Reaction: The Pitt, "1:00 PM" | Season 1, Episode 7

Snap judgments are constantly made in the ER, whether about a fellow doctor or a patient. It is the kind of environment that benefits from being able to quickly adapt because you don’t know who will come through those doors on what could be the worst (or final) day of their lives. The sheer variety is a factor The Pitt uses to its advantage as the myriad cases continue to flesh out and drive the main cast. As we hit the halfway point of the shift (and season), there is more insight into skill level and temperament. It doesn’t require the same depth of theorizing as a show like Severance, but context clues still lead to speculation and guessing games about how a particular storyline will play out—and the lasting impact.

One of the most curious this week is an agitated beauty influencer who pretty much everyone but Dr. Mohan (Supriya Ganesh) thinks requires a psych consult. Dr. Mohan clashes with Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) again but is bolstered by a reminder that her superpower is listening to her patients. Rather than schizophrenia, it is the mercury content in the cosmetics purchased from abroad that is the likely culprit for heightened paranoia. It is a case of the week that comes across as something one of the medical consultants has experienced, and The Pitt benefits from this technical input (and several subreddits discuss the accuracy of the series so far, especially regarding COVID-19 PTSD).

What follows are the observations I took from this seventh episode:

• The abortion storyline could be considered anti-climatic as all of the obstacles are cleared without too much distress in the end. Kristi’s (Abby Ryder Fortson) mother sees her daughter’s side of the story, and the potential legal issues of redoing a scan appear to be nothing more than a red herring (though it could come back). Rather than go for the big fireworks conclusion, I appreciate this low-key end to the arc. But as soon as this is resolved, Dr. Collins (Tracy Ifeachor) clutches her stomach again, and what I feared would happen comes to pass. The episode ends with the doctor in the bathroom stall, terrified to pull her underwear down, knowing what she will see. Ifeachor has been consistently brilliant at portraying a measured character, but the depths of her despair in this scene are noteworthy—as is the way the camera doesn’t avoid the reality of what a miscarriage looks like.

• There has been some speculation about whether Robby is the dad. While I am leaning toward no (they dated so long ago), Wyle and Ifeachor’s chemistry adds to the lived-in quality of a dynamic that still has heat. Collins pushes back against Robby when he is overly harsh toward Dr. Mohan and calls him out for his BS behavior. Dana (Katherine LaNasa) is on the more diplomatic side of pushing back in the present (though she isn’t against calling him hangry), and Robby’s patience is eroding as the day progresses. The anniversary of Dr. Adamson’s death is referenced several times during this episode, and a flashback shows Dana actively disagreeing with Robby about Dr. Adamson taking priority with the equipment.1 I know I have been on the fence with the flashback framing device, and one of my concerns is how often these scenes would pepper the present-day action. Thankfully, there has been great restraint in how frequently it is used, and the additional insight into Robby’s state of mind is more welcome than not. Different aspects trigger Robby, and this helps avoid repetition. I am curious how others feel about this.

• Dana is often the voice of reason and wisdom, telling Robby that you must lean on friends and family to get through something like losing a child. Later, Robby repeats this to the Bradleys about the power of so many of Nick’s friends stopping by. An environment like his requires constant knowledge sharing beyond medical procedures, and sharing empathy-leading missives is a vital part of overall care.

• Other lessons are overt, such as how Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden) puts her experience caring for her autistic sister into practice, and Langdon (Patrick Ball) acknowledges how good she is with patients. Part of me thinks that Langdon surely has enough common sense to figure out he might get better results talking to a patient if he considers the whole package. Still, other interactions in previous episodes (such as the brain worms guy last week) suggest his bedside manner needs work. Langdon’s approach with Mel and Whitaker (who panics that another heart attack patient will die) directly contrasts his lack of rapport with Santos (Isa Briones). Part of me worries that Santos is purposefully looking for something she can use against her supervisor (like the drug vial), regardless of whether it reflects Langdon’s actual work ethic.

• Santos continues down a reactionary path, and the way she threatens the ladder-fall guy is veering into The Pitt doing too much. First, she asks the daughter directly if her father is abusing her, and then she goes a little vigilante—but not too vigilante. With no proof or confirmation of sexual abuse, there is not much the hospital can do other than report the wife for lacing her husband’s coffee with progesterone to reduce his sex drive. Her inexperience and cockiness, coupled with her anger, are a potent mix without the personal backstory. A young doctor with a chip on her shoulder hiding a painful past is cliche and comes across as the writers’ room trying to justify Santos’ behavior. I’d rather she was just an asshole, to be honest. I also want to say I would feel the same if any of the doctors added a level of theatrics to their threats, but it seems unlikely that anyone else on this staff would opt for this method of threatening arrest. Whether there will be repercussions is unclear, but it seems likely that Santos will continue to be divisive.

I’ve talked about The Pitt referencing time as a reminder that we are watching events covering one shift, and Robby continues to beat the drum of not having enough resources to deal with the volume of patients. The Bradleys and their braindead son Nick is the case that has been an anchor to the season, but they are not the only recurring characters. I was thrilled to see the Good Samaritan from the potential hate crime in premiere wake-up. Even without a translator, the two patients have a heartwarming bonding moment. So much grief and trauma ripple throughout this department, which makes this feel like an earned respite (even if the Good Samaritan confirms a crime has been committed and reminds us how they ended up here in the first place). Rage is a recurring theme, but The Pitt doesn’t sink into pessimism. Bad things happen, which can lead to a trip to the hospital, but there is still some hope in the world. What do you make of the overall tone of The Pitt so far?