HBO’s smash hit The Pitt has been making waves ever since it premiered last January. Critics and audiences alike have praised the show for its realistic depiction of the healthcare industry, strong character moments, and powerful performances.
One of the underrated highlights of the show is the way it portrays its female characters, breaking typecasts and tropes often associated with the medical drama genre. Let’s take a closer look at what truly makes the women of The Pitt so special.
The Writing
One of the biggest things to credit for the characters’ uniqueness is the team of writers behind the show. After all, every character starts as just words on a page. In my opinion, the thing that makes a lot of the female cast so impactful is the realism with which they’re portrayed.
In a different show, a lot of these characters would just be archetypes or caricatures of something deeper, but the writers of The Pitt have mastered the ability to bring them down to earth and ground them with sensitivity. The characters we’re going to look at to delve into this deeper are Dr. Santos, Dr. McKay, and Student Dr. Javadi.
On paper, these are characters we’ve seen before. Santos is the prickly, overly ambitious, and sometimes arrogant new hire, McKay is the rough-around-the-edges doctor with a troubled past, and Javadi is the child prodigy trying to live up to her family’s name.
These aren’t new concepts. Any fan of the medical drama could identify these tropes in a heartbeat, but it’s the writer’s ability to pull back the familiarity of these tropes and reveal the real people underneath that makes these characters stand out.
On the surface level, Santos is the arrogant new hire eager to prove herself, but once the audience gets to know her, we see that she’s someone who’s slipped through the cracks her whole life. She’s desperate to help others avoid the same pitfalls she did, which is why she moves without thinking.
Same with McKay and Javadi. McKay isn’t just the rough-around-the-edges doctor; she’s a human. She struggled with addiction and abuse. She’s trying to keep custody of her son and prove to everyone she’s a capable mother. She jumps into action immediately when she thinks other people could be in harm’s way. Despite her hardship, she cares for others.
As for Javadi, she easily could’ve been the same child prodigy character we’re used to seeing, but the writers show how this role affects her mentally. By the end of her first shift, she’s questioning whether or not she’s cut out for this. That doubt humanizes her.
The cast
Of course, I couldn’t discuss the characters on the show without discussing the performers who masterfully portray them.
Katherine LaNassa won an Emmy for her role as charge nurse Dana Evans, and rightfully so. Evans is the person who keeps the entire ER afloat, and once again, the show lets the audience see how that isn’t without hardship.
LaNassa portrays Evans as the tough-as-nails Philly native she is, but also doesn’t let the audience forget her sensitivity. One of Evans’ biggest storylines in Season 1 was her struggle with being assaulted while on the job. A patient wasn’t satisfied with how the ER was operating, so they caught Evans outside and punched her.
For the rest of the season, we see her doubt how much longer she can do this. She never doubts her ability, just how much her job is taking care of her. We see how the effects of a broken system strain those who work for it. She’s human, and she needs to feel protected as well.
Another standout is Taylor Dearden as Dr. Mel King. King represents, in my opinion, one of the key themes of the show. She represents the empathetic side of the healthcare industry — she puts the care in healthcare.
We learn that outside of the hospital, King acts as a caregiver for her younger sister Becca, who’s on the spectrum. She’s an incredibly kind and sympathetic person, and the show doesn’t shy away from showing the challenges she faces because of it.
King is frequently shown having to take breaks because patients’ conditions have affected her. She’s outright said that she’s been told her sensitivity is a bad thing; however, she’s reassured that it’s actually her strength as a doctor. We see this when she treats an autistic patient whom other doctors weren’t able to get through to. She’s sensitive, and she’s a kickass doctor.
Audience Response
Like every popular show, The Pitt has garnered a large online presence throughout its run. However, what surprised me the most was the polarity within this fandom. In a lot of online spaces dedicated to the show, there’s been a lot of hate towards some of the female characters. People often hone in on their bad moments, and don’t consider other moments of theirs.
This polarity doesn’t define, but rather enhances the thesis of the show, which is that healthcare workers are human; these women are human. They make mistakes, and they come back from them. They have falters and triumphs, and we’re just along for the ride.
The women of The Pitt are us. They’re the everywoman. They’re your mother or aunt who’s a healthcare worker. Your friends, sisters, or cousins. They’re all of them, and they’re all of us.
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