All it took for me to open my laptop and log into MAX was one well-placed TikTok edit for the new show “The Pitt.” Actively in the middle of my second rewatch of “Grey’s Anatomy,” I decided to give it a try. In 15 episodes and less than 48 hours, I had a new favorite show.
Each episode of “The Pitt” follows Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, played by Noah Wyle, throughout his 15-hour shift at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. On the surface, it may present itself as every other completely unrealistic medical drama that holds no more significance than the rest of its kind. In reality, it is anything but that.
What makes “The Pitt” so special is how real it feels. It doesn’t sugarcoat any part of working in healthcare; in fact, it powerfully highlights some of the worst parts. Lack of resources and staff shortages, long waiting times leading to disgruntled patients, mass casualties, personal and family issues getting in the way of work and perhaps the most compelling aspect, a staff traumatized by working on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Every second of every episode had me hooked. It was fast-paced, giving no time to recover from one dramatic moment to the next. This puts the viewer right in the shoes of the doctors who have to jump from patient to patient without a second to breathe, regardless of how traumatic the case may have been. The job is beyond stressful and takes its toll on everyone differently, as seen in each of the doctors and nurses on staff during this tumultuous day shift.
Dr. Robby, as chief attending doctor, is in charge of the entire emergency department. As the day goes on and gets more chaotic and traumatizing, you see the weight of that role really put a strain on him. He has to find the very thin line between being the boss and being a friend when he needs to be, all the while providing the best possible care he can for his patients, and Wyle portrayed this with ease.
While the surgeons at Seattle Grace Hospital in “Grey’s Anatomy” are almost robotically dedicated to surgery and get away with almost everything they do, even when it’s criminal — I’m looking at you Izzie Stevens — “The Pitt” doesn’t romanticize being a doctor or nurse in an extremely understaffed and overwhelmed emergency department.
It’s not all crazy experimental surgeries and steamy romantic side plots, it’s physically and emotionally demanding and just when you think it can’t get worse, it does. It’s messy and when judgment is clouded, mistakes get made and consequences are paid, as seen in the revelation of Dr. Frank Langdon’s (Patrick Ball) addiction issues, resulting in a heated ultimatum delivered by Dr. Robby.
One of my favorite characters is head nurse Dana Evans, played by Katherine LaNasa. If Dr. Robby is the heart of the operation of the emergency department, Dana is the blood pumping through the heart that keeps it going. Everyone relies on Dana. She is rough around the edges and unwaveringly loyal, perhaps to a fault, when she keeps working even after being assaulted by a patient who was dissatisfied with long wait times. After the worst possible shift, Dana questions if she can take the demands her job throws at her.
“The Pitt” surprised me in the best way possible. It was incredibly visceral — perhaps a bit too visceral at times, my finger hovered over the fast forward button during a couple of particularly gory scenes — yet kept me wanting more. The flaws and trials of each character are embraced, never downplayed or wrapped up in a pretty bow before they can really affect them in any meaningful way.
While I don’t regret binge watching all 15 episodes, I am sad to part ways with these characters I’ve come so attached to — a testament to the actors performances and the emphasis on portraying realistic characters — and I can’t wait to dive into another 15 hour shift in the life of Dr. Robby in season two.
5/5 stars
mkane10@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Brightspotcdn.com
