The Pitt Season 1 Episode 3 Review: ‘9:00 A.M.’

In The Pitt Season 1 Episode 3, things get even more out of hand than they already were. Because of this, as viewers, we continue — even at this very early stage — to both dread and look forward to seeing how much further the series is going to take us. In the 9:00 A.M. hour, some of the patients and their families are already starting to crack. Which, to be honest, that makes complete sense After all, how long does a father really have to sit in denial with his brain dead son before he starts wanting to make someone pay for what he knows, deep down, has happened? While we’re at it, who among us wouldn’t be a giant ball of rage and sarcasm after being shot with a nail gun…by a friend, no less?

The fact that one hour of television can include these two very different types of “explosive” scenarios and have them both entertain so effortlessly, while also drawing out such very different emotions in us, really speaks to how good this series is. Only three episodes in, The Pitt is just that good. In some ways, it’s a challenge to say “well, this worked really well” or “that didn’t land” without getting repetitive because whatever plot points stood out to us at, say, 8:45 are still going to have an impact at 9:01 (or whatever). But, well. Forget about what it’s like to review because this series is such a blast to actually view.

MORE: Where did it all begin? Visit our The Pitt Season 1 Episode 1 review to find out. After that, it only makes sense to jump into the 8:00 hour with The Pitt Season 1 Episode 2.

Dr. Mohan helps Whitaker and herself

The Pitt Season 1 Episode 3 sees Whitaker officially losing his first patient. Those closing moments of Episode 2 weren’t some sort of trick — Mr. Milton doesn’t survive. Dr. Robby allows his student to spend quite a lot of time trying to revive a dead man, even as others have long-since given up and either spend their time looking at Whitaker with concern. (Or, if you’re Santos…trying to take advantage of the situation and practice a pericardiocentesis.) And there’s a heartbreaking sort of parallel here, between Whitaker refusing to give up and the false hope Dr. Robby offers Nick Bradley’s parents. In both cases, despite being pulled in so many directions that he doesn’t even get a chance to go to use the bathroom in peace, Dr. “Fruitcake” (if you will) still makes time.

It’s impossible, then, not to wonder why time and resources exist for some situations — completely hopeless ones, even — and not others. Dr. Robby lets Whitaker fight that losing battle, push those rounds of Epi; with his own patient, he indulges the Bradleys and allows for test after test when he knows their kid’s dead-dead. And yet, what does he tell Dr. Mohan in his (at least) second lecture of the morning? “Because you waste time and money on unnecessary tests. You keep sick patients waiting too long; you miss out on cases you could be learning from; you short change your own education.” We could probably make the argument that Joyce is fine and doesn’t need the extra attention, but how is “Slow Mo” counting her coma patient as one of her “at least two patients an hour” any different from continuing to test the crap out Nick?

Even when there’s so much going on that we find it difficult to keep up, The Pitt Season 1 Episode 3 sneaks these questions in. It’s obvious that Dr. Robby is treating each case with its own unique set of rules, but it never exactly comes across as either hypocrisy or discrimination. There’s some extra determining factor there, sure. When it comes to the Milton case, sympathy for Whitaker certainly plays a part…but is it everything? We can’t really know so early on, maybe even never will. We actually hope we never do have all the answers because the more difficult it is to pin down a character’s motivations, the more real that character feels. Not to mention, it would mean more opportunities for storytelling — and we’d like as many of those as we can get for this series.

But Dr. Robby isn’t the most interesting person in this scenario. (Wild, given our love for Noah Wyle, we know.) No, that would be Dr. Mohan. Just minutes after admitting she’s “always afraid of making a mistake” and being told she has to accept that mistakes — and even deaths — will happen, she winds up taking Whitaker under her wing. In the moment, if we put that tense conversation with Robby out of our minds, all we can see is a mentor at the top of her game, offering a hand up. In fact, poor Whitaker probably thinks she has figured it all out, learned how to compartmentalize with ease, and is doing great in a way that he never can.

It’s simply not true, though. Dr, Mohan is struggling, just like he is. In fact, everyone in this emergency department is just trying to hold it all together and do their best, but if they were to try to compare their own feelings with what others present on the outside…well. They’d rarely, at best, see past the act. Part of that act involves trying to convince others not to beat themselves up over failures, to move on to the next patient and not let it affect them. But. Well. Dr. Robby clearly hasn’t dealt with his own trauma, and neither has Dr. Mohan. But they’re going to do everything they can to try to be gentle with Whitaker while trying to set him up to do better, regardless.

Can helping Whitaker overcome his fear of failing another patient — even encouraging him not to go for an “easy” one — be a catalyst for Dr. Mohan to stop taking too long with her own patients out of the same fears? Or is her identity as a doctor wrapped up in being slower and more careful? Her situation also raises the question of whether we even want more doctors to be more concerned with hitting some sort of benchmark for speed than with actual care for their patients. And, of course, the impossibility here is finding a good balance between those two needs. Especially in an overwhelmed system, especially when one size doesn’t remotely fit all.

“Not even close”

So, speaking of these doctors pretending to be a lot more stable and in control than they actually are…Dr. Robby. In The Pitt Season 1 Episode 3, he tells Whitaker that you have to accept mortality and “find balance if you can.” But when asked, he admits that…no, he hasn’t found balance. “But I — you know, you keep trying.” And we see quite a lot of trying (and failing) as he manages his patients in this episode.

He spends quite a lot of the hour just…apologizing to people while he’s simply surrounded by one grieving family after another. After several rounds of tests, when the Bradleys finally come to terms with the fact that Nick’s dead, he tells them he’s sorry and wishes he could’ve done more. During one of his check-ins with the Spencer family, he has to explain that he’s “really sorry, but…each new step is even more invasive and could cause more suffering, with minimal benefit.” At one point — in an absolute stunner of a scene — he even has to comfort the sister of the patient Dr. Abbot lost during his shift. It’s so, so much to handle.

A slight hesitation before opening a door, a pause after reading a heartbreaking letter — these are such meaningful, yet tiny, signals that it’s all getting to Dr. Robby. The grief is long and drawn out, the time to process nearly non-existent. Along the way, Wyle’s performance makes those fractions of a second feel like they go on forever, while all that chaotic time in between is what actually feels short. And isn’t that exactly what our experience in life most often is? Doesn’t so much just…rush past, while the feelings we want to escape — the ones that hurt the most — threaten to go on forever, to consume us?

More on The Pitt Season 1 Episode 3

• That very first shot of a sweaty, exhausted Whitaker trying to resuscitate Mr. Milton? Absolute gold. What a choice of camera perspective.
• “Call me if there’s a resurrection.”
• Does…does Javadi really think she’s gonna get Dr. Langdon to tell her what Dr. McKay “did before she came here” by trying to “hint” about it like that?
• …but then, she wants people to treat her like she’s grown. K.
• “What’s there is an 18-year-old kid named Nick Bradley.” “Is he, though? I don’t mean to be a d**k, but…” “You just can’t help it.” This is 10 times funnier now that we’ve seen his softer side in Episode 2. Like, we’re in on the joke with them, rather than just seeing Dr. Langdon as uncaring. Amazing.
• “9:00, you’re already bumming me out.” Me when I think about how The Pitt Season 1 Episode 3 is still very much the beginning of the 15-hour shift.
• “What do you think the chances are it’s a demonic possession?” Is this where I should say it sounds like someone needs to watch Evil? (Literally, everyone needs to watch Evil. Always watch Evil.)
• Obsessed with the way Dr. Collins just knows why that patient is touching her stomach, even before the translator starts to speak. And that awkward smile when she thanks Minu for the congrats…100% would watch this show just for Tracy Ifeachor at this point.
• Speaking of obsessed: Wyle and Ifeachor together. “You’re in charge of the ER. The rats are in the ER. That makes you in charge of the rats. And I have a strict rule about vermin in the workplace.” Her delivery in the whole scene! His laugh on “good to know.” Her look when they both walk away! I love TV!
• “This is a teaching hospital.” “Not a cadaver lab.” “What do you call this?” It’s like Santos has a point? But WTF, that was awful.
• The focus on everyone’s concerned looks and just…waiting for Whitaker to figure it out is great every time we revisit his futile attempts to save Mr. Milton. But that last time is the stunner. Especially with the way Gerran Howell, essentially, doesn’t stop compressions all at once but, instead, slows to a stop in stages.
• Ok but can Baby Doc Med Student please stop judging everybody?
• “Let’s take a break. Grab a coffee.” I’m in.
• “On occasion, I have an emotional response to death.” Taylor Dearden remains so good with Mel. Really appreciated how Howell played Whitaker’s reactions, even as the character was wrapped up in his own grief at the same time, too.
• “Confidence and ambition: great attributes. Especially when paired with respect and humility.” The bitter smile at the end of the scene, the look that screams “the audacity” during…So. Good.
• (…and shades of all higher-ups getting sick of Carter whining about Doyle getting all the good procedures.)
• LOL the near crash as Dr. Robby and Whitaker try to leave the room after that deep talk about death, and not blame, and standard of care, and all that good stuff.
• The thing I said earlier about Javadi and judging people…does not apply to Dr. Santos. Judge away, Baby Med Student. Judge. A-Way.
• “You want me to pimp out  my mother for something you might do?” That part.
• Hank is just so F—in real. A highlight of the episode, to be honest. Every single F bomb. Priceless.
• “You want me to stop swearing? Take the f—in nail outta my heart! And please something for the pain!!” Not only is he real AF for this, but it’d make a great emo lyric.
• “I will destroy you on Yelp. Nobody’s ever coming to this sh**hole again, I swear to God.” “Your mouth to God’s ear.” This series is a comedy. If The Bear can get Emmys for comedy, The Pitt can. I said what I said.
• “Yeah. I swear a lot, I know. I’m sorry.” “They say it’s a sign of intelligence. I think it shows a lack of self control… what the f**k do I know.” Amazing. Dr. Collins is simultaneously getting on Dr. Santos about saying what she’s seeing happen to the patient is “cool,” scolding her for her language, and admitting to her own lack of self control. F—in cool indeed.
• “Two saves? TOTALLY awesome!” PROTECT HER.
• Since she didn’t leave Mel hanging, this is the one time I will allow Dr. Santos to act like this is all some big adrenaline rush and not, you know, taking care of real people.
• “Yeah. Well. Even though you do everything right, you don’t always get what you hoped for.” Looking forward to more flashbacks destroying me and making me think about this line.
• “Being here means no matter how good you are, or how hard you try, you’re going to make another mistake. Someone else might even die. That’s called being an emergency medicine doctor.” The way he bends his knees and makes sure he’s looking her in the eye for this…
• But also: LOL. Dr. Carter would know.
• “What brings you in here today anyway.” “I murdered my husband.” “Ahhh, how’d you do it this time.” “Put him through a meat grinder.” Is her last name, perhaps, Lovett? Does she know a man named Sweeney? Were there meat pies?
• The Mylanta…oof. As if Whitaker’s day wasn’t already bad enough. (Hilarious, though.)
• In case you didn’t realize, I use sarcasm and comedy as a shield.” Dr. Santos, stealing my gig. (And sucking at it. Like, this kind of thing only works when you’re not self-serving and/or talking about how you only want to be friends so you can get favors or whatever…)
• It’s the way this girl’s friends are all, “OMGZ like 100% dead” for me.
• “Truth is, you’re not a real doctor until you’ve lost at least one patient. You got off easy — it wasn’t your fault. Not all of us can take comfort in saying that. But uh…try not to kill anybody else!” See…now, this I can get behind, in terms of Santos and using dark humor as a shield. There’s real vulnerability just beneath the surface here. As in, “not all of us”??? Tell me more.
• “…hopefully a kill shelter.” No wonder the dog hates you.
• “I can’t stop wondering why Nick and not her. I can’t help it.” Been there. Many times. Recently, even.
• “Look: I’ve personally been on the wrong side of someone who hates women. It’s…not a safe place to be.” Dr. McKay’s backstory is gonna break me when we finally get it, huh.
• “I would introduce you, but I really have to pee.” Been there far too many times, too.
• And now, back to being obsessed with Ifeachor and Wyle doing their thing together. More rat humor! LOVE THEM.
• “If it makes you feel any better, just think of them as little Disney mice with a pituitary condition.” I’M DYING.
• It’s the drawn out way Dr. Carter’s all “F— me” when he gets interrupted in that bathroom for me.
• The little glasses.
• Currently wrecked, thinking about Dr. Carter reading the letter after Dr. Greene’s passing…for no apparent reason. Totally unrelated.
• No but as good as Noah Wyle was back then…whew, look at him now.
• “…but I do not appreciate you calling me Fruitcake.” “Ohhh, does that hurt your feelings? Co**sucker.” “…has a certain whimsical quality to it that I could learn to live with.” “Whatever you say, Fruitcake!” Stan Myrna for always showing up at the right time, when we need a laugh, actually.
• “Happens” when someone stole the ambulance, hit the EMT, and drove off. Ok then.
• …ouch. The painful parts of this series really are just…beautiful. Jereme and Helen, there at the end? Ouch.

What did you think of The Pitt Season 1 Episode 3? Leave us a comment!

New episodes of The Pitt stream Thursday at 9:00 p.m. ET on Max.