Most people can’t work for 15 hours straight, let alone provide constant, life-saving care at work. But in the emergency room, staff have to be on top of their game for their entire shift to save lives.
The Pitt, HBO’s breakout medical show that just finished its second season, is showing the world what it takes to work and survive one shift in the ER. The season focused intensely on the unspoken mental toll placed on overworked, underpaid and undersupported healthcare workers.
The show takes place at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, where the ER is called “The Pitt,” hence the series name.
The show’s audience was initially drawn in by its unique timeline. Instead of one episode being multiple days like other shows, one season of The Pitt occurs in a 15-hour time period, with each episode being one hour of a shift in the ER. The five-time Emmy-award-winning show is executively produced by John Wells and ER Star Noah Wyle, who stars as Dr. Michael Robinavitch or “Dr. Robby.”
Beyond the unique timeline, the writing and storyline are raw and authentic, stirring emotions in nearly every viewer. Doctors and nurses in the Pittsburgh ER are all fighting their own inner battles while trying to save patients’ lives.
One powerful storyline is portrayed by Patrick Ball, who plays Dr. Frank Langdon. The senior resident’s drug addiction, which was revealed in Season 1, is a point of tension in the ER. Dr. Robby has not forgiven Dr. Langon for stealing benzodiazepines from the ER to support his addiction, and even stealing from patients’ prescriptions and putting his patients in harm’s way. The show’s second season picks up 10 months after season 1, coincidentally, Dr. Langdon’s first day back after being caught and leaving for rehab.
The main storyline of Season 2 is Dr. Robby’s looming three-month sabbatical to ride his motorcycle, helmetless, through Alberta, Canada. This “vision quest” is dangerous and possibly suicidal, highlighting the mental health struggles of burnt-out healthcare workers.
This struggle is portrayed incredibly well by the actors; the delicacy with which they display mental health issues stands out among a lot of other shows out there, despite living in an age where these conversations are gravely important.
Suicide is not a new theme for the series. In season 1, both Dr. Robby and Dr. Jack Abbot, played by Shawn Hatosy, are seen on the roof of the hospital looking down at the drop, seemingly contemplating taking their own lives after stressful and traumatic shifts. These powerful scenes highlight how working in emergency medicine can affect physicians’ mental health.
This season also depicts many heavy current events in our country. With ICE agents, families being separated by deportations, mass shootings, federal funding cuts in health care and much more, The Pitt keeps its themes relevant while showing the ugly realities Americans and Healthcare workers face.
Season 2 of The Pitt exceeded our expectations and felt perfectly written. When watching The Pitt, viewers cannot help but get lost in the story and feel like they are taking on the burdens and stressors of the staff. It does not feel like you are watching a medical drama created solely for shock value; rather, it is a realistic and important depiction of humanity, just in the setting of an ER.