Review: The Pitt, "6:00 PM" | Season 2, Episode 12

It takes two different conversations for Robby and Dana to finally say the quiet part out loud during a head-to-head in the “I’m fine” Olympics that has been brewing all season. As the day shift nears its end, neither is convinced by the other, and Dana lands the last, devastating blow: “This place is bigger than one person. It survived without Adamson, it survived without me, and it will survive without you.” Robby is stunned into silence, and no other character could elicit this reaction from the king of denial. Both accuse the other of being off, and having these storylines running parallel illustrates the overarching mental health themes that are core to The Pitt and its appeal.

The single-day narrative structure allows for this increase in pressure as myriad external factors push characters who are already nearing breaking point. Last year, the anniversary of Dr. Adamson’s death contributed to Robby’s spiral. Ten months later, he has hit a new rock bottom, leaving many concerned about his well-being. Dana is the most explicit in voicing her fears, but it takes Robby leveling a similar accusation at her to enter into a space of radical honesty. Before this, Dana goes into the bathroom and angrily spits out the word “fuck” over and over. Similar stubborn personalities that would normally make this pair unstoppable have become their undoing, leading to a dynamite face-off that contributes to The Pitt’s impressive run.