I am a loyal fan of Royal Pains and truly enjoy watching the show each week. So you can imagine how sad I am that this season has come to a close. True, we got answers to mostly all of the burning questions we had about the season as a whole, but to me, “Listen to the Music” was more like a series finale rather than a season finale. Given that the first season finale was so exciting, to say I was disappointed in this second season finale is putting it mildly.
Those burning questions encompass where Hank (Mark Feuerstein) and Evan (Paulo Costanzo) will live considering that Boris (Campbell Scott) has sent them packing, whether Divya (Reshma Shetty) and Raj (Rupak Ginn) marry now that Divya has confessed she kissed a patient, and whether Eddie R (Henry Winkler) goes to jail or leaves the country courtesy of Boris. Of course, Eddie is convinced he won’t be going to jail and offers Ms. Newsome’s house to the brothers as their new home. Setting up shop in her kitchen at least allows the brothers to have time with their father before he heads to court.
Divya and Niko during their tango lesson
Despite the turmoil Divya and Raj are experiencing, they take tango lessons from Niko (Gilles Marini), a foreign dance instructor who is vacationing in the Hamptons. He is a very handsome and hot-looking man, with an extremely sexy accent. Can you tell how much I adore Marini? He is best known for his current role as Luc Laurent on Brothers and Sisters, although his turn as Dante, the Casanova living in the beach house next door to Kim Cattrall’s Samantha in the Sex and the City movie, earned him international recognition. Remember his shower scene?!! And of course, there was his stint on Dancing with the Stars – swoon! But I digress…
Raj and Divya practicing a tango move
During the dance lessons, Niko exhibits signs of the flu or possibly worse, and initially declines Divya’s offer to help him. Fortunately, she’s around when Niko becomes really sick, eventually being diagnosed with the plague! Really? In 2011? It is this diagnosis that makes her realize Raj isn’t the man for her, telling him while in the isolation van, “the universe has sent me one message too many,”and she calls off the wedding. Yay! While I am thrilled with this outcome, the way the writers handled this just fell flat for me. Where was the drama? Where was the excitement? Nada, zero, zilch. In my opinion, this is just one of the ways the writers seem to be lazy with their dialogue. However, one of my favorite quotes happens before Divya calls off the wedding – as she and Hank are on the pier where their relationship was born. As she speaks about the changes that will happen in her life going forward, she says, “Listen to the music. At any moment it can change on you. You have to be ready to pivot and move in an entirely new direction,” a direct reference to the title of this episode and one that is quite telling in its interpretation as the episode goes on.
Another thing I’m not happy about is the total lack of mention about what will happen with Boris, Marissa (Paola Turbay) and the impending pregnancy. All we got was a brief scene in the beginning where Boris tells Hank, given his medical condition, he’s not happy about the baby. There’s also an epigrammatic scene where Boris and Marissa are arguing, seemingly over Marissa’s decision to keep the baby, but nothing is decided. Then there’s the omission of why Boris sent Hank and Evan packing. There was no explanation and I truly did not like Hank’s non-response to this turn of events. I mean, who doesn’t get angry after being thrown out of their home! Blame it on the writers who seem to have taken a very safe route with “Listen to the Music.”
Jill (Jill Flint) receives a wonderful offer from Ben Richards (Will Chase) who wants her to help launch a group of mobile medical clinics in South America. The catch? She has to start in only three days! I’m glad she accepts the offer, but I’m left wondering what will happen to her relationship with Hank? During their meeting, Ben experiences a problem with his vision, a sign of the MS he’s been battling for quite a long time. At first, he turns down Jill’s offer to have Hank check him out, but then concedes. Hank nicely wraps this up, by finding out Richards doesn’t have MS after all – he has lyme disease! I found it unacceptable to think that all of the doctors and specialists Richards had consulted over the years missed that. It should have been one of the first things they should have looked for when Richards initially became sick.
As expected, Eddie is found guilty and must turn himself in two days hence. At first, he mopes around (who wouldn’t?) but eventually perks up. I was a bit suspicious and rightfully so, as Eddie approaches Boris about his previous offer to Evan to fly him out of the country. What I don’t understand is, despite evicting the Lawson brothers from his home, Boris still tries to protect them by following through on his offer. On one hand he gives, and on the other hand, he takes. I am so confused. However, I, like Hank and Evan, am so proud of Eddie for making the right decision to serve his time.
My favorite exchange takes place between Hank and Eddie R:
Hank: “I want you to know how proud of you I am for going through with this.”
Eddie, snickering: “You’re proud of me for going to prison?”
Hank: “No, I’m proud of you for taking responsibility.”
Eddie: “Well, the credit goes to my boys. You know, when I’m on my own, Hank, I’m weak. When you boys are there for me, somehow I find the strength to do the right thing.”
Hank: “I’m really happy to hear that.”
John Legend, playing "Awake" from his album "Wake Up!"
The title “Listen to the Music” is quite apropos as John Legend guest stars during a benefit for the Ben Richards Foundation, whose motto is “You are NOT your disease.” Legends’ voice is beautiful as he sings “Awake” from his album “Wake Up!” The lyrics are so significant to Eddie’s situation:
“Hold them close, let them know they’ll get through the night,
Ordinary people could be a hero, don’t blow out the light.
Let ‘em shine.
Let ‘em shine on.”
While I don’t particularly care for this season finale, I must say Henry Winkler does a fine job playing a man in total denial who finally accepts his fate. His expressions and emotions are spot on. As well, Feuerstein and Costanzo are wonderful in their support of their father. It is amazing how much Costanzo’s character has grown over time. He began the series as a scheming immature man-child and now he’s this mature person who seemingly can handle everything well. Wasn’t it funny when Evan said he couldn’t go on vacation because HankMed needed him? I’m so glad Hank encouraged him to go and now he and Paige (Brooke D’Orsay) are off on their dream romantic European vacation together.
Royal Pains fans, don’t despair! The show will be back this summer, before you know it. In the meantime, you can rewatch episodes at the show’s official website, http://www.usanetwork.com/series/royalpains/video/fullep.
All photos © 2010-11 USA Network/NBC Universal Media. All rights reserved.
Linda
Latest posts by Linda (Posts)
- News/Video: The Fifth and Final Season of FXX’s You’re the Worst Premieres Jan. 9 - December 27, 2018
- News: Award-Winning Science Channel Series How The Universe Works Returns to Shed More Light on the Cosmos - December 20, 2018
- News/Video: Showtime® Sets Season Four Premiere Date for Hit Drama Billions on Sunday, March 17 at 9 PM ET/PT - December 19, 2018
- HBO’s Comedy Series High Maintenance, Created By Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair, Returns for Third Season on New Night, Sunday, Jan. 20 - December 19, 2018
Follow Us!