Royal Pains aired its series finale last night. Recently, executive producers Andrew Lenchewski and Michael Rauch spoke with Deadline about the end of the USA Network series.
The light drama centered on Hank Lawson (Mark Feuerstein), a former ER doctor who becomes a concierge physician in the Hamptons. The cast also included Paulo Costanzo, Reshma Shetty, Brooke D’Orsay, Campbell Scott, Ben Shenkman, and Henry Winkler.
In the interview, the co-showrunners said they didn’t know if Hank should end up settling in the Hamptons or not:
The biggest debate in the room (and with our very passionate partners at USA and UCP) was whether Hank should end up in the Hamptons, or elsewhere. Was the Hamptons just a pit stop on his road to reinvention? Or was it his ultimate destination? It was a pretty polarizing debate, with everyone bringing very strong arguments to the table. But ultimately, we felt that the audience wanted to walk away from the series, feeling like Hank’s life in the Hamptons would continue, even if they weren’t there to see it.”
The two added that Hank and Jill’s future will be filled with travel and children:
Hank and Jill will travel the world together helping to establish and provide medical attention to those in need. And, yes, they will return home to the Hamptons, and their families, in the summer time. Their future children will accrue serious future frequent flyer miles.”
The exec producers also said they feel the show was a “very rare gift”:
Obviously, the network is evolving, as is the entire TV landscape. But for 8 years, the tone of our show and the tone of the network were one and the same. So we had the amazing fortune to be on a network that just let us be us. For writers, that’s a very rare gift.”
What do you think? Did you watch the series finale of Royal Pains? Did you find it a satisfying end?
I did like the the finale. There were a few surprises (i.e. Boris). I’m glad to see HankMed continuing on. However, I want to watch the twins grow up. I want to see episodes with Hank and Jill helping others in other countries of need. I want to see them working together at HankMed. I want to see Divia’s new baby. I want to see Divia working as a Doctor. I believe there is still an audience out here who wants to see family-friendly entertainment with characters that grow and expand. This was such a great show for the summer.… Read more »