HBO Max has a gem on its hands with The Pitt: a powerful love letter to healthcare workers. With a unique real-time format, every episode covers just one hour of a 15‑hour emergency room (ER) shift. This immersive and visceral element of the show elevates its realistic storytelling of the trauma, burnout, and struggles of working in an emergency department.
Nominated for 13 Emmys, The Pitt won five, including Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Guest Actor, Outstanding Casting, Outstanding Lead Actor, and Outstanding Drama Series, beating out Severance and even The White Lotus on its first season. Not bad for its rookie year! Here are some reasons it’s worth watching:
The Drama
The Pitt focuses on the crises that emergency departments face, and not the fantasized idea of a doctor. The raw execution, paced cutting, overlapping dialogue, and complex layers of movement convey how chaotic the setting is.
One of the best moments of the season was Dr. Robby’s guidance for Dr. Whitaker, a fourth-year medical student. Whitaker has heart, intelligence, and a great sense of humor despite the tumultuous circumstances of working in the ER. He makes mistakes, learns from them, and has a genuine way of connecting with people. He’s quietly learning and freaking out whether it’s being thrown up on or having to sedate an altered patient infested with rats.
Raised on a farm, he’s tough with an incredible amount of humility. After his first patient dies, Whitaker struggles with responsibility and wanting to do more, and the audience sees a really vulnerable side that many medical professionals go through.
My favorite performance of the year has to be Patrick Ball as Dr. Frank Langdon. He nailed the slow decline of an addict while also portraying other complexities, such as being a father and husband. It was honest and human, bringing a great level of integrity to the character. I’m eager to see how his time in rehab has changed him and how that affects his dynamic with the team.
As Season 2 approaches in January 2026, fan favorite Dr. Jack Abbot, played by Shawn Hatosy, will return as night shift attending physician. An old rival of Dr. Robby, it’s interesting to see their dynamic play out as they both fight their own complicated pasts within the hospital wings.
While Robby struggles with guilt and burnout from COVID-19, Abbot still has hidden war trauma and profound grief from losing his wife over the last two years. As both men battle their inner demons, their clash becomes less about ego and more about survival.
The Cast
The Pitt is also filled with so many new and young actors, introducing incredible talent to the mainstream world, a rare approach the industry has taken in the last few years.
Newcomer Shabana Azeez plays Dr. Victoria Javadi, a third-year medical student. Graduating from college at 13 and becoming a doctor at only 20 years old, Javadi doesn’t have many life experiences yet, but she learns a great deal on the job. Javadi navigates working in the same hospital as her mother, a highly respected surgeon, while exploring her professional and personal life.
The definition of an academic weapon, Javadi comes to realize that you don’t learn everything in school, but more so in the field. For the first time, she experiences real-life problems right in front of her, like the possibility and predicament of nurses being assaulted by patients, and the fact that not everyone shares the same socioeconomic status, so she must follow social cues.
The Realism
Several medical dramas in the past, like Grey’s Anatomy or House MD, showcased nurses and doctors as heroic figures, inspiring a generation of students to pursue medicine. The Pitt doesn’t necessarily have a glamorous portrayal; however, it highlights the emotional toll and systemic challenges of doctors and nurses.
Medical consultants were on set to ensure accurate procedures, dialogue, and hospital dynamics were as real as possible. Noah Wyle, who previously starred on ER (another incredible medical drama I highly recommend), is the central guide that brings every other character together as Dr. Robby.
It shows another side that may be overlooked behind the curtain, but if you love a high-stakes environment, collaborative effort, and a genuine care for helping people, watching The Pitt is a great way to get a first look!
From its debut in January 2025, the show soared to become one of Max’s most-watched originals. According to Deadline, The Pitt holds the record of the largest post-season viewership growth for the debut season of any HBO or HBO Max show.
Earning strong praise from viewers and critics, and The Atlantic hailing it as the finest example of its genre, The Pitt won’t disappoint if you want a laugh, a cry, or tension that will have you on the edge of your seat. Start streaming now!
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