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The Pitt - Season 1 Review

Not doing my typical TV Season Post-Season Awards like with The White Lotus or Severance. Instead, I'm going to do a little non-spoiler section with general thoughts for those who haven't seen it yet, then a spoiler section with specific thoughts for those who have. But right off the bat, of all the shows in 2025 - this is the one I most highly recommend.


General Takeaways (non-spoiler)


For starters, the show's premise is pretty simple. As viewers, we are dropped in at a hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, specifically the ER department. Here we meet Dr. Robinavitch, aka Dr. Robby, who is the chief attending physician at Pittsburgh Trauma. He's our main character throughout the series, but we are introduced right off the bat to several doctors, nurses, and student doctors doing their rotations in this ER. And throughout the 15-episode first season, we see these health care workers work through challenges to give their patients proper care, but those challenges are greater than I could have ever imagined. Really puts into perspective what healthcare workers go through day-to-day, even if they aren't facing the horrendous events that take place in this season.


For those that see a medical procedural show and think of Grey's Anatomy or Chicago Med or Scrubs -- while all fine in their own right -- this is a different animal. This is 24 with Kiefer Sutherland, meets ER, meets The Bear. Frenetic, super-charged, constant, stress-inducing honestly, but in the best way. You can see the care and thought the creators put into making this show just through the accuracy in which the ER department is run. The story is told in one-hour-increments, each episode covering one hour in the ER, starting with 7:00-8:00 am and so on. With this format, the viewer feels very involved in the action -- we're essentially all student doctors shadowing without doing any of the actual work. And the fact that the cast is almost entirely unknown -- at least to me, I didn't even know Noah Wyle who plays Dr. Robby -- it's even easier to immerse yourself in the story.


My experience with the show was very immersive, leading to it being very emotional. I felt connections to the characters that you don't always get in a standard TV show, and a lot of the scenarios they're put in hit close to home. But it's not all stress and tears I assure you -- there's tons of laughs, excitement, satisfaction when they help a patient, endearment, and just pure joy at times. You feel the full spectrum of emotions watching The Pitt -- and regardless how you feel about the actual content of the show -- that's an accomplishment in it's own right.


I highly recommend to any and all viewers -- I'm a baby who doesn't like horror movies and am squeamish when it comes to medical shows, and I quite literally couldn't stop watching. The acting performances are superb, the storylines are wildly compelling and intriguing, the characters are likeable and complex, and it's masterfully crafted, valuing accuracy to real-life medicine and an incredibly well-shot show.


My Rating:

92/100



Specific Season 1 Thoughts (Spoilers)


If you haven't watched The Pitt, now's your time to like and leave a comment that you're starting it tonight. This is going to be a different format than above because there is SO MUCH that happens during this season of TV. Going from The White Lotus to The Pitt is a wild contradiction because very little actually happens on Lotus and things constantly happen on The Pitt. So this will be more of a list format to cover different categories of things in Season 1.


First up, a power ranking of the main characters of course:

  • Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle)

    • The heartbeat of the whole series, the emotional center, the steady hand until it gets unsteady. They set you up over the first 8-10 episodes into thinking this guy is Superman -- he always knows what to say, what to do, handles the hardest situations, motivates everyone, saves the day any time it's possible. But we know he has baggage, and when the Pitt-fest victims start coming in around episode 11, he's pushed past his breaking point. Seeing his emotional arc and the toll this job takes on him is powerful.

  • Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden)

    • "Mel, you're a sensitive person. This is a tough place for sensitive people, but we need them, badly." That quote from Langdon sums up Dr. King perfectly. We learn earlier on that she's the caretaker for her sister who has autism, and throughout the series you can tell she treats patients with the same care she would her sister. She's an easy character to love - she's cute, caring, has a ton of funny moments, and she shows human emotion in these difficult scenarios that makes her easier to connect with.

  • Nurse Dana (Katherina LaNasa)

    • The anchor keeping this ER department from floating away at sea, Nurse Dana is the fucking best. She keeps people in check, is always there with a helping hand, and is kind of the "glue-guy" holding everything together in the Pitt. When she got punched like halfway through the season, I DM'd the actor on twitter that punched her to count his fucking days (Fuck Dough Driscoll, all my homies hate Doug Driscoll).

  • Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball)

    • Yeah yeah yeah, save the complaints, I know he's a dickhead for how he treats Santos and what he says to Robby in the finale. But I can't quit you Langdon. It might just be the charismatic performance from Ball, it may be the confidence and speed he gets things done in the ER. I know his relationship/banter with Dr. King is a massive factor because it's one of the most heart-warming aspects of the show. They can keep trying to make me hate you Frank, but it'll never work #TeamLangKing

  • Dr. Abbott (Shawn Hatosy)

    • From when we first meet him in episode 1, standing on the edge of the hospital roof ready to jump, to the end where it's his turn to talk down Robby, I loved Abbott every time he was on the screen. Tough as nails, smart as fuck, takes risks, all-in at all-times. Military man who we find out lost a leg serving, he has so much juice in every scene. His relationship with and willingness to challenge Robby and his humor are top-notch.

  • Whitaker (Gerran Howell)

    • Whitaker, or as I like to call him Dr. PassThatPuss because he looks like Jake Shane (I fully blame my GF for me knowing who that is). This guy is so awesome. He's fish-out-of-water personified, he seems like a med student who has been dreading their rotation in the ER for months. So funny, innocent, has lots of major moments throughout the season, like his first patient not making it, finding Robby in Pedes during the Pitt-fest scramble, and getting covered in piss, blood, and anything else that sends him to the scrubs machine.

  • Dr. Mohan (Supriya Ganesh)

    • Dr. Mohan grew on me as the season went on. I think in some ways she's a good FOIL to Robby in how they approach medicine and treating clients, but just because her ideas may differ from his, doesn't mean she's wrong. And we saw that many times throughout. She's also just really strong and confident, even in the later eps where things get scary. Doesn't hurt that the actress is beautiful that plays her either.

  • Dr. Collins (Tracy Ifeachor)

    • Speaking of beautiful actresses, Ifeachor is an actress I had no experience with but enjoyed a lot in this show. Like all these doctors, she's extremely smart and capable, but also challenges the others in The Pitt. She also goes through hell without even being present for the Pitt-fest victims when we see her miscarriage scene in the bathroom. I wish we got even more of her.

  • Dr. McKay (Fiona Dourif)

    • Her low placement has nothing to do with me disliking her character, just a testament to how many great ones there are in this show. She's funny, charming, endearing, and mysterious early-on when we see her ankle monitor. But we learn that she's a single mom in a difficult co-parenting situation, and a reformed addict who has turned her life around. She butts heads with Robby and Collins on occasion, but is an important presence in the show.

  • Javadi (Shabana Azeez)

    • There are really only 2 main characters I wasn't a huge fan of -- Javadi and Santos next on the list -- but by the finale both had endearing qualities about them. Javadi is essentially a child prodigy doctor, which is a fun archetype, but didn't work awesome for me. She does have a really funny moment in the finale where she doesn't know if she should drink a beer cause she's only 20, pleading that they don't tell her mother.

  • Dr. Santos (Isa Briones)

    • I don't want to come off wrong ranking the character who correctly identified a criminal act by another doctor at the bottom of the list, but I have to keep it real. Santos, until the finale, was a character I really disliked. And even with her helping the suicidal kid and getting him treatment, AND taking in Whitaker, those great moments don't propel her much higher. She's a good presence in the show and I think her inclusion adds an edge that it needs, but she got on my bad side early on and stayed there.


Next, the best moments/storylines (sad, surprising, memorable, all of the above)

  • The Kid who Overdosed on Fentanyl and his Parents

    • Many memorable moments from this plot:

      • the dad's yelling match with the girl who also overdosed, thinking she sold him the drugs

      • The Honor Walk with all of his friends and family in the ER saying goodbye (cried)

      • The parents hysterical sadness, Dr. Robby having to handle such a difficult situation (like telling them that he is braindead)

  • Dr. Abbott and Dr. Robby's Rooftop Moments

    • Good full circle moment from Pilot to Finale with these two

    • The show opens with Abbott standing on the edge of the roof with Robby talking him down

    • The show closes with Robby standing on the edge of the roof with Abbott talking him down

    • Both speeches they give are different, but so meaningful and kind of tie into each other

  • Dr. King Handling Hard Situations

    • Her struggling to talk to the sister of the girl who drowned, The Teddy Bear scene (cried more)

    • Calming down and providing care to the man with autism

    • Handling the elderly patient who's daughter disappears

  • Dr. Langdon and Dr. King's Connection

    • Langdon comes across as prickly with everyone but Mel

    • The way they work with each other and the connection they create is my favorite relationship in the show.

    • Mel and Langdon's convo on the floor after the girl who drowned, her with the dog and Langdon calming her down (most heartwarming scene).

  • Whitaker's Escapades

    • Whitaker's first day in the ER involved getting pissed on, several scrubs changes, and a lost patient

    • Full circle moment with the homeless man, Whitaker joining the street team

    • Finding Dr. Robby in Pedes during the mass casualty event - you can see how scared he is, but gives Robby the push he needs in some ways (doesn't handle it perfectly).

    • Catching and killing one of the rats -- unreal stuff, redemption.

  • Dr. Robby

    • too many great moments but some of the most memorable:

      • His speech to the team in the finale

      • His breakdown in Pedes (not because I want him to break down, but it showed his humanity)

      • kicking Langdon out of the ER and his talking to him in the finale outside

      • His speech after they lose the girl who drowned

      • Comforting the children of the man on life support

      • Taking Measles dad to the "morgue"

      • his talk with Collins before she leaves for the day

    • Noah Wyle is a fucking awesome actor, I genuinely don't think this show works without him. Put an A-Lister in the role and it's not this good.

  • Amber, The Girl who Drowned

    • I've already referenced it a ton above so may as well mention it here -- little girl drowns in the pool and they try to bring her back but are unsuccessful

    • Come to find out that she died saving her little sister (in the saddest fucking scene you could ever watch)

    • Every doctor in the hospital feels that one, and they give a ton of reverence to that event.

  • Dana's Assault

    • Definitely one of the biggest shocks of the season when Dana is punched by the impatient patient

    • I watched my parents watch it and they had to rewind because they were so shocked

  • Measles Mom/Abortion Mom

    • a complaint I've seen about this season is the stereotypical "crazy moms" they have in the show

    • I think that's a fair complaint, but I also think it was needed for the plot (but they could've made a dad hysterical, doesn't have to be the woman)

    • Measles mom is as psycho as they come. A person who shouldn't be allowed to care for children. Danger to society, should be in a mental hospital.

    • Abortion mom is a psycho as well

    • While we're recapping crazy characters, fuck you one more time Doug Driscoll. And the Dad who's son played baseball, that guy sucked.

  • Jake, Leah, Dr. Robby

    • Made this separate from Robby's other moments

    • Knew it was a matter of time when we find out about the mass casualty that Jake and Leah would likely arrive at the Pitt

    • Watching how hard Robby tries to save Leah is gut-wrenching

    • Jake's reaction to it is even more heart-breaking, especially him blaming Robby for what happened

      • side note, the actors in this show were great across the board, but Jake sucked bad.

  • Dr. Collins' Miscarriage

    • Incredibly hard scene to watch, agonizingly sad

    • Dr. Collins is important presence in that ER, to see her go through that type of pain and still continue on with the day is very hard.

    • Her not being there when the Pitt-Fest casualties roll in is detrimental to Robby.


That doesn't cover every big moment from the season -- if that's not a sign that this show needs to be watched, IDK what is.


And Finally, the most insane treatments we see

  • Samira drilling a burr-hole in a guys head with an easy IO

    • I don't understand the terminology either, Emily gave me these vocab words

    • Key takeaway is she essentially pops a hole in a dude's dome with a nail-gun

  • Eye surgery on the baseball player

    • This is my nightmare

    • Having to be AWAKE while an intense procedure ON YOUR FUCKING EYE is being conducted

    • I have a weird thing about eyes, but I challenge anyone to not be flinch at a scalpel piercing the skin centimeters from a kid's eyeball

  • Live-birth with the shoulder dystocia - post-partum hemorrhage

    • the moment Dr. King says "I see hair! ... Baby's hair," made me laugh out loud.

    • Every procedure here was wild -- the live-birth itself was a lot more than I thought we'd see

    • add in the shoulder dystocia, aka the baby's shoulder getting stuck during delivery

    • PLUS the post-partum hemorrhaging on the mother after

    • They also really tried hard to make us think the baby may not have made it.. shame on you Pitt

  • The Burn Victim

    • At first I didn't think this was too bad, until I see scalpels come out with bad intentions

    • They sliced this man so fucking hard and long I almost vomited. I can't think of a more immense pain

      • Obviously he was sedated, but I wasn't sedated watching it. OUCH.

  • Dr. Santos' REBOA Procedure

    • This wasn't particularly gnarly, but it was intense as shit

    • in the midst of the casualty event, intern Santos decides to raw-dog a risky procedure

    • the REBOA is basically inserting a balloon into the aorta and pumping it to block blood flow, but she had to use a catheter to get it in there. Crazy sequence


These are the ones I remember the most vividly -- but there is no shortage of gnarly and risky procedures the characters do to treat patients. I unfortunately had to cover my eyes for a handful so maybe other people remember better.


Final Thoughts


I'll keep this brief because I got a little long-winded. But my biggest takeaway other than how much I loved this show is this: doctors are incredible. Not every day in the ER involves a mass-shooting casualty obviously, but there are life or death situations every single day in hospitals. The knowledge, bravery, strength, confidence you have to have as a doctor is wild. All they want to do it help people - and they work their fucking asses off to provide that help.


This is a terrific show that will give you the full spectrum of emotions. Some people watch TV to laugh, to feel good, to spend time with interesting characters. I watch TV to feel something. If a show can make me laugh, great. If it can make me cry, also great. If it can make me think about life or change my outlook on things, greatest. This show does all 3, I couldn't recommend more strongly.

My Rating:

92/100

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