab Story

6. Home Sick

7. The Good News Is…

8. Uninterrupted