The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14 Review: ‘Dance Til You Drop’

In The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14, many of the day’s problems remain unsolved. More to the point, there’s no end in sight, even as the season meets its abrupt end at the conclusion of the next hour. In some sense, that’s a good thing. It’s realistic, if nothing else. After all, it’s not like there’s ever a blinking sign that says “now’s a good time to leave the hospital. No more emergencies are coming anytime soon. Easy handoff!” Additionally, it’s not like the burnout, the addiction, the systemic failures, the relationships tested by all of the above and more—or, on a lighter note, even the Hansen family reunion’s ongoing stream of medical catastrophes—has a clear beginning, middle, or end.

In another sense, with one only episode left in a season that’s been death by 1000 cuts instead of one mass casualty and one man’s meltdown, leaving so much unsettled feels, well, unsettling. And that is the point. It’s on purpose. Viewers don’t get an easy out because the people this series focuses on don’t either. For better or worse, we’re on this journey with Dr. Robby, and since he knows he needs to leave and start his sabbatical but also can’t possibly tear himself away from the work, viewers must remain stuck in that agitating, endless loop with him. So, we do.

While the collapse of Robby’s mental health continues to be the personal in with witnessing how much our helpers actually need help, plenty of other characters experience extreme highs and lows in this hour. Dr. Mohan continues to suffer the most, not because she’s any less able to control her feelings or any less fit for the job but because her capacity for caring is so much higher. Langdon pulls off a miracle—with Robby’s backing—only to learn he’s late for a drug test. Dana continues to be ripped apart by the very real fear that Robby will never return. And while Javadi tries to help Jesse the only way she knows how, Robby assumes the worst and belittles her.

On the complete flip side, there’s Dr. Ellis. Whatever Abbot’s doing with the staff on the night shift, and whatever she’s doing in her own life to be so direct and allergic to BS, I hope whatever further character development she may get in the future doesn’t erase that. Basically, I want her to never, ever, ever change.

The scene where Ellis explains the glaringly-obvious truth of Robby’s anger being directed inward for failing Langdon—not the other way around—is so much fun. It’s like she can’t believe she has to spell it out, but when she gets to the part that really needs to land, she drops the camaraderie, drops the frustration with Langdon’s cluelessness, and makes it sink in…just to go immediately back into the very pointed “Rusty James” reference. Ayesha Harris is a breath of fresh air every time she pops up on screen, but those few moments opposite a wonderfully down in the dumps (and even more dumbfounded) Patrick Ball have got to be some of the best. It’s not quite a light interaction, not exactly comic relief…and yet it’s unbelievably valuable for pulling Langdon, and viewers, out of the endless cycle of devastation this place provides.

There are so many more stories to tell, so many more bizarre injuries and painful truths to reveal. As a penultimate hour, The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14 barely scratches the surface. Through that, the series sends a clear message to viewers: We’re not tying any nice, little bows on any of these frazzled, fraying ends. And that’s what makes it work.

MORE: Read our overall The Pitt Season 2 review.

“Let’s do this and get out of here”

Although the majority of The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14 comes across as an hour that can’t possibly be the last one before the finale, one part provides a very clear light at the end of the tunnel. More and more day shift residents are spending time on their charting. That includes both scanning the paper charts to create electronic records and Santos picking back up with the dictation she kept falling behind on throughout the day. Early on, Whitaker has to step away to answer Crus’ question about his cellulitis patient, but he actually makes good on his promise to return quickly. If that doesn’t scream “day’s almost over,” what possibly could?

A lot of these charting scenes may feel like a little bit of a sideshow or pure background, but with so little time, nothing on this series can really be viewed as filler. In this particular scenario, a lot of likely underrated relationship development happens. First off, there’s the continuing story of Whitaker and Santos’ friendship. When he promises he’ll be right back, he really, truly means it. That’s just further proof Trinity can trust Dennis. For her, that’s priceless.

Whitaker’s energy for getting the charting done and getting out the door is fantastic…until he realizes he’s lost his badge. This gives way to an utterly hilarious moment where Langdon makes a Clue reference, Whitaker gets confused, and Isa Briones pulls out that fantastic “that boy has no clue” deadpan. Yeah, he’s still Huckleberry to her, always will be…and also, there’s the play on words. Because he also has no Clue.

If that was the only interesting piece here, it’d probably be more of an additional thought in the last section of this review, but there’s more. It’s like Santos forgets where she is and who she’s with (Langdon) there for a second. I wonder what might have been if her first day as a doctor, and first experience with Langdon, wasn’t the horror show that it was. But only Santos gets to rib on Whitaker, it turns out because later, the intern makes it clear that his “role” with Langdon is not the little buddy. That, too, is a great scene. There’s a very cynical way we can read Langdon’s presence when Whitaker’s badge goes missing, as well as how it kind of builds toward that big confrontation…but I don’t even want to put it out into the universe because I’d like to be wrong.

Finally, there’s the scene where Santos is dictating her notes about Jude’s case. Much like the ICE agents’ disastrous presence in the hospital, his story is one that should stick with viewers long after The Pitt Season 2 ends. If it hasn’t, with everything else that has happened here, this hour seeks to remind us. Then, Mel tries to relate…and fails spectacularly because she hears “departed” when Santos says “deported.” Her backstory isn’t exactly the happiest one on the planet, but she’ll never know what it is to live the specific experience of having your parents rounded up like less-than animals and shipped off to a country they once fled. It’s an honest mistake to mishear, and she still can relate to being a sibling’s sole caregiver. But Chantal, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, she is not.

So, everyone’s already kind of side-eyeing Mel. And then, she tries to change the subject to something that makes her so very excited—the Revolutionary War re-enactors. It’s actually heartbreaking that she’s trying to take an interest in something other than just caring for Becca. It has to be so difficult for her to make an attempt at socializing with her coworkers. Meanwhile, they just…wind up shooting each other a bunch of “how did I get here” and “WTF” looks. Nobody’s really being supportive, yet she just happily chatters on about how she’s always loved history.

Mel doesn’t even seem to realize these people don’t care They are…not her friends. Not at first, at least. But at some point, she just…stops talking. No one who’s ever been in that kind of situation has walked away unscathed. (Can relate). If only Langdon were here during this conversation, considering how he reacted to those guys when they showed up.

The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14 shows how isolated Mel has been all this time, even in the moments when she’s tried to be friendly or thought she was making friends. Everyone else is focused on the work, tired, interested in other things…and she’s our delightful Mel. She deserves better. (Protect her!) The clever way this hour shines a light on how much of an outcast she is, coupled with the bright light that is Taylor Dearden’s portrayal of all things Mel, makes the “boring” part of the job a true highlight. It’s smart writing, better acting…and hard to watch.

MORE: For the Jude Augustin story, visit our The Pitt Season 2 Episode 9 review.

“Hard place to leave, harder place to stay”

At one point, on my second The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14 viewing, I wrote a note about Robby moving through the hospital like he’s just starting a new day instead of like he’s wrapping things up. On a very basic level, the character doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going. He can’t decide. Does he stay, make sure his place and his people are taken care of? Or does he follow the plan and just…ride? Escape from it all, and if he happens to not make it back because he wipes out somewhere without a helmet, so be it.

It’s when he’s not in that constant state of motion that he has to face how he actually feels, and when he’s out in the ambulance bay with Duke worrying over his bike after finding out one of the EMTs hit it, Duke sees right through him. Robby’s supposed to be the doctor here. He’s laid out the results of his friend’s test and has given him all the tools he needs to work on getting and keeping himself healthy. But it’s Duke who diagnoses Robby and counsels him in a way that he simply won’t let a mental health professional even try.

Maybe it’s the closeness between the two characters, or maybe it’s just that he’s too worn out to keep fighting the truth. Certainly, the way Noah Wyle plays the character, the way he sits there, drained, while Robby’s buddy talks abut his own regrets and the wrongs that can’t be undone, gives away just how tired—of the day, of carrying this burden, of hiding just how bad things have gotten for him altogether—the character is. But, in The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14, Duke gets more of a confession out of Robby than just the one line and walking away that Dana did at the end of the previous hour.

“I don’t know if I wanna be here anymore,” he says at one point. But when Duke tries to relate to him about how bad it is in the hospital, he quickly shakes his head, says “no” in that broken voice, makes a sort of motion with his hand and says, “that’s the only place I can be. I have purpose in there.” Here, he has to clear his throat. “I…can be distracted in there.” And finally, he lands on “I don’t know that I wanna be…anywhere anymore.” Duke’s a fixer, so he asks Robby what his plan is. And he is just so utterly and unbearably lost. Hopeless. His answer is a non-answer, and it’s riddled with a certain awful finality to it.

“Is that your final lesson for these kids,” Duke asks Robby, who’s left with an overwhelming sort of grief. Because this place is killing him, but it’s also keeping him alive. He knows it. Everyone who bothers to look knows it. And as far as the answer to whether or not that’s the last thing he wants to teach his “kids” goes, it’s a no. The EMTs bring in another patient. Somewhere in there, he helps his old favorite make a miracle. He also explodes, publicly calling the medics out for a major error that almost cost a patient her life. Then, off he goes to deal with the next crisis.

All of these quiet, personal asides with Duke are beautifully done. There’s an ease and a comfort to the characters’ dynamic, and the performances are as good as ever. Wyle puts on a show of Robby slowly letting himself be more and more vulnerable and honest during each encounter. Meanwhile, Jeff Kober brings an openness and an understated, simplistic calm to Duke as he balances out all that suffering pouring off our extremely flawed hero. This is what it is to see someone hurting in a way that you can’t reach and know all you can do is just…be there. Listen.

Does it at all wipe away or excuse the awful behavior toward Dr. Mohan or the completely inappropriate way he makes his points about EMTs needing to put the leads in the right place, his efforts to push away Dr. Langdon and Dana, or any other nastiness throughout the day? No. Of course not. But, pairing all of that with a more than vivid depiction of what’s underneath it all—and behind quite a lot—is bold, rich storytelling. It just is. This exact same sort of unraveling, coming from someone who’s otherwise perfect and easy to sympathize with, is too easy. It insults viewers’ intelligence and spoon feeds them; it’s lazy, even. The mess is what makes us human.

MORE: In Season 1, when he failed to save Jake’s girlfriend’s life, Robby reached what we thought at the time was rock bottom. Turns out we were wrong.

“…an honest second opinion on a case”

The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14 ends with Robby finally learning what’s up with Dr. Al-Hashimi. He doesn’t have to go and track information down or get into yet another argument. Instead, she actually…brings him her chart. It says a lot about what good doctors both of these characters are that, in spite of every single time they’ve gone to war during these 14 hours, Dr. Al trusts him enough to take a look. She can read the room, however scattered and obscured the truth of the matter is, and he has proven himself in between all the times he’s acted out.

The timing is perfect, as well. If Dr. Al had come up to him immediately after exposing his raw edges to Duke, she might have been (wrongly) on the receiving end of his lashing out. One thing hurt people do is hurt people—we’ve certainly seen that often enough this season. Instead, she happens to catch him after he’s totally ripped the medics a new one, so he’s…I don’t want to say more of his right mind because he’s obviously still a mess? But that’s the best way to put it. Or…he’s closer to being able to fake it, at least.

So, he’s able to just…be. To care about the medical information in front of him and, as he comes to the realization that the mystery patient is his colleague, really feel some concern. It’s a lovely little moment from Wyle, as is the pleased moment of surprise when Al-Hashimi tells Robby she’s come to respect his opinion.

But the scene belongs to Sepideh Moafi.

She brings a cautious, gorgeous sort of vulnerability to the situation. Even when Dr. Al first approaches Robby and is grinning away, bantering about how she “may have taken a slightly different approach” to scolding the medics, there’s something in her presence that bears a weight. A warning, even. And, as Robby reads the chart, there’s Dr. Al in the background, fearing for her life. She has to know it’s only a matter of time before Robby figures it out, so on top of being concerned about her own health, she’s terrified of what Robby might do with the information. If there’s any doubt that this is very, very bad—which there shouldn’t be, given what we’ve seen of this doctor so far—the massive swell of emotion from Moafi that closes out the hour after Robby asks “Baran…is this you” ought to do it.

She is bracing herself. And so should we. Because we only have an hour left.

MORE: Dr. Al-Hashimi was impressed by what Robby had to say during Louie’s debrief, but she’s still been at odds with him plenty of times since. We love that she doesn’t back down.

More The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14 reactions

“What’s up, Ghost Rider?” “You good?” “Never better.” (That last one is Robby…but also me when I lie.)
“I’ll be right back.” “You better.” Never change, roomies. Never, ever change.
“And then, we’re free to celebrate our freedom?” The sarcasm on that “exactly” is excellent.
I’m, once again, asking to have a season that’s mostly Abbot and Shen running the night shift. Just the chillest, most collected, two dudes with the chillest, most collected, staff.
…is it the garlic? Does the garlic make them that cool?
“I was with Ogilvie in the Ambulance Bay.” “Not with Colonel Mustard in the library?”
Love the scene where Perlah puts Duke in his place. Look: Some guys are harmless, and you can joke with them like this. Others…not so much. Far too many women, including those in healthcare settings, have faced an alarming number of the latter, so Perlah’s right to look out for her fellow nurse whether Duke’s safe or not. Amielynn Abellera and Jeff Kober are great here, and Perlah getting the “b**ch, please” moment of saying Vivi’s engaged to a jujitsu instructor is so much fun.
“Book, bath, and bed.” I support McKay’s choices here. Sorry to Hot Brian from earlier in the day.
Lots of pop culture references in this episode. Clue, Rumble Fish, Ghost Rider, Gilligan’s Island, other things I’m sure I’m missing… Mr. Wyle, our writer, is clearly into that there film stuff. (Brand new information, I know.)
“Je-sus. With all the martyrs around here, you’d think this was a passion play.” That’s the show.
The way Ayesha Harris tilts her head before she walks back over…really, truly is everything. And she is so, so unapologetic. “I worked with that man for 10 months while you were gone. He’s not mad at you. He’s mad at himself for failing you. Rusty James.”
“Just more White Knight/White noise. That’s how it is.” That sigh.
Robby not letting Javadi get a word in edgewise to explain herself was, uh, horribly, depressingly, infuriatingly relatable. I’ll never claim to have had her exact experience—hi, white AF over here. Also not a Gen Z—but the way Robby behaves here, and the way it can make a woman feel powerless? Oh, yeah. This idea of…just…a man talking over you, and he’s in a position of power over your job so you can’t really tell him what you think or raise your voice enough to get him to listen? Never ends, no matter your age. So, I really, really appreciate that she gets to stick that knife in and twist it without actually doing anything that can get her in trouble.
“…when I was in medical school—…” “You didn’t have TikTok, or cell phones, or internet. Or ICE agents coming in here and taking away patients and staff?” The way Shabana Azeez lands on that almost whispered “I get it” as she looks Wyle up and down, disgusted, on her way out is a move, too.
Also, this is as good of a place to make an ER reference as any: When that boy was in medical school, he was a disaster. He flopped as a surgical intern, too.
Anyway.
Another episode, another chance to just gush over Katherine LaNasa for how she portrays Dana reaching her own breaking point on account of worrying about Robby. This time, she’s totally crumpling against her will after Abbot (correctly) calls her “the mama bear glue that holds this place together.” I’ve already said so very, very much about LaNasa’s performance this season, especially in Episode 12. But just, wow, the way Dana tries to fight against her agony here and can’t, then immediately pivots to pouring it out as she pleads with Abbot to talk to Robby. Brilliant. Amazing. Iconic. Legendary. Pick an adjective.
“No. You do you.”
Living for Ellis’ “what the F—” there.
RIP to that motorcycle. May its owner learn to wear a helmet after this.
Most empathy Robby’s had all day, and it’s with his friend.
The “seditious content” quip doesn’t play well with the valid concern (if handled atrociously) about the EMTs not doing their jobs properly. Sir. No.
But thank God for McKay being such a mother and standing up for Javadi like this.
Those couple of moments we spend with Dr. Mohan in The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14 are so…just so difficult to watch. It’s like Supriya Ganesh is the human embodiment of devastation as Mohan sits there, unable to leave Orlando’s side but unable to actually be present in the room either. And there is such a hollowness, a lifelessness, to the way she later asks Robby if he’s asking her a trick question by asking how she’s doing. It’s like…the only time she gets a little bit of that passion back about her is when Robby makes his awful comment about it being Orlando’s “mistake” that he didn’t pick a higher spot to jump from. But otherwise…what a horrible thing to witness, seeing someone who’s usually so determined to care for others just…slumped over, deflated, giving up.
I think the only way to be more on the nose with the flag thing would be for it to stab a person of color in the back.
“Heard it’s been crazy. They shut down when ICE came?” “Separate events.” What. A. Day.
Oh, this is too cute. Javadi has a friend. The way they play this interaction, she’s getting the tasty foods at every shift change. GOOD.
“My Spotify age isn’t 62.” I’d die for her.
“Yeah, it’s not the first time it’s happened. You get a male medic who’s more concerned about getting sued or a complaint for undoing a bra.” Yes. And. There’s a reason people have concerns about stuff like this to begin with. I wish The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14 had been a little bit more, uh, nuanced with this. Having a woman go off on these guys would’ve helped, probably. I don’t know. Something. Like, what are we going to do next? Have a male gyn holler about needing someone to observe?
“’Should have found a higher place to jump from.’ It’s an interesting diagnosis, Doctor.” The quiet way Wyle looks back out toward the action in the hospital, then down…shows a level of guilt Robby hasn’t been capable of for most of the day. He doesn’t have it in him to fight this anymore. Which, like. Good. There’s nothing you can say to defend yourself with that one, and the sooner he owns how bad off he is and actually accepts help, the better.
“No pithy retort? Yeah, I didn’t think so.” GET HIM CALEB.
“Play whatever part you like. Just don’t pick mine for me.” Love this for Whitaker, hate that the line about watching a lot of Nick at Nite is at odds with the current programming on there. “Classic” shows are, uh, way too modern-feeling for my liking these days.
Oof. Langdon’s trying so hard not to show how someone else taking care of Robby’s place affects him there. Great work from Ball.
That little awkward beat before Whitaker apologizes, though. He totally noticed how him talking about watching Robby’s place affected Langdon huh.
“I’m sorry if I came across a little strong.” “Don’t apologize for standing up for yourself. It’s a healthy habit.”
A lot of times, when a character who’s having a rough time gets a quiet moment to pause and collect themselves or receive support from someone else, they get to really have that cool down time. Robby’s chance to reset, on the other hand, keeps getting interrupted and revisited. Because for him, breaks are bad, actually. Not only is he the one who’s supposed to be steering the ship, but he also has to keep moving to avoid being alone with his thoughts.
“Ohhhhhh, MOTHERf**ker!!!” A line reading if I ever heard one.
The dirty renditions of those patriotic songs just before Santos gets to Jude’s story in her charting catch-up. OOF.
“Boy, this record never stops, huh?” “Nahhh, it’s dance til you drop!” Great pause for weight from Kober before “then what?” “Teach the kids the steps before you do.” “…and then what?” “Hope they make it farther than you.”
Robinavitch. Sir. How are the kids gonna make it farther than you when you’re being a butthead to all of them?
(That’s the point, though. He’s unwell.)
That’s one way to get Langdon’s confidence back. Great back and forth from Ball and Wyle, as Langdon looks like he’s pleading with Robby to understand he’s afraid to mess this up. And then they just…get to work. So much for Robby not being sure he wants this guy back.
That shock as Robby tells him “nice job” on the way out lands really well, too.
…but he can’t even get his moment to enjoy what he’s just accomplished because he’s in such a frantic rush to make sure he gives his sample for his drug test in time. That quiet joy was so nice to see after how he had to brace himself to start the day, too.
OUCH.
I get it: Consequences of his actions and all. But also: OUCH. Addiction is a cruel b**ch.
Oh, Santos is enjoying this a bit too much.
“Saint Huckleberry. No good deed.”
“Some people can’t be fixed.” (He means himself.)
“…bad things. Hurt people. On purpose. Hurt myself. And I did my time, but that doesn’t wash away the regret. I…wish I’d done things differently. I think about it every day.” “You know, they say that it’s never too late to change.” “Yeah, but some things can’t be changed. Like death. Death can’t be changed.” “Hey, I know the surgery is scary.” Super, resolute, pointed delivery on the “I’m not talking about me.”
“Women are misdiagnosed for heart attacks all the time. This is a big reason why. Shall we put it to a vote? Hey, ladies in the room, show of hands! Death with modesty or life with brief nudity? Death! Or life?” Turns back, “look at that, turns out women wanna live.” Like, I’m glad he’s standing up for women who get misdiagnosed? But Sir. SIR. If The Pitt Season 2 Episode 14 has a major misstep, it’s maybe this. Right message, wrong person and energy for delivering it.
Or, no. If Dr. Al or Dr. Mohan was that explosive with rage while saying all those things, it would work. With Robby doing it, especially after the way he’s treated some of the women in his department this season—this episode, even!—it runs the risk of sending a very bad message instead of the right one.
“I think this was more instructive.” Like, the tone Briones chooses on Santos’ “agreed” here speaks volumes.
“Hey. Hell of a save your boy made. On-the-fly reduction of a uni-facet cervical dislocation? That’s some cowboy sh**.“ “Yeah, it was. Where is he?” “Ran off for a drug test. You got your wish—you don’t have to say goodbye.” A few things: One, Robby doesn’t correct the “your boy.” Growth! Two, that tone from Dana…is not only about a pre-sabbatical “see ya later” and is not friendly. Three, Robby looks like he kinda wishes he could have a moment now, too. (Again. Growth!)
“I seem to have lost my filter.” Ya think.
“Thank you, Dr. Al-Hashimi. Likewise.” So much genuine gratitude and humility…WHERE HAS THAT BEEN MOST OF THE DAY.
(Buried under suicidal depression and toxic coping mechanisms.)
Good luck to Dr. Al…and to us all.