The Pitt Season 1 Episode 2 picks right back up in the same devastating place where Episode 1 left us. And, by the end, we find ourselves…also in a devastating place — just not a flashback this time. In between, we do have a few moments of levity as we watch various interactions between the doctors, or even with a “frequent flyer” patient or two. But, overall, this “8:00 A.M.” hour is, uh, not great for pretty much anyone at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. (Which is, of course, putting it mildly.) It does, however, make for some pretty great TV.
Some of the hour’s best moments happen in between all the action. As it should be. We’re still just learning who a lot of these characters are, and since we’re spending their shift with them, the only time we’re going to be able to really “meet” them is when they’re not in the middle of an exam or procedure. That’s not to say that none of the actual patient care is illustrative — it most certainly is. But even within those scenes, it’s not necessarily the work, but how each doctor or student approaches it, that stands out. Which, again, is as it should be. No surprises here. A team that knows how to make a medical drama work is going to continue making a medical drama work.
And now, some highlights…
MORE: Check out our The Pitt Season 1 Episode 1 review to see what we thought of the series’ first hour!
“Absolutely not”
The dynamic between Dr. Robby and Dr. Collins continues to be incredibly interesting. In particular, the way Dr. Collins shuts down not just him, but also a guy who clearly wants to ask her out before him, absolutely has us living. That “no” energy is — and can’t stress enough how much of a compliment this is — reminiscent of legendary Suits character Donna Paulsen, right down to the way she just knows what people are going to say before they say it and cuts right in. This character is, so far, one of our favorites even when she’s not telling Robby he “should know better.” However. Whenever Tracy Ifeachor and Noah Wyle share a scene, there’s just that extra special…something that makes us know there’s a story there.
Even outside the “fun” part of their interactions, we love seeing Ifeachor and Wyle work together. Despite whatever that “not everything is about you” comment was about in Episode 1, and despite the reasons Robby “of all people” should know better than to bring up that flirty interaction with the cop, she’s on the same page as him when it counts. They both believe Mr. Spencer’s adult children are needlessly prolonging his suffering — and doing it against his will, no less. And she’s even willing to help him overturn their power of attorney, to go up against hospital attorneys with him even, to get it done. Fascinating.
Granted, we could always just view Dr. Collins’ willingness to co-sign as fully down to her belief in protecting the patient and honoring his wishes. The man has an advance directive that specifically states no intubation, after all. But then, there’s what happens when they’re on opposite sides of an issue during the exact same conversation. Even though they’re disagreeing about how to handle notifying an 18-year-old’s parents of his brain death at the time, her “physician, heal thyself” comment doesn’t come across as aiming for a low blow to make a point. No. It seems like she really wishes he would. As in, Collins is genuinely concerned. Layer that against the times they have oddly combative interactions in traumas…and we’ll just go ahead and overuse the word “interesting” here. Because it is…and because they are.
We might not ever get the full backstory. Even if we do, it’ll probably take a bit. After all, we’re certainly not going to get a long exposition dump when we’re journeying, hour by hour, through a busy ER shift with these characters. But the way The Pitt has, at least in these first two episodes, consistently given us these little crumbs of insight keeps us begging for more.
A pleasant surprise
The Pitt Season 1 Episode 2 makes us rethink our initial impression of Dr. Langdon. During the 7:00 hour (the first episode of this series), Langdon seemed like he…really wasn’t interested in things like caring about other people. But the same doctor who said treating a patient DNR had been a waste of time once they learned about his DNR, and who was impatient to be anywhere else when everyone paused to honor the dead, is actually…very kind to Mel here. Empathetic, even. The way he treats her when she shows real vulnerability is completely at odds with the characterization we thought we were getting. (Dudebro, out for himself, probably gets nervous around any real emotion.) Admittedly, part of him might even still be all of those things; but it’s not the whole story. We’ve got characters with layers on this series, folks!
Then, there’s Mel herself. She continues to be someone we’re like “PROTECT HER” about every time we see her on screen, and it’s in no small part due to how much detail Taylor Dearden puts into playing her. The scene where Dr. King kind of unloads her frustration on Dr. Langdon really, truly feels like she’s fighting a losing battle against getting emotional. You can almost feel her physically trying to hold it in and just…losing.
And because she’s so hesitant to speak up, even when she’s really having all those bottled-up frustrations burst out, all those moments where the delivery actually is confident and bold make us take note. These are important. Case in point: When Mel cuts off that mother raging about how her son might get autism after the pot gummies incident, it stands out. Not only do we notice, but Langdon does, too. Fabulous. (Also, sincerely, F that lady for acting like being on the spectrum is the end of the world.)
Did we come into The Pitt Season 1 Episode 2 expecting these two characters to have some of our favorite moments? No. And did we think they’d ever make jokes about “Captain Scurvy” together, with Mel even admitting she can’t tell what is and isn’t a joke? Um…also no. But really, truly, this was some excellent work that stands out, even when a lot of excellent work is happening around them — writing, acting, all of it.
New favorite
Far too often, the phrase “healthcare” is a cruel joke because it’s neither about health nor care, and The Pitt Season 1 Episode 2 reminds us of that in a big way. Just look at how EMTs treat a sickle cell patient in crisis when they bring her to PTMC. Thankfully, though, Dr. Mohan is there to actually care about the health of the patient.
Also, can we just take a moment to say we wish we could yell STOOOPPPPPP like that at our jobs? Because, um, yeah.
…anyway.
When Whitaker makes an extremely dismissive — and, frankly, offensive — comment about how Joyce shouldn’t “go crazy” with the pain meds, Dr. Mohan educates him. But she doesn’t do it in front of Joyce to add extra stress to the way she’s already suffering. No. She takes him out of the room and puts him in his place. People in severe pain are not just looking for drugs; they are in pain. And as Dr. Mohan tells us, “a little empathy goes a long way with those suffering in real pain.” She also cares about those who maybe aren’t actually in a more traditional kind of pain. Good on her/the writers for pointing out that, for even those who are just looking for meds, “half the time, all those people need is someone to really listen to them and hear their story.”
For his part, Whitaker seems genuinely sorry…but maybe we just, like, shouldn’t automatically imagine people are just scamming for drugs in general? Wild, huh?
More on The Pitt Season 1 Episode 2
- “What’s wrong with kids these days?” So much, Dana…so, so much. (And OMG Katherine LaNasa’s face there.)
- Dr. Robby gets it, huh? Climate crisis, gun violence, pandemic…yep.
- Looking back at this scene will make the ending of The Pitt Season 1 Episode 2 that much more painful, but Gerran Howell does a really good job of showing us that there’s…maybe an issue with the family when Mr. Milton tells Whitaker his family must be proud of him. And the second he mentions being the first in the family to go to college? Yeah. I get it. Don’t even need to know the specifics. I get it…because the family probably doesn’t, no matter how much they sacrificed for him.
- Those two are so sweet with the quipping back and forth, too. Personal favorite, as a caffeine addict: “I’m fine. Could use a latte, though.”
- …and to lose Mr. Milton at the end of the episode, with Whitaker so desperate to save him, all because he was waiting in the hallway instead of actually in a real room with monitors that possibly could’ve caught him going down in time…OOF. Not looking forward to seeing what happens next! (I am. Inject the angst in my veins, actually. It’ll be good TV! …and I can use it as an excuse to get more coffee. To cheer up, as a treat.)
- Another Collins/Robby interaction that had me like what is the truth: The “have you ever had to worry about me” thing. We know she’s pregnant and trying to survive her shift with some gnarly morning sickness and all…but…hmmm. This doesn’t seem to be just about her covering the physical stuff up?
- “Nurses know what they’re doing. Never hesitate to listen to them.” Carter learned this at County. So true.
- Love the way Robby has to collect himself before going to talk to Mr. Spencer’s family. Oof. It’s the right place/time to give us a little rest from all the action, and as a surprise to no one, Wyle kills it.
- “Yeah, it was, uh good, uh, you know, challenging. I learned a ton. I just think it — maybe it should be mandatory that all doctors spend time there, like, on a regular basis because of all they’ve sacrificed for us.” I ADORE HER. The fidgeting, and the looking down, and and and…all as she’s talking about something she’s passionate about!
- “Oh, right. Sorry. I hit my head, remember?” Dude’s got jokes. And I want that pizza discount.
- “…but my life has been full of challenges, and med school was not one of the hardest by far. It was one of the most rewarding, though.” I want the full story, STAT.
- “WMMV scale: What Makes Mateo Vomit.” Today, I learned: “Guy from Thanksgiving movie, who IMDB told me was from there because I recognized him but didn’t know why” is called Mateo.
- …and precious baby Dr. Javadi has a CRUSH on him.
- “Fruitcake.” Dead.
- “Do you want to see my vagina?” “I have already seen it. And once was enough, thank you.” I—.
- “Don’t listen to Edwina Scisshorhands here.” Look: If everything has to be a remake, I’d be 100% here for that one.
- “Oh, yeah. I have nothing but respect for Dr. Garcia. In fact, I think she would make a wonderful host at Applebee’s.” Compare this to how Dr. Langdon jokes with Mel or even spars with some of the other doctors. Methinks he’s…not actually kidding. (But if we could not insult restaurant hosts…)
- So much emotion in Dr. Robby’s eyes when he watches those parents go to see their brain dead son. And he just looks so broken when Dana asks if the kid’s gonna make it. As a reminder, we’re under two hours into a 15-hour shift at his point, and he’s already gotten to this place. Terrified to see how much worse it’s gonna get.
- “Yeah, not much older than Jake.” “Don’t go there.” “Hard not to sometimes.”
- “Ma’am?” “Doctor.”
- “You know, for the record—…” “NOPE.” Have I mentioned that I love her? BECAUSE I LOVE HER.
- “What? You don’t even know what —“ “What you were gonna say?” Their timing!
- “I was — … “ “No. Just walk away. Best possible scenario. Just keep on walkin. Mmm-hm.” !!!!
- “I’m here for a F**ING SANDWICH.” Same.
- The ankle monitor. And Javadi’s reaction to it, just as they were seeming to form a real, kinda unlikely, bond. The drama.
- “I ain’t ate this whole week.” My cat whenever I go near the fridge, where she knows I keep the good treats.
- “Trust me. We need to laugh. Otherwise, we’d never stop crying.” A mood.
- “They’ve got an unresponsive unhoused man coming in.” Very much appreciate the more respectful language.
- “Patient tested positive for rats.”
- “No, but…I’m sure a lot of parents felt that way before their children did unspeakable things.” That…hits. Hard.
- “The emergency department would never admit rats — unless they had the right insurance.” GET THEM.
- “Did you catch any of them?” “One, and I charged him for a full visit.” I would die for this man.
- “Guy fell off a telephone pole?” “No, he was on a platform.” “Boring.” Girl, what.
- Shock collar dude’s girlfriend did nothing wrong.
- “Captain Scurvy’s another joke.” “I like to think so.” “It’s a good one.”
- “Abby loves dogs.” “I love penguins. Doesn’t mean I want to take care of one.” Points have been made.
- ”It’s been described as an electrical stabbing pain that feels like it’s breaking your bones and flushing glass through your body.”
- “Oh, they’ll be fine.” “How can you be sure?” “They’re white. Probably get off with a slap on the wrist. If they weren’t, she’d probably lose her child, and he’d end up going to jail. But…Sorry. I did a fellowship in cynicism.” I went from “wow, can’t stand Langdon” to “I would murder for him” in record time. Amazing.
- Did not have Mel as someone who recited some Megan Thee Stallion as a coping mechanism/to get some confidence up BUT OK!
- “Spoken with the humility of a surgeon.” If I speak about Dr. Carter, ER, and surgeons…
- The high five and Robby’s reaction to it…Cracked. Up.
- (Also, wasn’t there a thing when Carter was an over-eager student and did something similar? Hm. Need an ER rewatch.)
- “Twenty bucks says one of them gets slapped before the shift’s over.” “I think that little one is tougher than she looks.” Same.
- “These people need some hope.” “False hope.” “Hope is hope.” “Is it?” A question.
- Brilliant to give viewers the perspective of Collins hearing that mother break, followed by everyone going quiet as we hear her screams — without hearing exactly what Robby tells her. We know enough, even if we don’t know his exact words.
- And…just…ouch to everything that comes after. In the room with Robby and them, then in the next room as Robby snaps on those gloves to prepare for basically torturing Mr. Spencer to please his kids, and David’s mom trying to reach him, and Whitaker trying to resuscitate Mr. Milton when it’s clearly too late…
- …just awful.
- And the way the camera pulls out to end it…devastating.
What did you think of The Pitt Season 1 Episode 2? Leave us a comment!
New episodes of The Pitt stream Thursdays at 9:00 ET on Max.
