If there is one genre of television that is associated with brain rot, that always seems to air in between reruns of “Young Sheldon” and “The Goldbergs,” it would be the medical drama. The setting offers innate high stakes and infinite possible situations for an ensemble cast to deal with. But, like many things in life, just because it is easy does not make it good. The quality of these shows, such as “The Good Doctor,” are often hit or miss, and nowadays many of them get attention through shock value clips posted in snippets across social media apps, most notably TikTok and Instagram Reels. Then comes “The Pitt” on Max, a show that applies the modern expectations and depth of prestige television to the setting of an emergency room and its staff. It is really quality stuff.
“The Pitt” follows Doctor Robby (Noah Wyle), the head of a large and overcrowded emergency room in Pittsburgh. The very first scene of the show is Robby taking over from the night shift’s Head Doctor Abbott (Shawn Hatosy), while simultaneously persuading him to not jump off of the hospital roof. That pretty much sets up the tone for the rest of the show, blending together the intensity of an emergency room with the humanity of those who keep it running. Robby is the emotional anchor of the show, leading his team of other doctors, including Langdon (Patrick Ball), King (Taylor Dearden) and ankle-monitor bound McKay (Fiona Dourif), with sincerity while also dealing with the anniversary of the death of his mentor, Doctor Adamson. There could not have been a better lead, as Wyle himself is a veteran of medical dramas, including “ER.” The gravity of his presence and his actions throughout the various medical scenarios is eerily strong, and he controls every scene without breaking a sweat. So, when he traumatically flashes back to Adamson’s death or the tragic events that unfold over his shift, the audience feels it.
The big pull of “The Pitt” is its pacing. Its 15 episodes span one 15-hour shift, with each episode covering one hour. The first episode is titled “7:00 A.M.” and the finale ends it all off at “9:00 P.M.” It is a great gimmick that brings a ton to the table without being flashy or over-the-top. The story is able to fully develop over the shift, allowing us to see the complete arcs of events and characters, especially the medical school students and interns such as Whitaker (Gerran Howell) and Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez). It is easy to compare any prestige television show of the last few years to “The Bear,” but the situations brought about by this episode format evoke the same visceral stress that audiences similarly admire in that show. The fast-moving cinematography and close-up camera shots litter every episode of “The Pitt,” along with loud sound cues that heighten the intensity of each medical situation.
What really makes each of these episodes are the various patients the doctors of the emergency room interact with. Ranging from parents of a child suffering a fentanyl overdose, to anti-vaxxers, to regular falls during home renovation that may be related to a darker domestic situation, it feels as if thousands of unique patients come in and out of these doctors’ oversight in just 15 episodes—and 15 hours. The ethical questions of each case—the personal inputs of the various unique doctors, interns and medical students—all keep rolling together in a masterfully written script. Binging “The Pitt” as someone who likes character-driven bottle situations, wherein said characters are restricted to a singular area, is like handing over candy to a child. Even at its darkest and most intense moments, you feel grounded in the setting and characters the show builds and grows naturally.
If you are not generally a fan of hyper-realism and all the baggage that comes with medical dramas, including gore and stressful scenarios, you may need to adjust your mindset to watch “The Pitt.” Yet, I would still recommend it. It really is one of the best shows in recent memory when it comes to characterization and world-building in a set space. It is an emotional show and it helped me through a tough time, but it is also an incredible watch.