The Pitt Season 1 Episode 7 is another hour with great storytelling and incredible performances from what is shaping up to be one of our favorite casts. At this point, we figure we’ll probably say this about every episode — and we’re not mad about it. If there’s a weak link here, we have yet to find it. For our ER staff, the 1:00 hour features a language-defying connection between a Good Samaritan and the stranger he saved, a teen’s choice finally being honored by her mother, Dr. King showing Dr. Langdon how to listen to a patient, and a couple other bright spots along the way.
Make no mistake, though: The unrelenting pressure of working in a packed, understaffed hospital still never lets up. And all those happy endings only serve to make the moments of loss that much more effective. Which, to be clear: They are very, very effective whether we have that contrast or not. Case in point: No matter what else may happen, the reminders that this is not a good day for Dr. Robby keep on coming. We’re not just talking about yet another devastating flashback, either — though, that definitely stands out. He has a totally overblown reaction to Whitaker getting crumbs at his station, snaps at Dana when she points out he’s hangry — earning himself a look — and even admits to Dr. Collins that he doesn’t really want to be here today.
(But, you know, only after also blowing up at her. And Dr. Mohan…and…)
How much more can this one doctor, or anyone else trying to survive this day, take? As long as The Pitt keeps delivering like this, we’re simultaneously dying to find out…and absolutely dreading it.
MORE: For a reminder of how this nightmare of a day began, read our reviews of The Pitt Season 1 Episode 1 and The Pitt Season 1 Episode 2.
“Remember me?”
We should probably be clear with a whole, “don’t try this at home,” or “innocent until proven guilty,” or whatever…but look around. Men get away with it. They get away with it all the time. Sometimes, they even get to hold positions of power and do a bunch of demonstrably awful things to a tiny, vulnerable population while claiming they’re doing it to protect women. So, no. We’re not going to do the whole, “well, we know you shouldn’t, but…” thing. Because, at this point, there’s no pretending anyone cares about norms or values anyway. Instead, we’re just going to say, GET HIM DR. SANTOS.
In The Pitt Season 1 Episode 7, we learn that Silas Dunn has been grooming his daughter Alana. But when Dr. Santos tells Dr. Robby and Kiara, they say nobody can do anything about it until there’s an official report. (And, even then, the system will still fail that little girl. Let’s be real.) They do, however, have to report that Susan has been “poisoning” him by giving him progesterone in his coffee to try and kill his libido. You know, to protect her daughter. But that’s bad because something, something the law.
Dr. Santos can’t live with the idea of having to “send her home and wait until she comes back as a victim of incest.” So, after she tries — unsuccessfully — to get Alana to confide in her, she takes matters into her own hands. Honestly, she’s just taking Robby’s “focus on what you can control: your patients” advice. After all, Silas is her patient. (Just saying!) And she reminds him of that. She has the power over his life, unlike the situation at home with Alana, where he has all the power. Unlike Alana, Silas even gets a choice: He can blink twice for yes, to promise he’ll stop all the inappropriate touching, and looking, and even thinking. Or, he can blink twice for no…and…uh…oops. Bye.
Wish fulfillment aside, the scene where Dr. Santos confronts Silas simply makes for good TV. Isa Briones brings so much rawness, so much intensity, to the moment. And there’s not a single second of doubt that her character absolutely means business, is totally terrifying…and is not opposed to ending that man. Check out her tone of her voice, the conspiratorial way she fills the patient in on everything she knows, or the look on her face when she says “good” in response to that double blink…wow. Just. Wow. Through all of this, the dialogue in particular, we also learn so much more about the character. Namely, she’s been in Alana’s position before. Maybe not with a parent…but with someone. Someone she couldn’t make pay.
But she can make this man really fear for his life in the way she wished someone would’ve done to save her — and probably didn’t. Oh. And she 100% deserves that “excellent patient satisfaction score,” for what it’s worth. Not all heroes wear capes. Sometimes, they wear scrubs.
MORE: You ever look at Santos and be like, “why is she like this?” Check out our Isa Briones interview for some insight. You can also read our The Pitt Season 1 Episode 6 review for our thoughts on that time she accidentally stabbed Dr. Garcia in the back foot.
“It just takes a different approach.”
If the health “care” industry didn’t drive out so many good souls, perhaps it wouldn’t be so remarkable to see something like this on TV, but Mel’s approach to a patient Dr. Langdon wants to just dismiss as “Dr. Google” really is a beautiful thing. All it takes for Mel to help Terrance — not Terry — is for her to see him as a whole person, not just a case to “fix” and get out the door. Now, while Dr. Langdon’s attitude and the way he judges his patient are certainly his fault, we should probably blame the system and for the way he gives up so easily and blows off his patient’s concerns. Because he really, who has time with so many — too many — patients? Look around.
Enter Mel, who it’s worth pointing out already has plenty on her plate in The Pitt Season 1 Episode 7. Ginger’s daughter is still missing, likely having abandoned her, and Mel has no idea what to do. But she still notices Terrance’s diagnosis and makes time to go talk to him on his terms (after giving Dr. Langdon the courtesy of asking if she can first, of course). All Mel has to do is get rid of excessive lighting and cut back on some of the noise, to speak this man’s language and listen to him when he speaks, and she’s able to make so much progress.
As we see when Dr. Langdon comes in and turns the lights back on, it hurts Terrance. We won’t claim we know exactly what it would feel like to be in this patient’s shoes, but we do get the tiniest taste. Everything is warm and comfortable, friendly even, with just Mel and a dark, quiet-ish room. But with all those lights, that noise, and this extra person who was rude popping back in, though, the shock to the system is like someone just dumped buckets and buckets of ice cold water down our spines.
Later, when Dr. King brings a model of a foot back to show Terrance exactly what’s injured, where and how, Dr. Langdon seems completely blown away. Inspired. Delighted, even. When he asks Mel how she pulled it off, she doesn’t even know what he’s talking about. Again, all she did was see the patient. Langdon may think she “unlocked” something, but as Mel points out, “the ER can be a very, very overwhelming place for autistic people.” And all it took was recognizing that and wanting to help.
Of note: While she explains why she knew what to do for Terrance, Mel brings up her sister’s autism. But, without being armchair physicians here…is she leaving something out of this conversation? Again, we’ve seen her not pick up on jokes and be generally not-great with the so-called “normal” social cues…Is that just from years and years of living in her sister’s world, so to speak? Or what? Obviously, it doesn’t even really matter because she’s extraordinary either way. It would, however, be fascinating to consider a doctor who feels the need to mask.
We also appreciate that, despite all of Dr. Langdon’s faults — and he does have many — he at least apologizes to Terrance for how they got off on the wrong foot. Better yet, he tells Mel she’s “crushing it” and “making a great first impression.” It’s another great example of how none of these characters are one dimensional. We may have favorites, and who ranks where may change multiple times within a single episode. Regardless, The Pitt makes the characters we’re watching on our screens feel like real, living, breathing people. That’s a good thing, even if it means we wind up caring so much that the painful parts are extra painful.
MORE: Mel isn’t the only doctor here who takes the time for that individualized approach. The Pitt Season 1 Episode 3 sees Dr. Mohan getting in trouble (again) for being too slow. But she’s right to take some extra time with Joyce, both then and a couple hours later in The Pitt Season 1 Episode 5.
More on The Pitt Season 1 Episode 7
- “So please. For the love of god. Hire more nurses.” With fair wages and safer working conditions, we might add.
- Basically, just DR. ROBBY GO OFF to that whole conversation, actually. That place needs more staff and people to keep everyone safe while they try to do their jobs and/or get care. (Cops suck and all, but…something.)
- “A quiet room without my mom?” This poor kid.
- “Make sure you share your location with someone. Just in case.” I hate that this is so real. Good on Dr. Collins…but men really are trash.
- The “Pussycat” scene with Myrna and Whitaker might be one of my favorite Myrna scenes yet. Gerran Howell and Jeanette O’Connor are such gifts to this series. Like, I thought when Myrna messed with Robby it was comedic gold. But this??? Even better.
- The evil eye when Myrna doesn’t get her way…
- “Maybe wash your hands first.” Too many people in government think this is “overreach” to demand.
- “How do you get through the loss of a child?” “Same way you get through anything. By leaning on your friends and family.” …he won’t, though, huh.
- Once again going to point out how well The Pitt uses the space and the camera’s perspective to tell a story. That moment of Robby looking into the doorway where Nick’s parents are sitting, hesitating like he wants to say something, and then just…putting his head down and getting back to work feels about as endless and weighted as it deserves.
- “Sometimes, I occasionally jump to the worst case scenario. So I — …” “Understandable, given what we see here.” It’s like talking about current events.
- I see Dr. Santos is still into mean nicknames. Also doesn’t mind manipulating people.
- “…he has a tendency to sweat a lot. I don’t know if that’s weird. Could be genetic.” Protect her.
- I love the little awkward moment when Mel reacts to Langdon brushing aside the autism diagnosis in his patient’s history. As we’ve seen all season, Taylor Dearden has such a great way of really embodying this character’s unique combination of personality traits. And here, she makes sure viewers know Mel’s discomfort is palpable in very Mel way.
- “Great. I can see three other patients while you do.” Maybe see yourself out instead. Jerk.
- “What is a sad boy?” Dead.
- “The worst I’ve ever felt or the worst that a human being can experience?” Seriously have never been a fan of that pain scale thing.
- “For her, the world is ending. If you push her away, she may never come back.” GET HER.
- “Best way to face your fears.” Poor Whitaker. First day in the ER, valiantly tries to save someone and refuses to stop compressions even long past when there was any true hope, and now…this. He’s pretty tough about it, though. Such a quiet, unassuming kind of guy with obvious self doubt, just…doing the work.
- The joy when Dr. Collins tells Mr. Wallace she thinks they can make that meeting happen.
- Another hour, another opportunity for Dr. Mohan to be right…and still face Robby’s wrath for it. Boo.
- “She’s not trying to kill him; she’s just worried about her daughter.” Quite frankly, if she was actually trying to kill him, I wouldn’t hold it against her.
- No, seriously. Minu and Mr. Wallace. My heart.
- Sure, there are (nowhere near enough) nurses for this sort of thing and all, but Mel doesn’t think it’s beneath her to help Ginger to the bathroom. Can we clone her? Samira, too, perhaps??
- Honestly, if Dr. Santos approached the Dunn family situation in a way I didn’t like at all, it was her conversation with Alana. She should’ve known that little girl wasn’t going to be in a place to be able to admit to herself what her dad was doing — much less confess to a total stranger who’s hinting at it out of the blue.
- Oh. And seriously, can we not with the gloating that someone’s going to get assaulted in prison? In 2025? Do better.
- What I’m saying here is: Should’ve called Olivia Benson. (I’ll see myself out.)
- “Being a good doctor, Dr. Mohan, is knowing when to dig deep and knowing when to move on.” Yes. And that’s exactly why she didn’t listen to you this time.
- “He made the decision to save eight lives and improve hundreds more.” Friends, let’s talk about the iconic “Old Times” episode of ER…
- “Listen to your patient. That is your superpower.” There it is.
- My God, Noah Wyle. The emotion in his voice in that flashback…wow. Like, he’s good everywhere. If he’s in a scene, he’s delivering. But dear God.
- Insert obligatory “Collins and Robby scenes are always highlights” comment here. Because, like, that fight about Mohan. (Which actually about a lot more.)
- “Superiors. Wowww.” That quiet, “you MF” look…
- Tag yourself. I’m Mel, very obviously not knowing how to handle praise.
- LOL. She got this POS crying.
- “Don’t F— with me. And don’t F— with your daughter.”
- The ending. NO.
- Pain.
- Why.
- No.
- Absolutely not.
What did you think of The Pitt Season 1 Episode 7? Leave us a comment!
New episodes stream Thursdays at 9/8c on Max.
