If you haven’t seen HBO Max’s The Pitt, you’ve at least heard of it. With only two seasons out and a third one set to release January 2027, it has absolutely dominated the television world, already winning 11 Emmys among 38 nominations. The Pitt has also transcended traditional audienceship barriers. There’s an extremely active fandom, which I am a part of, that is mostly dominated by people in their teens and twenties, but my parents also love the show, as does my grandmother, and they are not outliers in their age group. It has become one of Max’s most successful series in the short time since its premiere in January 2025.Â
Let me be clear: The Pitt deserves this praise. It is a phenomenal television show. Not only engaging, but educational, it takes advantage of the unique single-shift style to highlight the realities of healthcare workers, and their patients. The Pitt is praised for its accuracy, from the medical terminology and procedures, to the concerns patients have about their conniving insurance practices, to the individual struggles of the beloved cast of characters. The writing is masterfully done to portray the nuanced and complicated relationships doctors must make, and the relationships that we as humans have with each other. All of the characters have flaws that The Pitt is not afraid to highlight in its storylines. It is a sign of good writing for the fandom to be able to care so deeply for their favorite characters, ugly sides and all. It is a show that exists in the gray area, there are no clear divides between “good” and “bad” actions or decisions. This is why, as a fan of the show, I do not want to criticize The Pitt solely based on Dr. Robby’s misogynistic behavior. Portraying something is not inherently condoning it. Misogyny is a real factor in the workplace, and often it is more subtle than we want to believe. I believe that Robby’s misogyny could be an important detail that highlights that even self proclaimed progressive men have internal biases that show up in their life, that hurt the people around them, and that they must work on as individuals to be better leaders. However, based on the Season Two storyline, as well as the press surrounding the season, it seems as if they plan to write off Robby’s misogyny as a side-effect of his mental health struggles. This would belittle the real impact of his behavior, not only on the fellow characters on the show, but also to the millions of viewers around the world.Â
Dr. Robby starts off season two not doing well. It’s clear that his mental health (already in a rough place) has been tanking in the ten months since season one. For many reasons, this is understandable: Not only is the general strain of working in an emergency department detrimental for many doctors and nurses’ mental health, and the PTSD from working COVID that has considerable impact on him, it seems as if this has compounded with the-on screen trauma we witness in season one. Robby and the other Pitt workers have to respond to a mass shooting, treating over a hundred victims in three hours. It is chaotic and horrific, and would leave anyone with significant workplace trauma. But Robby also has interpersonal trauma from the Pittfest shooting; his quasi-stepson, Jake, was a victim, and Robby also treated Jake’s girlfriend, Leah, who he was unable to save. Jake blames Robby for Leah’s death, and rejects him as a supportive figure in his life. Robby crumbles, and drowns in his guilt. While we are given no explicit details on Jake and Robby’s relationship, a few stray comments in the dialogue allows the audience to infer that their closeness has not been repaired.Â
The second season of The Pitt takes place on the Fourth of July, 2026, and it is Robby’s last day of work before he leaves for a three month sabbatical, which he desperately needs. It’s clear that Robby is struggling with a deep depression and serious suicidal ideation— engaging in risk-taking behaviors such as riding a motorcycle without a helmet to work in the opening scene, and as the day goes on and his shield crumbles, he makes several concerning comments. He fights throughout the shift with Dana, his closest friend at work, as he struggles to relinquish control of the ED to his replacement, Dr. Al-Hashimi, and snaps saying “And what if I don’t come back?” (in reference to his sabbatical). He also confesses to Dr. Jack Abbot “Yeah I don’t know if I want to be here anymore, or anywhere,” expressing his deep emotional turmoil about not only his career as an attending, but about his life, in the most literal sense. Everyone can see that Robby is struggling, and in their own ways attempt to reach out to him throughout the shift. He needs help, but he refuses it at every turn, often becoming combative with those who try to confront him about his issues.Â
It’s difficult to admit, but struggling with your mental health, can often make you act unkindly. Some of the most accurate depictions of someone in need, is someone who is angry, pushing others away, and hurting others while they struggle. Dr. Robby is not the only character in the Pitt to deal with trauma in objectionable ways, Dr. Langdon and Dr. Santos are two contentious fan (least) favorites, depending on who you are. They both struggle with arrogance and “spiky” personalities, which is partially a result of their own personal struggles. However, that does not mean that the way that either of them treat other people in their low moments is acceptable, or should be written off with excuses— and they aren’t! They both deal with personal and professional consequences for their behavior.
Robby’s behavior has often been compared to Santos and Langdon by those attempting to defend him. However, Robby is in a higher position of power than both of them, not only in the workplace hierarchy, but also socially, as a white man in an environment filled with majority women of color. The people he is lashing out at are his inferiors. He is literally in charge of them, has control over their employment, which constitutes an unsafe workplace environment. When you spend the majority of your shift yelling at and belittling your residents, that borderlines on abuse. The Pitt works hard to highlight the risks healthcare workers face in their daily life, continuing to advocate for better protections from patients. Robby’s emotionally abusive behavior is also workplace violence, and should be treated as such.Â
And while people try to argue that this misogyny isn’t actually misogyny but projection, and solely a result of his mental health crisis, this season is not the first time that Robby has engaged in misogynistic behavior. In season one, he and Dr. McKay butt heads over an eighteen year old boy, David, who created a list of girls at his high school that he would like to “eliminate”. Robby delays police involvement because he does not want to “ruin this kid’s life,” centering the troubled male that he can related with, rather than the girls in danger. McKay ultimately goes behind Robby’s back to notify law enforcement about David’s list, which not only is the morally right action in my opinion, but something that they are legally obligated to do, which Robby failed to do. While there is not a tidy wrap up to David’s future, nor McKay and Robby’s conflict over the situation, Robby does partially concede/apologize, and admit to McKay that he was not thinking about the girls on the list as much as he was concerned with David. A realistic result for the ever-changing and complex life in the ER.Â
However, Robby’s behavior escalates throughout Season Two, and as an audience we are left uncertain where his relationships stand. Based on the Season Three teaser? There are definitely lingering resentments…
What concerns me most about this, is that Noah Wyle, who portrays Robby on screen, and is also a writer and producer of the show, does not see Robby’s behavior as misogynistic or racist. Neither do the other writers on The Pitt. As season two was airing, there were multiple instances that the writers shared their surprise at how Robby’s actions were being received by the fanbase. Throughout the season two release, fans repeatedly criticized Robby’s behavior as misogynistic. The writers and Wyle insist that it is projection based on Robby’s own insecurities, and do not reflect the doctor’s actual feelings about his residents. 1) I beg to differ, and 2) Does it matter? It is still being said to them, it is still wrong.Â
Furthermore, Wyle, in an interview with GQ, admitted that when on set he would make jokes such as “Bring me another woman to yell at!”. This is not a safe work environment within the bounds of the story, or on the actual set of show. When both the fictional boss and one of the real-life bosses is blatantly ignoring his treatment of women, or making an inappropriate joke about it, it is cause for concern for how the actors on The Pitt feels in the scenes.Â
The Pitt has been praised over and over again for its wonderful representation of the diversity within their healthcare workers, that mimics the real-life balance as well. Dr. Samira Mohan, a fan favorite, is an Indian doctor who is dedicated to researching racial bias in healthcare. She is often belittled by Robby, and called “Slo-Mo”, but other doctors in the ER continually praise her for her empathy for patients, as well as her effective communication and dedication to solving difficult cases. However, in season two Dr. Mohan has a panic attack, is berated by Robby for it, and leaves her shift exhausted and alone. She is also confirmed to not be returning to season three. One of the most beloved characters was bullied out of the ER by the attending and main character. Is this not a problem for the storywriters?? This is not the representation that people deserve, and it’s not a satisfying narrative.Â
Ultimately, Robby’s story is not over. I believe that he is an important character for many viewers, including myself. He is not only a fantastic doctor, but he also represents a mental health struggle that is very real for millions of other people. But if The Pitt writers don’t listen to the valid backlash from the fanbase about his behavior, and work hard to address it in Season Three, I will continue to find it difficult to empathize with the central character of the show, and will hesitate to give The Pitt the same praise for its writing. I do not want to see this show that I love lose fandom support, or tank in quality. But if they continue down this road, they will.Â