‘Royal Pains’ season 5, episode 10 preview: First look at ‘Game of Phones’

Could Hank Lawson be well on his way now to ruining his medical career? In just one small move on next week’s “Royal Pains” episode “Game of Phones,” he is going to land himself in an incredible amount of trouble in a short amount of time, and all thanks to his own inability to let go of a prescription pill addiction that has surfaced in the wake of the explosion last year.

What happens here to set off this chain of events is pretty simple: He gives a familiar patient a narcotic that was originally prescribed to him, which leads to the police getting involved and asking him to submit to a toxicology screen. Giving patients medication is one thing, but giving them medication that you’re already addicted to is something completely different, and it’s hard to see how this can end well with Shelby asking him if this is going to be a problem for him.

One thing that has probably been overlooked in some ways when it comes to this show is its strength when it comes to its “domino effect” storytelling. Just think about it for a minute. Without Hank submitting himself into Boris’ life, he would have never been in a situation to be hurt in the explosion. Then, he would have never been in need of the medication, and would not be an addict now. While this story can be traced in some way to the very beginning of the show, it has really been set up almost since the end of last season. What is exceptional is that they’ve managed to introduce something so serious, but have allowed the show to keep its same tone.

Our full review of last night’s episode is at this link, and we’ll of course be back soon with even more news from the show.

Photo: USA