{alltv} Royal Pains' Winter Season: Time for Second Chances

In the golf world, the term mulligan means a do-over, or to start fresh. The term is mentioned often in the winter season premiere of Royal Pains not only because most of the episode takes place during a Hamptons Heritage golf tournament, but because many in Hank Med's orbit are in serious need of second chances. Will Hank and Evan be able to start anew with formerly estranged father, Eddie, after finding out he's been digging into their boss' past? Will Divya break it off with Raj and start over after her passionate kiss with Adam or will she continue down the path to an arranged marriage? TVGuide.com talked with the stars and executive producers behind the hit USA dramedy at The Paley Center for Media on Monday about what to expect when the series returns next year.

Eddie R. Isn't Going Anywhere: Hank may have been right about Eddie's ulterior motives for coming to the Hamptons, but the prodigal son isn't ready to give up on his dad just yet. "While his life gets very complicated, very quickly over the course of these six episodes, his relationship with Hank grows stronger, closer and more intense. It's a beautiful resolution to the great conflict between us," Mark Feuerstein says. Like the beginning of Season 2, Hank and Evan will be split about whether to give their dear old dad another chance. "By the end of these six episodes, it feels you finally get a clear picture of what's he done and why he's here, and you see Hank and Evan try to find a way to come to terms with that," executive producer Michael Rauch says.

Kiss and Tell?: Divya will try her best to honor her parents' wishes and her commitment to Raj, but her lip-lock with Adam "moves" her, as Reshma Shetty puts it. "It's really the battle of who is she because she's so independent and so strong-minded, but her parents are such a big part of her life," Shetty says. Expect to see Divya lean on Hank more during this difficult time. "She trusts him the most," Shetty says.

More Boris: The Hamptons' most famous, and most secretive, billionaire will soon need Hank's help more than ever. "Things get very complicated with Boris — for his life personally, his relationship with Marissa, his health and his life vis-à-vis Hank and Evan. His disease becomes something very intense with very high stakes," Feuerstein says. But don't expect Boris (Campbell Scott) to let the Lawsons walk away scot-free after Eddie's discrepancies. Let's just say that Hank and Evan may need a new place to crash. "They may be thrown out, maybe for those reasons, but maybe not," creator and executive producer Andrew Lenchewski says.

The Love Triangle Lives On: Hank and Emily (Anastasia Griffith) have a strong attraction, but will they really be able to make it work as a couple? "Emily and Jill come in and out of Hank's life in a way that is complicated and unpredictable," Feuerstein says. Hank and Jill's feelings for another are still very much alive, even though fans will see her get back in the dating game. "It's kind of hard to see the guy you want with another woman, but they work together so they have to maintain some sort of professionalism," Flint says. "The great thing with Jill and Hank is that they've always been friends. ... I think that's the stronger bond."

Summer's Over: The endless summer of Royal Pains' first and second seasons will come to an end. Expect Season 3 to start nine months later, the following summer, and the second half of the third season to — gasp — show the Hamptons post-Labor Day. Plus, executive producers are already planning their next trip after Season 2 saw cast and crew travel to Puerto Rico for filming. "It might be in the United States in the South. It might be in a very faraway country that has seasons that are opposite to ours," Rauch says. "We're figuring that out right now."

Royal Pains returns Thursday, Jan. 20 at 9/8c on USA.