Royal Pains (USA Network, Wednesdays, 9/8C) may not be the most ambitious of USA Network’s shows, but it can develop character with the best of them. This week’s episode finds HankMed hired by a famous pop star; Evan helping Paige get ready to go away to school, and Divya falling hard for international polo player Rafa.
Dancing With The Devil is the title of both the episode and the current hit single by Eva, the pop star whom Evan (Paulo Costanza) signs as a patient for HankMed – without actually having met her. When she turns out to be a sweet, family-orientated lass from Arkansas, it comes a huge surprise to everyone – especially since Evan told everyone she’d be expecting an entourage and that they should all meet her during the day’s rehearsals.
In the meantime, Boris’ wife, Dr. Marisa Casseras (Paola Turbay) comes to town looking for a trustworthy doctor to diagnose her baby, Carlos, who has not been feeding well. Hank finds out the best pediatric specialist (Kat Foster) in town is a woman he bailed on at dinner (for a patient, but still…), but they both work together to help Marisa.
In the ep’s third arc, Evan must help Paige (Brook D’Orsay) prepare for school – if he just get past the awesomeness on the apartment in which she lived for two years when she was five/six – and if he can find a way to help her with her feelings about the way her parents handled telling her she was adopted.
Finally, Divya arrives at work in the outfit she had on the night before – the night she spent talking (and kissing) with globetrotting polo player, Rafa (Khotan) – and keeps getting distracted by texts from him.
In a lovely bit of plotting exercise, all four arcs coalesce into a fun dining scene that, in turn, propels the second half of the ep.
Dancing With The Devil is the directorial debut of Paolo Costanza (Evan) and he does a pretty good job. It’s like the rhythms of show have merged within him – the pacing is good as it usually is on the show; characters are given ample time for us to understand and, possibly, cheer them on.
As Royal Pains eps go. Dancing in the Dark is a brisk, breezy hour that allows each featured character time to shine and for cast chemistry to be grow even more.
There are even a few twists that come as genuine surprises: the uptight Dr. Jeremiah Sacani dancing, for example.
Dancing With The Devil is a solid hour’s entertainment in USA Network’s blue sky firmament.
Final Grade: B
Photos by Giovanni Rufino/Courtesy USA Network