Hbo Max's The Pitt finale reveiw

Following its season one success, including winning five Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for Best TV Drama, “The Pitt” wrapped up season two with its finale on HBO Max earlier this month.  

The season two finale aired on April 16. This season, although very different, lived up to the standards set by the previous season and once again featured stars Noah Wyle, Shawn Hatosy, Patrick Ball, Lisa Barone, and Gerran Howell. 

The show is set in a Pittsburgh medical center.  What's unique about this story arc is that the characters feel real, and the show feels like it could be real. We get an insight into not only the character's lives, but also their work. It makes you think more about health care workers and the things they go through, specifically in emergency medicine.

The more recent episode picked up where the previous one left off on the Fourth of July, with Dr. Robby (Wyle) talking to Dr. Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi) about her seizures. She hadn't experienced seizures in over a year until that day, when she had two during her shift. This became a recurring conversation and worry throughout the episode, as Robby questioned whether she should take over his position as an attending physician during his three-month sabbatical.

As the shift ended, Robby said goodbye to his co-workers, including Dennis Whitaker (Howell), whose character will be housesitting for Robby. Unfortunately for many viewers, his character only had about three minutes of screen time in this episode. His story this season felt underdeveloped. 

After a 14-hour shift, he got Robby’s information, then got in a truck owned by a widow from season one to drive her and her baby back to her dead husband's farm, essentially playing husband and father. His character's only personality traits are that he's from Nebraska, and that he helps everyone rather than having a serious plot of his own. I hope the writers wake up and see they need to explore his character more in season three. “The Pitt” was picked up for a third season in January, according to TVLine. The announcement arrived from HBO during the season two premiere.

On the other hand, we got to see more of Dr. Langdon (Ball). Viewers got to see the aftermath of rehab for a painkiller addiction, including a drug test. He also got into a screaming, heartfelt talk with Robby about Robby seeking mental health support. I hope in season three that this progresses and Robby gets help.

Another strong moment came when Dr.Abbot (Hatosy) shared his experiences with Robby, including his time in the war and dealing with loss. This scene hit hard and highlighted the friendship between the two men.

Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden) also had significant character development in just this episode alone. She came to realize her sister, who is on the autism spectrum, doesn't need her all of the time, and that she, too, is entitled to have a life outside of work and her sister. 

A beautifully done scene between Mel and Langdon happened, and they discussed Langdon teaching Mel a risky intubation technique. I hope the writers expand more into their relationship because I like the pairing of the two. 

Trinity Santos (Barone) struggled with thoughts of self-harm throughout the whole season, leaving a lot of fans worried about her relapse. She is a strong female role, and I would love to see her journey to seek help and find better friendships.

In the post-credits scene, we see Trinity and Mel doing karaoke, where we see them sing “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette. I thought this was a good way to end the season with two people who need to find a friend.

“The Pitt” won five Primetime Emmy Awards for its first season at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards and had 13 nominations — including major award wins such as outstanding drama series, best supporting actress, and outstanding guest actor. Creators and actors dedicated the wins to healthcare workers.

In an interview with TVLine, one of the creators of the show, R.Scott Gemmill, said Robby’s journey this season is him trying to find his place and going through a little bit of an existential crisis. 

Wyle, a creator in addition to being the lead actor in the series, read a motorcycle book stating it had a lot to do with his character's mental state, saying his character, Robby, most likely read the book, and that was a turning point for him, with the motorcycle purchase, fixing it up, and planning a three-month sabbatical. 

Gemmill goes on to say that when we see Robby being upset with Langdon this season, it's Robby being more upset with himself than Langdon.

Fiona Dourif, who plays McKay, explained that at the end of season one, viewers see kind of the apex of chaos and the humiliating event of being almost arrested in front of everybody. In season two, we get to see a more level-headed McKay, not only in work but in her personal life. The difficulties have been pushed down, and viewers start to see some bubbling. 

Supriya, who plays Mohan, talks about her character and her confidence that we see in the beginning of season two, and that declines throughout the season. 

Taylor, who plays Mel, speaks on her character's season and how we see Mel on a weird day where she is not quite herself, though more confident in her work,rk her mind is elsewhere.

Isa and Gearran, who play Santos and Whitaker, speak on their characters, saying they are both more confident with Santos having a less of an “I need to prove myself” attitude, and how Langdon's return is a triggering event for her character. Gerran says Whitaker has come a long way from his first shift with a 10-month jump between season one and season two, and his character has had to step into a sort of teaching role for the new residents, and that he is flourishing.

At a Glance:

The Pitt

Starring:Noah Wyle,shawn Hatosy,Taylor Dearden,Isa Borone,Gerran Howell.

Summary: A TV Show about a Pittsburgh emergency room.

Rated: TV-MA for violence, language, and nudity

Stream on:Hbo max 

Distributor: Hbo

Rating:****