The eighth and final season of the USA Network medical drama will premiere on May 18.
- Mar 11, 2016
AceShowbiz - USA Network will be soon experiencing "Royal Pains" no more. The cable channel has officially announced that the upcoming eighth season will be the last for the medical drama. The final run will kick off Wednesday, May 18 at 10 P.M. ET.
"It's with great sadness, but even greater thankfulness, that we prepare for our final summer sunsets as 'Royal Pains' comes to an end. We couldn't have imagined a more talented and dedicated writers' room, cast, or crew, and we couldn't have asked for better partners than USA Network and Universal Cable Productions," said creator and executive producer Andrew Lenchewski and executive producer Michael Rauch in a statement on Thursday, March 10.
The eight-episode season 8 was part of a two-season pickup in November 2014. The final season will explore pivotal life decisions for all of the staff at HankMed, and with everyone's focus pulled in various directions, the future of the business is at stake. After years in the Hamptons as everyone's favorite concierge doctor, Hank (Mark Feuerstein) must decide if his professional fulfillment equals his personal fulfillment. Evan (Paulo Costanzo) and Paige (Brooke D'Orsay) endure challenging marital decisions and must examine what family really means to them.
Meanwhile, a number of life events complicate Divya's (Reshma Shetty) career aspirations. Jeremiah (Ben Shenkman) must choose between research and patient care; and just as Eddie (recurring guest star Henry Winkler) has earned the trust of Hank and Evan, they discover he still has secrets that can rock their world. All the while, Boris (recurring guest star Campbell Scott) makes a series of life-altering decisions that could change the group dynamic forever.
The eighth season will include the 100th episode and a special musical episode featuring guest stars Christine Ebersole and Cloris Leachman. The farewell season will also bring back past guest stars such as Rupak Ginn (Raj), Jill Flint (Jill) and Bob Gunton (General William Collins). Other guest stars enlisted for this season include Annie Potts, Teri Polo, Sebastian Roche, Dan Lauria, Constance Wu, Hal Linden, Ana Ortiz and Maria Dizzia.
Although "Royal Pains" has been a steady performer on USA, the cancellation doesn't come as a surprise since the network has stepped away from its tradition of blue-sky dramas and gone darker with shows like "Mr. Robot" and "Colony".
