‘Royal Pains’ season 5 spoilers: ‘Go On’ star books recurring role

After a full season of “Go On,” it appears as though actress Laura Benanti is ready to go on (insert rim shot here) to some other things.

According to TV Guide, the actress (who has also recurred on “Law & Order: SVU”) has signed on for a major recurring role on season 5 of “Royal Pains,” where she will be playing the senior vice-president of a company looking to buy Hamptons Heritage Hospital. While we don’t know for sure just how her story will cross with some of the other characters on the show, we have to imagine that there could be some tension and some competition between the hospital and HankMed, even though Hank has to send many of his patients the hospital’s way if the problems they face become severe enough.

“Royal Pains” has long been a fan favorite, but the expectations are probably higher than ever for season 5. Why? More than anything else, you can simply blame the high quality of season 4. It was by far the show’s strongest year, and it benefited heavily from taking on a slightly more serialized tone, which is something that many other USA series benefited from heavily in comparison to years before.

As for whether or not this casting is going to end up playing a role in Benanti’s future on the NBC series, don’t worry. If it does get renewed for a second season (which we think is somewhat likely based on its ratings compared to some other shows on the schedule), it will not start filming until July or August. She should be wrapped up with her “Royal Pains” work by that time.

What do you think about this casting? We want to hear some of your thoughts below! Meanwhile, if you want to see who is getting a new job on “Royal Pains” this season, you can find out over at the link here.

Photo: USA