The second season of The Pitt returned earlier this month, to the excitement of all. This new season has a 10-month time jump from the end of the last season, beginning on July 4. Our characters are in a new stage of their lives.
The thrilling medical drama secured the Emmy Award for best drama last year for its first season, which took place over the course of a single 15-hour shift in a Pittsburgh trauma center. The show delves into the gritty reality of an overwhelmed ER, often praised for its realistic coverage of a day in the life of patients, nurses, and doctors.
The show’s second season continues to shatter viewership records for HBO Max with an average of 9.5 million viewers, up 65% from the last season. This success has led to an early renewal of The Pitt season three, announced early last month.
The series returned this month, set in the early morning of Independence Day, opening with a heedless, helmet-less Dr. Michael Robinavitch (Robby) on a motorcycle, played by Noah Wyle.
Following the first season, the show’s introductory cast is now 10 months older and wiser, taking on their own interns and scrambling to catch up on their charting. The four main medics new to The Pitt last season were M3 Victoria Javadi, played by Shabana Azeez; M4 Dennis Whittaker, played by Gerran Howell; R1 Trinity Santos, played by Isa Briones; and R2 Melissa King, played by Taylor Dearden.
The cast’s chemistry is consistently cohesive, despite some absurdly tense moments. Critical viewers of the show have made notes that this season isn’t as exciting or hectic as the first. So far, it seems they may be right. The first season took place on the very first day for the main cast, and during a mass casualty. This season is going to feel slower in comparison to that whirlwind of commotion.
Episode 4 is where many felt the show began to find its footing, and in that regard, I totally agree. Dr. Robby is planning his three-month motorcycle sabbatical (they need to stop foreshadowing a motorcycle accident involving him before I cry), and Dr. Al-Hashimi has stepped into the Pitt to take over as the resident attending.
Conflict between Dr. Robby and Dr. Al-Hashimi is already building, as the two seem to have very different approaches regarding training interns and running the ER. Dr. Robby is also dealing with the return of Dr. Langdon, who was sent to rehab after stealing pills from his patients last season.
All the while, medical students James Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson) and Joy Kwon (Irene Choi) join the cast as the newest interns. Episode 4 has continued to expand the world of The Pitt, but hasn’t quite introduced any showstopping patients or conflicts (aside from revealing that Javadi is a TikTok star).
We will witness how this season continues. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing if the fast-paced tempo that made the first season so iconic is going to translate to these new circumstances.