Nearly five years afterTed Lassodebuted,The Pittpremiered with a different vibe and emphasis. There were subtle signs of hope inThe Pitt, but fractures in humans and humanity alike were at the forefront of the show from the outset. The fledgling healthcare system, ongoing trauma from disease and war, and underlying anger all revealed a very cynicalreality of where the world is now.
WhenTed Lassodebuted in 2020, it was a show that offered humor, optimism, and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world. As COVID-19 continued to spread and create unending waves of uncertainty,Ted Lassowas an entertaining reminder that kindness exists and to believe.
WhereTed Lassowas a soothing balm in a trying time by channeling positivity,The Pittoffers a similar antidote to a difficult social and political climate in the opposite way. By voicing the frustration many individuals feel but can’t quite articulate at the same time as depicting doctors who are so good at their jobs (and believe in science),The Pittis like the cathartic scream we all want to let out.
‘The Pitt’ Is a Look at the Psyche of the Healthcare System
As Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch onThe Pitt,Noah Wyle returns to his rootsof playing a medical professional. Unlike Dr. John Carter fromER, Dr. Robby works in the emergency department at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. Dr. Robby is the senior attending who continues to struggle with the trauma he experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Robby is clear in his devotion to his patients and to honoring their wishes, but he’s also frustrated with his situation.The Pittis realistic in how it presents a physician working amid overcrowded waiting rooms and limited resources.InTimemagazine, Dr. Nicholas Cozzi praisedThe Pittfor bearing “witness to young lives lost to overdoses, families grappling with heartbreaking end-of-life decisions, and the rising tide of violence against health care workers.”
Cozzi callsThe Pitt"cathartic" for healthcare workers who carry theweight of the patients they have lost with them every day.Its unflinching look athealthcare in the United Statesreflects how doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers areworking within the confines of a broken system. As an example, Cozzi offers this:
“We are trying to heal people within a system that is unwell itself — stretched thin, underfunded, and unable to keep pace. The emergency department is not failing you. The system is.”
James Poniewozik fromThe New York Timesalso addressed howThe Pittbalances entertainment with"the widespread feelingthat everything now is sick and broken, from systems to people to social impacts."
The 10 Most Likeable Characters on ‘The Pitt,’ Ranked
With one of the best ensemble casts on TV, ranking the most likeable characters on ‘The Pitt’ was no easy task.
The Consequences of COVID-19 and Healthcare Inequity Are Addressed in ‘The Pitt’ With Brutal Honesty
Dr. Robby onThe Pittexperiences numerousflashbacks to when he treated patients with COVID-19. He carries trauma from losing patients, especially his mentor. As a result, Dr. Robby is more realistic and relatable than many doctors seen in medical dramas. Heembodies the fallibility of humans and how doctors struggle with what outsiders may simply consider their jobs. Show creatorR. Scott Gemmill explainedinThe New York Times:
“These are not people who are living a glamorous life and driving a fancy car… These are people who are doing a public service and dedicating themselves to helping people who are really in need.
As Noah Wyle explained, his own experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic have never left him. After receiving messages via social media at the height of the pandemic about how Dr. Carter was needed, Wyle “felt useless, and I was being acknowledged, and that was a weird combination for me to reconcile.”
He shared these messageswithERcreator andThe Pitt ProducerJohn Wells and Gemmill. The project they developed,The Pitt, had no connections toERbut wasborn out of the desire to “put this spotlight on these first responders. I wanted to put the attention back on this community that needed it.”
After ‘The Pitt’ Finale, Can Everyone Just Lay Off Dr. Santos?
She might be cocky and overly confident, but Dr. Santos isn’t a villain. And if she was a man, this wouldn’t even be a conversation.
People Are Frustrated and Hurting, and ‘The Pitt’ Doesn’t Shy Away From It
The Pittbrings the inequity of healthcare felt by millions of Americans to the small screen with a patient with sickle cell anemia who can’t get her medication anda young girl in need of reproductive care. Misinformation about vaccines is also incorporated intoThe Pitt,and when Dr. Robby gets frustrated with parents who refuse to have life-saving procedures.It highlights how difficult the day-to-day is for doctors in the current landscape.
The most glaring representation of the frustration on the patient side of the healthcare system inThe Pittcomes when charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) is punched by an angry patient. After the episode aired,LaNasa talked about how the punch ultimately"doesn’t completely break her, but it shatters her… I think it just brings up a lot of grief."
The glimmers of hope inThe Pittare there, however.Dr. Robby takes moments of silence for the patients who die, there are constant reminders to seek mental health assistance(he’s hesitant to address his issues, but that may change), and the individual staffers each bring genuine natures to their position inThe Pitt. He’s not unlike Ted Lasso in this way, hiding his inner struggle while trying to do the best for everyone around him.
Dr. Melissa “Mel” King (Taylor Dearden) can connect with several patients in ways her colleagues can not, having worked with military veterans and caring for her autistic sister. Dr. Trinity Santos (Isa Briones) is boastful and a bit obnoxious, but opens up about her struggles with mental health to a patient, while Dr. Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez) demonstrates abilities amid comments about her age.
The Pittmay be difficult to watch for many, but the praise it continues to receive from healthcare workers and the success it’s found on MAX attest to the messaging, albeit mixed, of the show.
