Mid-June, I was in the living room. The cicadas were chirping outside and the humidity was wafting in through the window my mom always keeps open. I was reading on the teal loveseat, and my mom was busy watching HBO’s “The Pitt,” the dogs asleep by her side.
I have never been interested in medical dramas, the health world or even TV for that matter. But something about “The Pitt” pulled me in, and I began to quietly watch over her shoulder. She was on Episode 6, so I had missed almost half of the first season, but I was quick to catch on to the narrative. After only half an episode, I could feel the stethoscope around my neck and the scrubs on my back. It was almost dizzying how fast I got absorbed into the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center.
Each season of “The Pitt” takes place in a single day, so every episode displays an hour in the emergency department (ED). This uniquely amplifies the realism of the show, as the viewer gets to experience how much the emergency medical staff endure in just a day—even if it sometimes feels inconceivable.
From the cacophony of the waiting room to the overwhelming nature of the emergency room, the frequency of tragedy that nurses and doctors in the show experience daily is astounding. As a viewer, I felt like I was in the ED with the staff, the stretchers and alarms suddenly surrounding me.
Many real-life medical workers have claimed “The Pitt” is one of the most realistic pieces in our medical-media catalogue, according to sources such as CBS News and The Harvard Gazette. The show brings to light the underfunding of hospitals and is incredible at naturally weaving in relevant social issues. The show has depicted the horrors of ICE raids, the debate around the right to abortion, racism and discrimination among diagnoses and the increasingly common burnout in the medical field. A recurring subplot in the show revolves around the fallout from COVID-19 and how it continues to impact emergency departments even half a decade later. The inclusion of socio-political issues in “The Pitt,” especially in such a tumultuous time in our country, helps the viewer realize that emergency departments around the US are not immune or isolated from the outside world’s problems. The emergency staff have to experience their own staggering lives and then must surrender what they have left to give to their patients.
Another great thing about “The Pitt” is its wide appeal. I have talked to peers who love the show, but also older folks; the show distinctively creates a special bridge between all ages. Even in these times when generations of our world seem to clash, it collectively invokes our empathy to see people experience the adrenaline rush—and crash—that exists within the ED.
Every character’s personality and backstory is multifaceted, but something that ties them together is their vulnerable humanity. Personally, I quickly latched onto Dennis Whitaker (played by Gerran Howell) and Trinity Santos (played by Isa Briones), two very different characters. Yet over the course of the two seasons, they become the closest thing to unrelated siblings, like two cats bonded in a shelter that cannot be separated.
Santos is guarded, sarcastic and loyal. Whitaker is kind, gentle and very resilient. They are both extremely determined to do the best they can in the ED, and are greatly skilled at it. They balance out each other’s flaws and contribute to each other’s strengths. They provide the chaos of the ED with such a homey and comforting feel, like an eye in the storm. Both for each other and for us as the audience.
“The Pitt” is incredible at interspersing a diverse selection of patients into the story, but the viewer is left wanting more time with the show’s main characters. Their personal issues are sprinkled throughout the scenes, but I am hungry for more. I want to learn more about Whitaker and his childhood, Jack Abbot and his life on the front lines, Victoria Javadi and the crushing expectations on her from her parents, Melissa King’s autistic tendencies and traits. I have so many questions bouncing around in my brain that have been left unanswered.
Unfortunately, I doubt we will get much about the characters that are not close to the protagonist, Michael Robinavitch, nicknamed Robby. In addition to playing Dr. Robinavitch, Noah Wyle is a major writer, director and producer of the show. Most of the information we learn about a character outside of the ED is related to Robby. And while Robinavitch is an interesting character and I want to learn more about him too, there are so many people on the team at “The Pitt” who deserve more screen time. With Mohan getting written off for Season 3, I worry that the other characters will be pushed to the side to make more room for Robinavitch, which I think is very unfair, especially when they are all so fleshed out and deserve more lore.
I am at my core an optimist, so I hope that when I press play on Season 3—due to release sometime in early 2027—I will get the information I so desperately want.
These characters have become something like friends to me, and I very much look forward to the day our paths cross again in a new way. Especially since I have been rewatching the same episodes every night for the past few months!