A New York Times column from February titled “The Television Show Every American Should Watch” deconstructed HBO’s critically acclaimed poster child, "The Pitt," claiming the show is a direct reflection of the current state of our chaotic country.
In the column, journalist Frank Bruni writes that "The Pitt" is “a study of people under intense pressure — as they are when a pulse is fading, or when a nation is fraying — and the importance of muddling through and making things better, no matter the odds, no matter the obstacles.”
I see Bruni’s analogy as rightfully fitting to the first season of "The Pitt," and even more to the second season.
It’s not a stretch to see the bustling Emergency Room of "The Pitt" as a metaphor for the state of our nation. The entirety of season two takes place on July 4, a not too subtle decision from the show's creator, R. Scott Gemmill.
The show is a messy mirroring of our country's current heartbeat. At times, it feels overwhelming, claustrophobic and unbearable. However, in the same way, the ensemble of doctors, nurses and medical students of "The Pitt" take action without hesitation, similar to how we as civilians understand that allowing our country to slowly die without a concerned effort is out of the question.
"The Pitt" is a loud cry for help. To its viewers, it says to stay hopeful and strive for a better outcome — an outcome that is attainable but only through sacrifice and hopeful intent. It makes this cry through an unapologetic script, filled with deep emotional writing rivaled by none.
A classmate in my fiction class recently said, “complicating a character is the best way to humanize a character.” The second season of The Pitt takes this idea and runs with it. The character writing exhibited in "The Pitt", that prioritizes the characters emotional complexity above all else, led to incredibly written characters like Dr. Santos, Dr. Langdon and especially Dr. Robbie.
Whereas season one of the show was more of a plot-driven introduction to the not so dissimilar world of "The Pitt," season two took the already in-depth characters and layered an insane amount of emotional baggage and complicated emotions.
The characters are no longer written as the heaven-sent angels of the first season, and by no means is that an accident. The personal life of the ER members, despite Robbie's hypocritical disapproval, take turns in introducing themselves into the ER’s walls.
The show works through concepts of loneliness and distrust which are massively relevant among our country’s current culture. It takes its sweet time, soaking in the emotion as to not rush through the process of grief while simultaneously signifying the necessity to not wallow infinitely in our own sadness.
Even in the chaos of the ER, the characters feel disconnected from one another. I feel as though one of the most prevalent points the show is trying to convey is that constant interaction and engagement from every direction does not equate to human connection. Regardless of our amount of human engagement, if we don’t find the human connection with one another, we will run ourselves rampant through high amounts of stress.
Dr. Robbie and Nurse Dana’s close knitted relationship is tested relentlessly throughout the season as the characters struggle to find the right words to convey their emotions. Undoubtedly, both characters care deeply for the ER they represent— or the country they represent—but the overwhelming nature of the world we live in has left a toil on their ability to communicate.
Dr. Langdon and Dr. Santos dance around each other in a purposefully unaware ballet of ignorance. Neither character wants to acknowledge the world they live in, ignoring the ever-present addiction-and rehabilitation-shaped elephant in the room. I see these two characters relationship as a representation of the way we ignore trauma in our public and private life. Oftentimes, we believe the most beneficial way to fix our problems is to wait until they magically disappear. Even when the characters try to slowly make amends and understand each other, they find even more layers of trauma and necessary reflection that feel too hefty to unpack.
It would take too long to discuss every character's inner relationships with each other and themselves, but I can't talk about the beauty of "The Pitt" without mentioning the final interaction we see between Robbie and Dr. Abbot.
In the scene, Robbie in tears tells Abbot, “The most important things I’ve done in my life have been in this hospital. Nothing more will ever matter more than what I’ve done in this hospital, but it is killing me. You know how they say a part of you dies when you lose someone you love? I’m not convinced a part of you doesn’t die whenever you see another human pass, and I’ve seen so many people die that I feel like it’s leeching something from my soul. I’m tired of feeling like I’m drowning everyday.”
Abbot approaches Robbie once his emotional monologue comes to an end, leans in and says, “You’ve gotta find someone to help you dance through the darkness.”
A medical student enters the room briefly after to announce the arrival of another patient in need of immediate help as the doctors understand their help is needed as much as any other one of us hopeful citizens for a better world.
The ending of season two of "The Pitt" is intentionally quite vague. This vagueness is the perfect way to end a show that leans so heavily into ideas about legacy.
A handful of character arcs are left evidently incomplete from a story perspective. Questions regarding the future of Langdon and Dr. Al-Hashimi's employment feel as if they're still up in the air. We are never told if Robbie will embark on his "spiritual journey of self discovery" or if Dr. Mohan will continue to work in the ER. Many viewers may find this choice to end the story in this seemingly unresolved light as frustrating and lazy, but to me, it represents the unresolved world we live in.
We have questions about our future every single second we breathe. We never truly know where life is going to take us next. Whether it’s "a moment of quiet between the storms," or a further plummet into chaos that feels all too relevant nowadays, life requires the important push to fight on through the muddling obstacles we face every day.
What we truly need—what everyone in our country truly need—is someone to help us dance through the inevitable darkness.
I would give the newest season of "The Pitt" a 5/5.
"The Pitt" is a masterpiece in character building and will be remembered as a ray of light in our country’s current stumble.
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