# "Royal Pains" premier 6/4/09 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 5, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843 "2009-06-05T16:39:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/21 "2009-06-06T17:54:24Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I found the Doctors reluctance to take a job, any job, rather doubtful. I mean, what was he waiting for? That was my biggest complaint. Not only wasn’t it somewhat unbelievable, but I hate that oft-used premise on pilot shows. A character is very reluctant to go into the situation you know is the premise of the show, but eventually is convinced, blah blah blah. Otherwise, not bad, I’ll watch a few more episodes at least. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/22 "2009-06-06T18:17:21Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > That was my biggest complaint. Not only wasn’t it somewhat unbelievable, but I hate that oft-used premise on pilot shows. A character is very reluctant to go into the situation you know is the premise of the show, but eventually is convinced, blah blah blah. Yeah, and it started with his brother trying to convince him to go for the weekend. Pretty clever though – “You’re out of booze and Netflix froze your account!” I hope they get away from the “Poor=noble”, “Rich=self-centered jerks” thing though. Rich people can be nice too. I don’t know any, but I heard that somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/23 "2009-06-06T20:06:08Z")
I thought it was fun to watch - loved seeing the homes in the Hamptons, and anybody who has lived in NYC knows the Hamptons. As you may have noticed, a bit pricey in that neighborhood. I have friends who rent a room in a B&B once a year nearby (for a hefty price). I think it could turn into an interesting show - certainly great scenery and always kind of fun to see how the other half lives. Wonder how much that gold bar was worth? Plus, as he walked into his new digs at the end of the show, I can hardly wait to get a glimpse of the place from the inside. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/24 "2009-06-06T21:23:41Z")
Dumb question about the premiere episode, which I wasn’t watching very closely. Was the hospital administrator the same woman who collapsed during the party due to the neurotoxins/insecticide? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/25 "2009-06-06T21:49:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Dumb question about the premiere episode, which I wasn’t watching very closely. Was the hospital administrator the same woman who collapsed during the party due to the neurotoxins/insecticide? No, that was a young ingenue. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/26 "2009-06-06T22:59:25Z")
I see parallels to **Northern Exposure** , right town to the mysterious Indian woman who shows up and hires herself as an assistant. If they have a guy wander around in an astronaut suit, I’m gone. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/27 "2009-06-06T23:06:59Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Dumb question about the premiere episode, which I wasn’t watching very closely. Was the hospital administrator the same woman who collapsed during the party due to the neurotoxins/insecticide? **DrDeth** answered. The hospital administrator is the woman who had the same make and color car as the doctor, at Boris’s party. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/28 "2009-06-07T00:34:40Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I found the Doctors reluctance to take a job, any job, rather doubtful. I mean, what was he waiting for? I think he was still indulging in a heavy dose of self-pity, so I found it pretty believable (especially since he was indulging in some self-righteous fervor anyway because of his unfair termination). You don’t overcome stereotypes overnight, and he was only there for less than 48 hrs, so I found his resistance credible, though you could also tell he was more than halfway there anyway. I liked the show and am interested in where it goes from here… ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/29 "2009-06-07T00:55:17Z")
Good scenery both houses and women. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/30 "2009-06-07T01:34:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I found the Doctors reluctance to take a job, any job, rather doubtful. I mean, what was he waiting for? I also found it difficult to believe that the rich hospital donor’s family were apparently so overcome with grief that they blacklisted this guy from _every single hospital and trama center_ in New York City. That is quite a vendetta. And on what grouds were they suing him, anyhow? And why wasn’t the guy looking for work in other states, say Connecticut or Boston? Heck, I hear there is a teaching hospital in Princeton that will hire anyone, no matter how often they are sued 😉 I know its a deux ex machina, and I probably shouldn’t think too hard about it. But really… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/31 "2009-06-07T05:07:41Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I thought it was okay. Is it made by the same people who made Burn Notice? It definitely feels similar, cinematography-wise, with the quick pans of he local scenery. I only watched the first half (so far), but it felt more like _Dirty Sexy Money_ to me. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/32 "2009-06-09T18:59:00Z")
So, not being a New Yorker, is there some trait that tips you off to bodyguards being former Israeli Mossad? I mean, other than being jewish and apparently recognizing other jews on sight? And WTF is a Mark One kit? Should it have just been called a Mark 1 plot device? And do they have the whole “concierge medicine” thing wrong? I thought concierge medicine was when you pay a doc a flat fee and he takes care of you for the year. That bar of gold, unless it’s 10K, has to be worth tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars at today’s gold prices. While I am sure there are some rich stupid people out in the Hamptons, most of them don’t ridiculously overpay their staff. Managing money is part of being rich…tossing bars of gold to random doctors is just not smart. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/33 "2009-06-09T20:27:36Z")
[Mark 1 kit](http://sc-ems.com/mark1kit/Mark1Administration.pdf). And the bar of gold wasn’t just a payment–it was also a carrot to have the Dr. stick around. Boris saw it as an investment. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/34 "2009-06-09T20:50:43Z")
> [@crazyjoe](#): > > That bar of gold, unless it’s 10K, has to be worth tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars at today’s gold prices. While I am sure there are some rich stupid people out in the Hamptons, most of them don’t ridiculously overpay their staff. Managing money is part of being rich…tossing bars of gold to random doctors is just not smart. From googling pictures of gold bars, I think the bar of gold was a kilogram, which from what I can find is worth about $30,000. Not so much, considering that Hank spared him the embarrassment of bringing in the paramedics and probably the police. Also, remember that the previous doctor would probably have killed the girl, which really would have been a problem. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/35 "2009-06-09T21:03:33Z")
What I saw looked like something much larger than 1Kg. It appeared to be the size of a building brick, and a clay brick weighs at least a kilogram. A solid gold one would weigh much more. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/36 "2009-06-09T21:16:19Z")
Looking here, it appears that the “Standard” size is a 27lb gold bar, worth about 350K (I ignored his gold price estimates, because they are outdated) [http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99241.htm](http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99241.htm) It definitely looked larger than a 1KG bar, which would be easily concealable in one hand. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/37 "2009-06-09T21:23:00Z")
I missed the beginning of the show. Was the guy that walked out at the end a leaving doctor? The brothers looked surprised to see him and I didn’t know why. A passing of the torch moment? I liked it better than I thought I would. I’ll try a few more shows. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/38 "2009-06-09T21:27:56Z")
> [@ShelliBean](#): > > I missed the beginning of the show. Was the guy that walked out at the end a leaving doctor? The brothers looked surprised to see him and I didn’t know why. A passing of the torch moment? That was the original concierge doctor who almost (fatally) misdiagonsed a party guest. Our Hero swept in with the right diagnosis and saved the young lady’s life. Subsequently, OH was simply told there was a vacancy in the villa; the surprise came in that they were essentially replacing the other doctor who (unbeknownst to them) was fired immediately by Boris. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/39 "2009-06-09T21:29:23Z")
> [@ShelliBean](#): > > I missed the beginning of the show. Was the guy that walked out at the end a leaving doctor? The brothers looked surprised to see him and I didn’t know why. A passing of the torch moment? > > I liked it better than I thought I would. I’ll try a few more shows. He was the doctor that they met earlier at the party. The original concierge doctor who could have potentially killed the girl. His leaving at the end signified that someone new and fresh will always be trying to grab your job and that one mistake and you’re gone (kinda like what happened to the doctor originally at the NYC hospital). A powerful message, but considering that he doesn’t even really want the job in the first place, I’m not sure how much of an impact it should have had. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843/40 "2009-06-10T01:53:14Z")
Ah, thank you. I assumed that’s who it was but didn’t know about the misdiagnosis at the beginning. The guy looked happy to be going. I am interested in the aspect of the show where the character goes from one world where being the doctor is a prestigious position to being relegated to “the help” - I have wondered if they will delve into that at all. Of course, they could have last night but it was after a few bourbons and the second showing on USA that I saw it… 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/royal-pains-premier-6-4-09/498843.md?page=3)