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For Sale Apr 20, 2026 at 1:45 PM

The Pitt: The medical drama whose social realism and honesty have gripped millions

Posted by DryDeer775

There is genuine significance to the manner in which *The Pitt*, the television medical drama, has gripped and captivated tens of millions of people, in the US and around the world. The series has become something of a social-cultural phenomenon. The deep impression the television series has made speaks to the specific conditions of healthcare and the crisis in healthcare, but more generally it reveals a sympathetic response to an unusually humane treatment of social life as a whole in the US.
<em>The Pitt</em>: The medical drama whose social realism and honesty have gripped millions
World Socialist Web Site
<em>The Pitt</em>: The medical drama whose social realism and honesty have gripped millions
The interest in the series is a sympathetic response to an unusually humane treatment of social life as a whole in the US.
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Ragnar_Dragonfyre 5 days ago +1587
Having 15 episodes makes a huge difference compared to the 8 we usually get these days. You need time to get to know the characters. 8 just isn’t enough.
1587
Spaghet-3 5 days ago +449
>You need time to get to know the characters. Not just get to know, but to give the characters time to *earn* the developments they will go through. Sometimes when shows go too fast, and the audience isn't yet in tune with the characters yet, the changes characters go through seem jarring and unbelievable. It sours an otherwise good story.
449
AlphaGoldblum 5 days ago +46
>Not just get to know, but to give the characters time to earn the developments they will go through. Sometimes when shows go too fast, and the audience isn't yet in tune with the characters yet, the changes characters go through seem jarring and unbelievable. It sours an otherwise good story. Ironically, the old Scrubs was accused of meandering because it's seasons ran long and most of it was just the cast solving c-tier plots or getting into fights. But the reboot moves *too* fast in comparison. The new cast doesn't really get a chance to breathe and earn their place in the show. We're losing the magic of TV!
46
KnowerOfUnknowable 5 days ago +103
I found the patients to be the most compelling part about the show. The 30 seconds of expose about Louise and his family hit me like a ton of bricks. On the other hand I have very little interest in the private lives of the doctors in the show outside of their struggles with the health care and professional situation. Whittaker's relationship with the farmer girl, Mohan and her mother, King and her sister... they were all very soap opera-ish to me. I like it when it is not ER or Grey's Anatomy.
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Chataboutgames 5 days ago +229
I don't really get what's soap opera-ish about any of those plotlines. Whittaker and the farm girl didn't even have any drama. It was just Robby worried about him getting unhealthily attached to patients and then it turning out he seems to have a happier and better balanced life than any of them. Mohan and her mother wasn't even really a plotline, it was just Mohan going through a thing. Part of her struggle with the healthcare system is balancing her life with an elderly mother. King and her sister was an actual plot but not really sure how it's "soap opera"-ish. She's dedicated her life to acting as a guardian for her sister and is now suffering a sense of empty nest. It's not like we're following the doctors home and watching them fight with their spouses.
229
Quixotic_Seal 5 days ago +88
>King and her sister was an actual plot but not really sure how it's "soap opera"-ish. She's dedicated her life to acting as a guardian for her sister and is now suffering a sense of empty nest. Not just empty nest, but also concern for her sister’s safety and whether she’s being taken advantage of. We still have no idea who this boyfriend is, and Becca clearly is a vulnerable person. Mel is right to be alarmed by the whole thing. A lesser show would have resolved that question one way or another within the same season, despite the format not really making sense for that much development in a single day that included a nightmare ER shift. Instead we’re left with no definitive answer. She seems happy, and is an adult, so like Mel we’re left just nervously hoping that her happiness speaks for itself for now. Just wanted to expand on this particular storyline because it feels like one of the clearest examples of how the show very carefully steers away from the melodrama that other shows would dive into, even when a storyline has the potential to be soap opera material.
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lindendweller 5 days ago +24
Add to that that her day is particularly shitty and stressful (and she's sensitive to start with) so she doesn't process the news well, nor has she access to her sister at a montent where she really counted on it at the day's end. Thankfully Santos stepped up.
24
leostotch 5 days ago +53
> and Becca clearly is a vulnerable person. Mel is right to be alarmed by the whole thing. This plotline has made me wonder if Becca is as vulnerable as Mel believes she is. It may be that Mel has some lessons to learn about trusting her sister and allowing her some agency, and on the flipside, about allowing her own needs to be more of a priority for herself.
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schreibenheimer 5 days ago +41
Yes, that was absolutely the point of the plotline.
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two-headed-boy 5 days ago +15
That's what the post-credits karaoke scene was all about too.
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cerberus00 5 days ago +16
Right, it made me feel like Mel is the vulnerable one that needs the support, not Becca ultimately. I thought it was a clever way of doing it plus I love Mel's character. She does a great portrayal of spectrum.
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I-seddit 5 days ago +3
Well, yah - they both need help, but different types and at different levels over time. Hell, we all do. :)
3
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +11
I think it's more "how can anyone possibly know?" At a certain point you need to trust someone to make thier own decisions, but one some level there's no way to know how vulnerable a person is until they're in a relevant situation. It's always a leap of faith.
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leostotch 5 days ago +5
Absolutely.
5
Dickgivins 5 days ago +29
Hm I kinda just instinctively decided Robby was correct about it being a bad idea for Whittaker to be “playing house” with the farm girl because she was a patient’s widow. But you’re right, Whittaker really does seem to have a happier, more balanced life than any of them. I’d still say Robby had good reason to caution Whittaker because while that didn’t end up going badly for him it definitely could have. I actually really liked what they did with Dr. King and her sister this season, as much as I love her character (my favorite in the whole show tbh) I appreciate that they show Mel isn’t perfect. It’s actually very believable that someone like her would want to give her loved one legal rights to privacy and a certain amount of independence, but then freak out and overstep her bounds a bit when she’s told “no” and denied information years later because that’s never actually happened before. She learned her lesson though! And yeah the thing Dr. Mohan and her mom was actually fairly minor in terms of screentime, she did have a panic attack but stress from her actual work and trying to hurry up and decide her specialty were big factors too.
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Chataboutgames 5 days ago +8
> Hm I kinda just instinctively decided Robby was correct about it being a bad idea for Whittaker to be “playing house” with the farm girl because she was a patient’s widow. But you’re right, Whittaker really does seem to have a happier, more balanced life than any of them. I’d still say Robby had good reason to caution Whittaker because while that didn’t end up going badly for him it definitely could have. I think that's what makes it interesting. Robby was absolutely right to be concerned, Whittaker can get to involved and get in to trouble, letting people push him around. Him slipping in a newly dead man's life doesn't feel healthy for any involved. But like, the vibes at the end put a stop to that easy judgement, and who is Robby to tell anyone how to manage their relationship with thier job? > I actually really liked what they did with Dr. King and her sister this season, as much as I love her character (my favorite in the whole show tbh) I appreciate that they show Mel isn’t perfect. It’s actually very believable that someone like her would want to give her loved one legal rights to privacy and a certain amount of independence, but then freak out and overstep her bounds a bit when she’s told “no” and denied information because that’s never actually happened before. She learned her lesson though! Absolutely. It's tough because in so many ways Mel has been a parent to her sister, but ultimately she is not in fact her parent. > And yeah the thing Dr. Mohan and her mom was actually fairly minor in terms of screentime, she did have a panic attack but stress from her actual work and trying to hurry up and decide her specialty were big factors too. Right, we barely even know what they're fighting about (her mom wants her to move closer?), the point is just that she is *not* having a good time and is struggling to balance her life. And Robby is a d*** about it, but you genuinely can't afford to bring that attitude to the emergency room.
8
Spaghet-3 5 days ago +12
I agree. The patient stories are grounded by the doctors and hospital staff, however. Louie's story was made more compelling by the doctors and staff reactions to his death. We in the audience didn't need to see that Louie was a kind and likeable soul for very long because we saw how the other characters, who we trust and have a history with, reacted to him and we sort of inherited their reactions. This only works if we've spent enough time with the main characters for them to have earned that trust. A example of the opposite that comes to mind is Dexter New Blood Season 1. We did not spend enough time to Harrison for him to have earned the turn-around at the end. If felt lame and fake. Also, even though I loved it, I think Knight of the Seven Kingdoms suffered from this a bit too. Some of the choices the characters made seemed erratic or unbelievable because that trust had not yet been earned.
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ZestycloseAd5918 5 days ago +2
You are talking about Louie, right?
2
eagletreehouse 5 days ago +12
I love how the series shows the challenges healthcare providers face, both personally and professionally. Not being able to help every patient the way they deserve takes a toll on the provider’s collective psyche. Maybe the general public will see this show and imagine that *most* providers want to give so much more than they’re able. I do wish they’d bring in some nurses and doctors who are burned out and/or are just on a power trip. I’ve been an RN for 30+ years. I remember starting out in the ER and seeing a few nurses basically punish people who attempt suicide. Thank goodness the nurse who trained me was AMAZING (thank you, Jacque 🙏🏼). I learned quickly what kind of nurse I wanted to be. Maybe if a nurse or doctor watches and recognizes themselves in an a****** provider, they’ll either get help or get out. Healthcare doesn’t *have* to be so dang frustrating. But it is because we’ve turned it into a for profit business, taken medical decisions away from providers and given it to insurance companies.
12
jdubz90 5 days ago +17
Dr King’s story arc this season was killiiiiing me. We watched the finale last night and were just like “it feels like she’s been standing around nervously not working for 15 hours”. I totally get that she’s wrestling with her sister’s newfound independence, and the pressure of the deposition, but after a while it started to feel a little tedious.
17
FluffyWuffyVolibear 5 days ago +18
That's the struggle with 15 episodes happening in one day. Some characters might sit in one emotional place for much longer then we are used to/seems right for a story. Show runners are definitely experimenting with where the line is in terms of realism and the time framing.
18
greenroom628 5 days ago +8
Yeah, we've found it easy to forget sometimes that all that process happens in a single shift, not even a day. Like, how many times in your life did you have to wrestle with something like an argument with your spouse or kid in the morning that basically took your mental space for a whole day, then resolve itself in the evening? The character's drama is the Pitt is just like that, except spread out over 14 episodes.
8
BeanieMcChimp 5 days ago +4
I just thought it was weird that she had a deposition on the Fourth of July.
4
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +9
Yeah her plotline this season wasn't the strongest. I think her character, particularly, is far and away the most compelling when dealing with patients. We didn't get to see much of that. I honestly felt Robby probabky got too much focus this season. Yes the man has an incredible "almost cry" face but I don't know how many more scenes I needed of him saying something ominous to a coworker then snapping at them when they pushed. Also they gave him the same plot they gave Santos last season, where someone being unreasonably aggressive and suspicious just turns out to be right in the end. Contrast to Langdon, whose character we say get affirmed and then some by a big patient moment.
9
FearlessAttempt 5 days ago +2
Well get ready for more of that. They’ve said next season will explore Robby at rock bottom.
2
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +2
I know. I'm hoping getting more in to it will be a bit more compelling than the buildup. It's a minor complaint regardless, love the show. And love Robby as a character, I just think we could have seen more diverse interactions out of him this season.
2
FearlessAttempt 5 days ago +2
Yeah I’m not looking forward to it. If it’s just more of him snapping at everyone and having the same conversation hinting at self harm then I’m out.
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jdubz90 5 days ago +3
All while being interrupted by someone who needs him right before he’s actually able to open up
3
Old-Way-5529 5 days ago +2
idk man, when i get anxious like that, it fucks my entire day up
2
Podo13 5 days ago +5
> On the other hand I have very little interest in the private lives of the doctors in the show outside of their struggles with the health care and professional situation. Whittaker's relationship with the farmer girl, I get it and agree Mohan and King storylines (though King's sister with Langdon, and Langdon himself for that matter, was adorable), but Whitaker's relationship with a former patient's wife is a major professional struggle. Doctors have a learn how to establish boundaries early on or they can get quickly burnt out which is exactly what Robby is afraid of. But, it not necessarily pertaining to conflicts with the hospital/healthcare itself is probably why Whitaker had less screen time this season.
5
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +82
It also allows for a heavy level of episodic storytelling. I love serialized shows, they're great. But the way that streaming viewership has basically gone giga hostile to "filler" and just wants every second of television to be relentless advancing the main plot is counterproductive in this medium. Seeing characters doing things *besides* engaging with their season arc is important.
82
NativeMasshole 5 days ago +32
I just started watching, but this is where the premise really seems to shine. You have the continuity of them working a full shift to fill out the serialized plot points, yet every episode has its own episodic events that don't need to tie into any other plot details. So you get a bit of both angles, while the constant demands of the ER keep the pacing running at warp speed.
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hodken0446 5 days ago +13
Yeah it's like how some of the patients are important and some of them are just one off bits that come in and then out. Like the nun with the eye infection, or the sun burnt AF woman. They came in, got treated and you never knew if they were just doing that or if they would be bigger. I thought something with Digby, the homeless guy, was gonna happen way sooner. Or that the pregnant lady would be a bigger deal and they just kinda weren't and that keeps it where the audience is more on edge
13
cerberus00 5 days ago +2
That's exactly how I feel about Marvel movies. They just move move move the plot forward in such a formulaic way and they're very popular. It's the movie version of a tiktok, only movement forward, only stimulation.
2
IonHawk 5 days ago +70
And of course the short time frame between seasons. I would be 100% OK if some of the quality suffered because of it, the maintained high quality of S2 is incredible.
70
ManWithASquareHead 5 days ago +23
I thought season 2 was kinda eh but holy cow the last few episodes really changed that
23
IonHawk 5 days ago +30
Wasn't as good as S1, but it was still fantastic to me.
30
ManWithASquareHead 5 days ago +20
Nothing will top the >!mass casualty incident.!< Perfectly done with its chaos.
20
Ditnoka 5 days ago +13
Idk man. Episode 8 season one had me bawling like a literal baby. As soon as I seen that thank you card from the sister it was all over. Honestly the most emotional I've felt from a show in a LONG time.
13
IonHawk 5 days ago +2
Holy shit yes. I haven't cried that much in years. I'm 100% serious. I got so emotional it was hard to keep watching. Still felt it the next day. Hit me like a rock.
2
Ingliphail 5 days ago +15
I'm kind of glad they didn't do another one of those. The "big obstacle" thrown in their way was more interesting than another mass casualty event. Though I did think the July 4th angle was a bit underused.
15
hodken0446 5 days ago +12
They did have the one kid with blown off fingers and several heat casualties. I think that's what would be typical for July 4th. Plus we don't know how many other normal 4th injuries didn't come to them because of the ICE stuff
12
shadrap 5 days ago +12
The ripped-up hand from tug-of-war is most 4th of July injury ever.
12
Krakengreyjoy 5 days ago +11
> 8 just isn’t enough. it was enough for D*** Van Patten
11
[deleted] 5 days ago +9
[deleted]
9
Calciumee 5 days ago +9
Plus medical professionals will point out the lack of realism. An 8 hour shift?
9
Beard_o_Bees 5 days ago +8
One of the many things I thought were exceptional about this show is it's depiction of addiction among healthcare workers. It's a real issue that i'm certain every hospital has dealt with many times.
8
rosen380 5 days ago +5
Not suggesting that they should have fewer episodes, but each episode could span more than 60 minutes worth of time in Universe.
5
yokayla 5 days ago +12
I am watching ER, the OG version of this show - still holds up - 25 episode first season. Crazy how far we've fallen.
12
KeathleyWR 5 days ago +6
I genuinely love the way they do episodes. Each "hour long" episode clocks an hour on shift. It's not a new idea per say (24), but I feel it differently here, maybe because I've worked in Healthcare for 13 years now. It's also the first medical show I've watched with my nurse wife that she doesn't pick apart with false information or processes.
6
goldybear 5 days ago +14
This right here is why I love it compared to a lot of shows lately. I love tv shows waaaaaay more than movies because it actually gives you time to see a more complicated story play out and to really get to know the characters. With movies you get 2-3 hours to try and convey everything and more often than it not it feels shallow. Yet, with tv dropping to 6-8 episodes a season it’s losing what made it better. Imagine if they tried to cram all of breaking bad or the sopranos into 6, 7, or even 8 episode seasons. The stories would either be trimmed so much that you lose a bunch of great moments or it would feel horribly rushed.
14
PineapplePandaKing 5 days ago +5
I personally don't really have a preference between TV shows and movies, but to each their own. More importantly I think a story has its own length of telling that makes the most sense. A story has a natural heartbeat. Some ideas are perfect for a tight two-hour movie, while others need the breathing room of a series. Whether it’s a self-contained miniseries, an 8 episode seasonal arc, or a longer 15 episode run like The Pitt, the best length is whatever allows the plot and characters to breathe without feeling padded or rushed. I think the problems start when a story pitch meets the economic realities of whoever decides to finance the project.
5
Abject_Following_814 4 days ago +2
>I think the problems start when a story pitch meets the economic realities of whoever decides to finance the project. You see this in doomed series like House of the Dragon. Didn't have enough money to end season 2 at its predetermined finale, so they just ended it 2 episodes early. They didn't reframe the story to fit inside that shorter season, no, they just didn't bother finishing it at all. But don't worry, they're going to put it in season 3! It will have the exact same financial problems compounded with the mess they made of the story that can't possibly fit now. Why make it in the first place?! I know the answer involves dragons hoarding gold, but I don't think HBO of all places should have a medical drama outshining their golden goose's hatchling spin off.
2
Prax150 5 days ago +14
I completely disagree. There are plenty of shows out there that do so much with fewer episodes. And there's no pattern, they could be ongoing dramas, miniseries, British or American, whatever. It's not about the number of episodes but what you do with them. Shows like Severance and Paradise and The Diplomat are more plot driven with strong characters that people are attached to. The Gilded Age does it in 8 and a huge cast, The Crown and Succession and Better Call Saul did it in 10. Brad Inglesby is becoming a master at character driven shows with 7 episode seasons (Mare of Easttown and Task). The White Lotus does it in 8 eps or less every season with a whole ass new cast every time. Slow Horses does it with 5 episodes a season. Adolescence did it last year in 4. That's just all recent examples. Those extra 5-7 episodes of The Pitt are just a bonus. It's a well-written and well-developed show and the episode count has nothing to with how much you like the characters, people would be invested in them if they saw then 5 times a year or 25.
14
CrissBliss 5 days ago +5
Plus high turnover of seasons. I think they said they’re back to filming in June.
5
leostotch 5 days ago +4
If I have to wait more than a year between seasons, I lose interest. Honestly, it can be challenging for me to maintain interest even that long.
4
chasingit1 5 days ago +3
I get what you are saying and I do love that we get 15 episodes. But each season only covers one single day/shift, so it’s not like the character development drastically changes for characters over a season (shift). We’re not getting Jamie Lanister type heel/face turn that arcs over years from a single day in Pitt-world.
3
Frierguy 5 days ago +3
A knight of the seven kingdoms had 6 episodes. It was great, but it was only six episodes.
3
Jon_TWR 5 days ago +2
6 30 minute episodes at that! Great, but very short.
2
keiths31 5 days ago +3
Well we only get one day a season with these characters...
3
pup5581 5 days ago +388
15 episodes is perfect in this setting. Getting to know them as others have said is key. Not to mention almost 4 months of it being on per year is amazing
388
x6ftundx 5 days ago +86
Agreed, and it's a 15-hour shift as well. One hour per episode.
86
rosen380 5 days ago +67
I wouldn't want to give spoilers, but my impression was that it was a 12 hour shift that became 15 hours due to particular events that occurred during the shift.
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KeathleyWR 5 days ago +48
Yes, that's exactly it. A 12 hour shift in a busy ED is definitely NOT only 12 hours.
48
saltymuffaca 5 days ago +19
That's a good way of saying it without spoiling
19
PrecedentialAssassin 5 days ago +13
It’s a 12 hour shift. Day shift works 12. Night shift works 12.
13
dirtypeachpitt 5 days ago +2
Nice. Now imagine a series that reflects the work of paramedics on a 12 hour shift, 12 episodes. And then getting a bonus 4 hours, 4 episodes, every season. Those years were dog years on me.
2
Gil_Demoono 5 days ago +24
> Not to mention almost 4 months of it being on per year is amazing I always sound like the old man screaming at the clouds when I say I prefer this to full season drops. I hate binge culture, because it boils all discussion with friends and online to what the finale sets up, the middle episodes get lost in the sauce, because you can only talk to people who have also finished the show. Week to week lets things marinate, you can discuss every episode and every development and you get to live with the show over the course of months not a long weekend. It helps so much with retention.
24
baronmunchausen2000 5 days ago +8
Add to that, the second season dropped a year after the first. Not frickin 4 years later when most people will go Pitt who?
8
watduhdamhell 5 days ago +5
And that was core to what they wanted to accomplish with the show. Part of me giggles knowing they must have chosen the hour by hour 15-hour format also is a way to hedge their bets against the studios... "No, obviously we cannot cut season 4 to 9 episodes, it's hour by hour, 12 hours in a shift and 15 episodes are the expectation. Best we could possibly do is 12, every season."
5
Upbeat_Tension_8077 5 days ago +115
I was a little unsure going into S2 of how it would top the intensity of the >!mass shooting in S1!<, but I thought it still managed to do well in building up the stress/anxiety levels while going into a different direction
115
Frenchitwist 5 days ago +88
Frankly, I’m glad they didn’t try to obviously one-up themselves. You treat each season like a stepping stone to annihilation and you end up with Supernatural (a show I love dearly, mind you). In the beginning, their biggest bad was a demon. In the end, they fought f****** GOD. The world can only end so many times! Personal stakes are much easier to keep up over the seasons
88
mascotbeaver104 5 days ago +13
What blows my mind is that by the end of Supernatural, fighting god is actually kind of a de-escalation from the previous seasons
13
Frenchitwist 5 days ago +2
Well the universes (plural) are actively being wiped out. But I do see your point. Supernatural is bonkers and I LOVE it
2
jaqattack02 5 days ago +43
Agreed, I felt like this season was more of a slow burner where it was all building towards the last few episodes rather than having the one big event.
43
amayagab 4 days ago +3
The first season showcased the heroics of emergency medecine, and the second season showcased the toll it takes to be a hero. It's very human. We are capable of achieving amazing things, but we are also vulnerable to burnout. Almost everyone in season 2 is having a horrible day, but they keep going despite exhaustion and personal problems.
3
Smart-Response9881 5 days ago +24
I do think season 1 was better, but season 2 was still very good.
24
myairblaster 5 days ago +38
As a Doctor I can say I connected more with season 2. We got to see more of the nurses, the patients felt less wooden, and the emotional impacts were greater. The final patient, the woman with pre-eclampsia, had me genuinely saying out at the TV "oh f*** oh f*** oh f*** oh f***"
38
Smart-Response9881 5 days ago +8
I can definitely see how season 2 is more appealing as a doctor as it relates more to your struggles. But for me, it just doesn't match the intensity and dramatic nature of the mass shooting from season 1
8
Johnnadawearsglasses 5 days ago +386
I think it also shows that a lot of what we call tired, formulaic tropes in network TV are popular because that's what people actually like. Weekly serials with largely self contained cases in a legal or medical framework with some interpersonal drama thrown in. The Pitt is basically a well made, broadcast network show. Not every show has to be some daring and experimental format or topic.
386
boldkingcole 5 days ago +122
I think this is underselling what the Pitt does spectacularly well though. Because it manages to have a serial-like rhythm but the threads that continue episode to episode are so unpredictable, like you have no idea what will develop into a longer plot point, what will be almost a fun anecdote, what will lay the seed of a later emotional impact. The show 24 never actually felt like a day but this feels like you genuinely worked a shift in this hospital: all the drama, all the mundane, all the bullshit, all the exhaustion. It's unbelievably real.
122
thomascgalvin 5 days ago +17
Their ability to tell multiple compelling stories over 10-15 five-minute segments each is incredible
17
HasGreatVocabulary 5 days ago +10
The show keeps surprising me, for example I keep expecting Robby act like House i.e. be a complete a****** but he never does
10
Jon_TWR 5 days ago +23
> but he never does Are you sure you’re caught up on season 2?
23
HasGreatVocabulary 5 days ago +12
Oh. I am on last couple episodes of season1 damn
12
Jon_TWR 5 days ago +9
Whoops! Sorry for the spoiler!
9
HasGreatVocabulary 5 days ago +15
*shakes head robbily*
15
arminghammerbacon_ 5 days ago +4
That’s a thing! I can see him doing it. Folds his arms across his chest, lowers his gaze towards the floor, tightens his mouth, sighing, shakes his head side to side disapprovingly. The Robinavitch Shake. You’ve just disappointed someone you didn’t want to.
4
SomeDEGuy 5 days ago +7
Thats part of what makes Pitt good, though. Every character has good and bad points. They all get to be complex and human.
7
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +78
Right? I would love a new the Firm/Ally McBeal/Boston Legal/The Good Wife style "s*** lawyers doing unrealistically interesting cases" show if they did a good job of it.
78
Anandya 5 days ago +55
You mean Single Female Lawyer?
55
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +26
It's bad enough to propositon a Single Female Lawyer in court, but this is a unisex bathroom!
26
matt1267 5 days ago +16
Single female lawyer, fighting for her client. Wearing s*** mini-skirts and being self-reliant.~~ Hey, Im pretty good
16
PrecedentialAssassin 5 days ago +4
Lincoln Lawyer is fun and very well made
4
MeanCantaloupe69 5 days ago +25
It's a modernized version of the procedurals from 15 years ago. The issues, realism, and curve balls are issues faced today wrapped in classic procedural formula of network tv. I love this type of tv as it gives you something to look forward to week to week. It has fast turn around and you get a slow burn of characters you enjoy. What I'm missing is the old fantasy procedurals like charmed, buffy, angel, and even grimm where it was monster of the week type stories.
25
clazaa 5 days ago +6
Ah! You've put into words my fatigue with television lately. I enjoy big stories that span throughout seasons, but it's much easier to digest when one episode is contained but still loosely connected to the previous and the next.  I was watching Paradise alongside of The Pitt. Two completely different shows. I like both, but sometimes I don't want to think or speculate about what happens next, how the world will open up and what lies beyond - which is that Paradise leaves you with. With The Pitt I can show up, sit and enjoy the ride and exit when the episode is over. I know what the next episode will be - more character and situation driven in the exact same place and I can look forward to that without much expectation. 
6
azphodelle 5 days ago +49
I am really grateful for this show for highlighting issues healthcare workers deal with that I don't think people consider. Things like non-stop stress, having patients lose Medicaid and have no where to go, the psychological damage on workers, r*** kits, patient violence, etc. Also most of the medical stuff is really accurate, me and my fiance only notice small things here and there that don't make sense regarding diagnoses, treatments etc. Also I know it sucks when the ER is full but if you're not dying you're not the priority. Please understand the concept of triage.
49
Maurkov 5 days ago +10
> but if you're not dying you're not the priority. Please understand the concept of triage If you don't have the forethought to be dying in an obvious way, you might end up like "narcolepsy" guy.
10
azphodelle 4 days ago +2
They can only do the best they can with the presentation of the patient.
2
Darko33 4 days ago +6
Some would call these elements of the show "preachy" and that to me is just infuriating
6
Tigerbutton831 5 days ago +127
This is one show I’d recommend binge-watching vs weekly. It feels exhausting at times but really puts into perspective how stressful ONE shift can be on healthcare workers
127
Message_10 5 days ago +53
Yeah, 100%. We have ER doctor in the family and I swear to god watching Robbie is like watching our family member. The gestures are the same, the clipped speech / short answers are the same, the stress and wear is the same.
53
Metalsand 5 days ago +22
I mean, Noah Wyle (Robbie) also acted for about 10 years in the TV series ER, which was also an emergency room based show that also focused more on the portrayal of a real hospital rather than drama or comedy focuses. On top of that, there are actually multiple actors in The Pitt who are both actors and real-life hospital workers, some even working in trauma or ER. The supporting actor who gets arrested by ICE is one of the more famous examples, where he both acts on the show as well as advises on specific scenes or adds extra details not in the script.
22
TheVintageJane 5 days ago +9
I do both. I like watching it week to week because this show is actually good enough to warrant torturing myself like that. But I have also enjoyed an all day binge watch of the first season because that’s just a roller coaster even knowing what is coming.
9
ThrowawayTheLegend 5 days ago +2
I binged season 1, so I know you're right. But personally, binging it was just very stressful watching 2–3 more episodes in a row.
2
JimmyTheJimJimson 5 days ago +103
Man, I would love a spinoff series like “The Pitt: Night Shift” - where we get to see the night shift in action between seasons of The Pitt
103
Kind-Armadillo-2340 5 days ago +64
They prefer to be called Night Crawlers.
64
spate42 5 days ago +9
[Night Crawlers you say?](https://y.yarn.co/61786638-e371-4da6-b03c-8c748c36698f_text.gif)
9
hellagela 4 days ago +2
My husband made me pause The Pitt to watch that IASIP clip 😂
2
marcSuile 5 days ago +35
I believe it’s like 4-5 mil per episode to make. They wouldn’t even have had to make a spin off. If they just let this season bleed into the night shift and filmed 24 episode hours, people would’ve watched 9-10 more episodes of this season I bet. I don’t even think the actors are on set for very long either. The writers would’ve had a little more time in the writing room but it’s not like it’s some GOT level production where they couldn’t just see what happens? And if Abbott could carry 9-10 episodes.
35
Ohgodwatdoplshelp 5 days ago +61
Night shift folks in the show are too well adjusted for it to be interesting lol 
61
Quixotic_Seal 5 days ago +41
I love the idea that they’re actually more adjusted than day shift because they’re the kind of freaks who would willingly cover night shift in an ER. Their crazy just matches the crazy of night shift.
41
Jeffuary 5 days ago +12
My step mother worked 30 years overnight in an inner city hospital as a nurse. Most bubbly, optimistic person ever…and I have no idea how.
12
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +16
I wonder if that's really what they're going for. I think the whole "night shift shows up and appears to have it way more together" was more a display of "this is what the start of the shift feels like" vs "this is what the end of the shift feels like."
16
Eating_Your_Beans 5 days ago +9
Yeah, like the first episode of the show has Robbie talking Abbott down from the roof at the end of the night shift. If there were a whole season of night shift im sure we'd see them breaking down just like day shift (also because a season of well adjusted people handling things well doesn't exactly make for a dramatically interesting tv show).
9
Anandya 5 days ago +18
30 minutes of talking about that time you got invited to a sex club or when a patient tried to blow up your A&E but forgot that we don't live in "videogame world" or when another set it on fire or when two rival families had to hand in their guns or we refused to treat them... Night shift isn't a real place.
18
BorgBorg10 5 days ago +26
It’s gotta happen. Dr. Abbot is an ELITE character
26
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +16
Which might be why it *shouldn't* happen. If it's one thing TV loves, it's taking a breakout character/fan favorite and killing the magic by giving them too much screen time.
16
Arvind11747 5 days ago +6
Call it "The Night Crawllers".
6
Redrum8608 5 days ago +3
The crawlers of the night would have a bit more relief with Dr Abbott on the helm
3
hodken0446 5 days ago +3
I feel like that's where we're headed. Like next season will be less of a disaster and more of a full switch at hour 12 and the last 3 episodes we just deal with the night shift people and start getting the full feel for them
3
TheShamShield 5 days ago +3
I think Noah Wylie has shot this idea down. Maybe he’ll change his mind tho
3
abcbri 5 days ago +2
Better idea than the one focused on a police station.
2
CrissBliss 5 days ago +15
I started watching The Pitt with my mom. We both binged the first season, and caught up with season 2 till around episode 8, then finished via the weekly episode drops, etc. The acting, the writing, the way it’s filmed is so well done. I actually started watching ER because of it.
15
abcbri 5 days ago +6
I wrote it off at first, then decided to try it. Yeah, became hooked instantly.
6
CrissBliss 5 days ago +4
Yeah I wasn’t sure if I wanted to watch it because it’s a hospital drama, and they’re sort of a dime a dozen. But The Pitt is just next level.
4
Responsible-Care-388 5 days ago +158
Great show but if you go on the show's sublistnook there isn't much discussion besides taking character actions WAY too personally, conspiracy theories about the writers, and others criticizing those who buy into conspiracies.
158
Upbeat_Tension_8077 5 days ago +106
Regarding fans taking some characters' actions too personally, I think it's hilarious & frustrating to read comments that treat Ogilvie as if he's like a villain, because as the season progressed, I got the impression that he's a pretty relatable depiction of someone who's way in over their head as a newbie in their job, but just trying to keep a confident face to compensate for their nerves. Also, while I do understand the hate over Javadi's Mom & her demeanor, I think some fans might miss the nuance that her conflict with her daughter really represents the experience of the generational disconnect between old-school parents, particularly immigrants and their kids (especially for Asian cultures)
106
grachi 5 days ago +58
Ogilvie is the most realistic character on the show, honestly. While I didn't do pre-med, I went to a school that had a lot of them and I interacted/saw them around campus all the time, and almost all of them were EXACTLY the same personality as Ogilvie. He is the perfect depiction of guy out of med-school who thinks "I've got this" and then gets a nice punch in the face with a glove worn by reality to make him realize "nope, no I don't got this".
58
DrVonD 5 days ago +22
I’m being a bit pedantic, but Ogilvie is actually still in med school and incredibly realistic to that time/place in life. By the time most residents show up for their intern year they all know they don’t know shit and are all terrified of f****** up
22
SnorlaxMotive 5 days ago +22
… I didn’t like Ogilvie, but mostly because I was reminded way too much of myself
22
BigWormsFather 5 days ago +10
Ogilvie was a dickhead a few times early on, looking down on and belittling patients. Him being over confident didn’t rub me the wrong way but his lack of empathy did.
10
Ecstatic-Product-411 5 days ago +9
I think that is what made the moments he had that humanized him so good. Like when he was brought out by McKay to help the homeless lady and when he lost a patient due to his negligence. It makes the pay off where he learns that he has a lot more experience to gain that much sweeter.
9
Metalsand 5 days ago +10
Which is a major component of most jobs that are "customer" facing. You can be academically brilliant, but waste time and completely miss the actual problem if you are too concerned with connecting the dots to consider that you have incomplete information. You can tell that Ogilvie isn't unempathetic - it would be more accurate to describe him as having a sheltered upbringing and even a little on the spectrum. One important thing to note - he is a med student, and when he makes a mistake only doing one specific ultrasound test, the onus would be on the resident overseeing him - he is a student, and all of his work should be considered in that context. If he had no empathy, it would be easy to just say "it wasn't my fault, it was hers". We see other characters shift the blame that they might deserve after all, so he would not be unique in this. However, he takes it seriously enough that he's involved in the whole process, and when the patient doesn't make it, completely broken outside. Don't forget - this is him coming directly from reading textbooks to having in-person experience. A second example - his confusion with drug addiction. It's obvious that he hasn't been exposed to this at all, so he has his own understanding of what it is in his mind. When he finds that this viewpoint is at odds with reality in the most obnoxious way, to his credit he insists on thinking it through to understand why. His viewpoint may be wrong, but he carefully listens to others and eventually is able to understand in the end.
10
NativeMasshole 5 days ago +44
Sounds like a pretty standard fan sub.
44
getmeoutofhere15 5 days ago +24
Tv show specific subs tend to be filled with the most unhinged (and often downright idiotic)fans. The absolute worst is the Yellowjackets sub.
24
Deviltherobot 5 days ago +4
AOT sub was full of lobotomy patients.
4
Quixotic_Seal 5 days ago +6
Fan subs and often entire fandoms in general, honestly, especially for legacy media. I’ve long since stopped following the Star Wars fandom despite being the kind of nerd who devours Star Wars novels. There was only so many years of “the Sequels ruined my childhood, blighted my crops, and killed my cattle!” that I could take. Especially given it used to be the prequels that were so awful, and now everyone pretends they were loved all along.
6
TheSecondEikonOfFire 5 days ago +9
Every fan base is unhinged, but I had no idea now nutso that the Pitt’s was. They need to go touch grass
9
Grungemaster 5 days ago +17
It’s very telling that the okbuddy sub is the only Pitt sub that isn’t a toxic dogpile with nothing good to say about the show or the people who make it.
17
FireMaker125 5 days ago +6
There’s an okbuddy sub for the series?
6
Responsible-Care-388 5 days ago +11
I searched and think i found it. r/okbuddywhitaker
11
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +5
They chose the right name
5
FireMaker125 5 days ago +3
Truly a good sub
3
TractorDriver 5 days ago +3
This is Listnook, this is normal. Always has been with few exceptions. Listnook is and was for longest time now only reasonably mentally stable on science, technical and higher entry level hobbies sublistnooks. Fan sublistnooks are always taken over by people with too much time to think about them vs. actually living IRL. Personal advice sublistnooks never had mentally stable people to begin with.
3
Ecstatic-Product-411 5 days ago +3
It's nothing but shipping characters and complaining. It's such a bummer because there are plenty of interesting characters moments to talk about but it seems like people just want to be upset or discuss things at a surface level on both of the main subs.
3
Scienscatologist 5 days ago +5
It's a cesspool.
5
colonial_dan 5 days ago +5
The word “realism” is currently a dirty word over there right now thanks to that article that called them out.
5
unitled 5 days ago +33
"*The Pitt* takes place in a big city hospital, and, thus by its very nature, the staff and patients are multi-national, multi-ethnic, multi-racial. Yet identity politics is absent from the program. The racial and ethnic differences aren’t significant issues. The viewer is struck by the high level of solidarity among the physicians, many of them from widely different backgrounds. A broad cross section of America is here, and yet there’s no racial storyline." I find this paragraph confusing, maybe identity politics means something different to the author, and I have only watched S1 but... this isn't true? There's a scene where a nurse (Mateo) is racially abused, and there's a scene were a student doctor updates a trans patient's medical records to match her gender, AND there's extended sequences dealing with the Freedom House Ambulance Service and its relation to race, and with the mishandling of Sickle Cell.
33
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +7
Well I mean, as per the paragraph, there doesn't appear to be racial division *among* the physicians."
7
unitled 5 days ago +3
There absolutely is a 'racial storyline' though (not that I would have called it that!).
3
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +6
But in the paragraph, it's clearly talking about between the doctors. It's not saying "the doctors don't encounter racism," it's saying that "they aren't exploring how race creates a dynamic between Robby and Mohan" (unless I am forgetting some S1 plotline, in which case I'm just wrong).
6
unitled 5 days ago +8
The article says this later: "*The Pitt* has managed to grab hold of a considerable portion of public attention and interest for this combination of reasons: (...) its disavowal of racial and gender politics, which has no widespread support". In the first sentence of the bit I clipped, too, they explicitly call out 'doctors *and patients*'. I guess I'm just confused about what the author is getting at - the show absolutely explores racial and gender issues, but the article *doesn't* seem to make the point that it supports discussion of the topics while not making it a plot point between the protagonists?
8
HomersApe 5 days ago +43
The Pitt's portrayal of the progression of exhaustion is probably the best I've seen of a TV show, which is thanks to it's format. You see characters fresh at the start, then slowly tire from there. This is carried over to the viewers, where those last episodes almost become tiring to watch because you've been with the characters the whole shift and can feel their exhaustion.
43
jwag626 5 days ago +7
The second season was still very good, but it was an obvious step down. The first season masterfully jumped its focus from one doc to the next, and Robbie’s trauma was one of the many challenges the ER faced. This one was fully centered on Robbie’s trauma and was arguably their greatest challenge, the recent report that next season will explore Robbie going off the deep end is worrying. Putting a more even focus on Langdon, McKay, Shamsi, Whittaker, Santos, and the rest of the docs is the way to go.
7
Coolbluegatoradeyumm 5 days ago +13
My favorite part about this show is they do it at a teaching hospital. Which really allows the attending physicians to explain things to the interns, oh and by the way also to us. And their answers educate us without feeling like they are insulting our intelligence.
13
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +8
Isn't this why pretty much all medical shows take place at a teaching hospital? Even House, which I don't think did, was built around a special fellowship.
8
huskersax 5 days ago +2
It's absolutely the conceit they use to have things said out loud to viewers.
2
BuccoFever412 5 days ago +22
Yet no real yinzers on the show, or yinzer accents.
22
Skipperandscout 5 days ago +16
True that! Nurse Dana's accent is too much!
16
panicatthepharmacy 5 days ago +5
I remember when Jerry Seinfeld lied to her about never having seen Melrose Place.
5
grachi 5 days ago +20
I've lived in Pittsburgh for 40 years... I honestly had no idea Nurse Dana was trying to do the yinzer accent until I saw some article about it a couple months ago, lol... I honestly thought her character was a NYC native or something and thats what the accent was. Not that its even an NYC accent that she is performing, but its' a whole hell of a lot closer to that than it is a yinzer one.
20
Jon_TWR 5 days ago +3
Season 1 she had a subtle yinzer accent, but never used any of the vocabulary. Season 2 it’s more like a south philly accent but she says jagoff and gumband.
3
Ingliphail 5 days ago +9
BABYJANEDOE!
9
SewSewBlue 5 days ago +3
Taking formula well!
3
blac_sheep90 5 days ago +17
Except for fans of The Pitt it seems. It's really not that fun interacting with other fans on the sublistnooks for this show. I for one am enjoying it immensely. I'm a patient caregiver in a large hospital, I can't speak towards the experiences of doctors and nurses working in an extremely busy emergency department but I do interact with patients directly and have experienced violence, joy and heartbreak in my role. The show captures the chaos that is a hospital extremely well. The burnout, extreme stress, moments have absurd hilarity are portrayed very well.
17
PrecedentialAssassin 5 days ago +11
Enjoy this show but a portion of the fan base are insane and not in a fun quirky way. They’re straight up loony
11
InfernalTest 5 days ago +4
Probably the most against the grain opinion while the show captures the sort of frenetic energy and chaos of a big city hospital the dialogue amongst the characters is way too chatty and even more chatty and TV ish is the dialogue that occurs between the doctors and patients...these are the MOST involved ER doctors and its unfortunate the writers have gone this route becuase the show has great atmosphere...they do the ER quickmedical talk which unless its a really critical patient they don't talk much about what they are doing. drs are NOT that conversant with patients beyond immediate assessment and treatments they are almost like mini projects and boom.thats it they are gone ...and unless there is a lot of down time they don't really talk among each other let alone support staff who oftentimes seem to exist in a separate workspace eventho they are in the same space Its maybe too late now but that crazy wall of separation between doctors lexical support staff and nurses would do a lot more to make this show real ...
4
MidpackRacer 5 days ago +13
It’s competency p*** where want to see it the most and the relationships don’t reach Grey’s Anatomy levels of melodrama.
13
braksbeats 5 days ago +9
I realized halfway through the first season that it was just really satisfying to watch a show where the characters are good at what they do and help each other, it’s really refreshing. When the second season started with Al-Hashimi I was prepared for some artificial conflict written between her and Robby but instead of there being a over exaggerated conflict, it’s been them working together and weighing their doubts about each other rationally
9
IEatThyme 5 days ago +46
I enjoy the show but something about the dialog is off to me. I don't mean the medical jargon but the way the staff interacts with each other and especially the way the patients talk to the doctors. It gives me Law and Order SVU vibes where it's like the characters know they are on a TV show
46
MaxxDelusional 5 days ago +64
It's because they have to get a lot of exposition out in a short amount of time. Instead of saying, "I burned my hand on the stove", they say "I burned my hand on the stove while cooking for my husband's parents who are visiting us from Arizona for two weeks".
64
Asusrty 5 days ago +45
A lot of that is the teaching hospital aspect of the show which is just used as a mechanism to explain to the audience what they are doing and why. During the vast majority of the serious emergencies seen on the show you would never have a pop quiz for the resident about what to do next but they do it for the audience.
45
ohlookahipster 5 days ago +21
Also patients tend to over-explain and talk a lot in general. You know how people will ramble to the cops? Same thing to nurses. Sometimes they don’t shut up (anxiety).
21
matt1267 5 days ago +4
I feel so called out right now, lol
4
PangolinParade 5 days ago +24
I agree with you and I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. The show is consciously didactic. The comparison to Law and Order is apt.
24
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +3
I think you see that a lot in procedurals because you need to pack a lot of exposition in very quickly to keep the pace up.
3
TheKage 5 days ago +4
I get why they do it but yeah it is a bit off putting. Many of the cases have some kind of lesson or PSA attached to them and somehow the people involved always have the relevant statistic memorized to bring up in the situation.
4
AtomicBlackJellyfish 5 days ago +8
It seems like every single patient is oddly combative and argumentative and the same conversation happens over and over each episode. Or the patient has a family member who has to argue with the doctors over some soapbox they have. I was pleasantly surprised when the overweight patient they had to transfer was actually nice to the staff.
8
wineheart 5 days ago +23
> It seems like every single patient is oddly combative and argumentative and the same conversation happens over and over This is hyper realistic.
23
Accomplished-Head449 5 days ago +44
I like how there is zero love interest c***.
44
ScWeEeE 5 days ago +55
Zero??! -Becca was smashin -Whitaker and the farm lady -Robby and the social worker lady -Garcia and Santo’s -Abbot and Al-Hashimi.. It was subtle but all over.
55
tetoffens 5 days ago +58
I don't think a single one of those was "love" or "romance." They're all relationships that don't work. And none get more than a few short scenes. It's not Grey's Anatomy-esque at all.
58
Thybro 5 days ago +6
Santos certainly wanted it to be “romance” and got shut down. It’s not overwhelming but it is there.
6
ScWeEeE 5 days ago +10
Oh I totally agree but I love how they did it and I don’t want it to go unrecognized. My favorite part of all of them is how little info they give so everyone gets to make up their own stories for the relationships. It makes you want more. For me, every time there is talk about Whitaker and the farm lady, I imagine it is the song “that summer” by Garth brooks
10
Loqol 5 days ago +9
Robbie clocking Mohan stitching up shirtless Abbot was hilarious! Everyone wants Nurse Jesse and Matteo. There were also several people hitting on the docs. McKay with the older guy without boundaries and Mel getting friendly with the wanted guy.
9
Tirannie 5 days ago +4
Don’t forget about the hot patient that was hitting on McKay (appropriately!) while the old guy was sexually harassing her. I hope she got to meet up with him at that art gallery after work.
4
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +13
But that isn't romance as a plotline, that's just romantic relationships being part of what people do. Like, we saw that Robby had a romantic/sexual relationship but that wasn't a plotline, it largely served to reinforce his "ready to die" vibe and, possibly, head off the idea that a partner was the solution to his depression. Becca's smashin is about King. Whitaker and the farm lady was another story ultimately about Robby.
13
MissInkeNoir 5 days ago +6
By some interpretations that's not exactly true, but what's there isn't forced or fake. The show depicts very real relationships in their work. We see Robbie has been dating or seeing someone. Santos and another team member were hooking up. And lots of the patients have love lives that become very central in the drama. It's just honest, genuine, very real.
6
patsboston 5 days ago +29
I don't personally understand this critique. Like I guess people only want to focus on the medicine side of things (which is great), but some love interest seems normal because humans are involved with love interests? Also this show does have minor love interest stuff (Garcia-Santos, and Robbie and that laywer?)
29
Chataboutgames 5 days ago +17
I just think that so many shows concern themselves so disproportionately with it that focus elsewhere is a breath of fresh air.
17
TractorDriver 5 days ago +2
Because shippers are cancer and shouldn't be let out of their cages?
2
flakemasterflake 5 days ago +3
> zero love interest c***. romantic story lines aren't "c***" and romance is a normal part of our lives Or it should be anyway
3
losteye_enthusiast 5 days ago +5
I love how there *is* love interest c***, but it’s kept realistic so far. The veterans in relationships maintain the professional boundaries while at work. Santos’ scene with her f*** buddy laid this out directly to the viewer : “these people have relationships, but this is the job and the job needs to stay professional when possible”
5
Ok-Reference-6260 5 days ago +3
great tv after a long time tbh
3
trustmeep 5 days ago +3
As a thought experiment...imagine how little material US medical dramas would have if billing / insurance wasn't an issue.
3
Soda-Popinski- 5 days ago +8
I love everything about the show except Santos. Met way too many of her and couldnt stand one.
8
SewSewBlue 5 days ago +9
I got piled on on the Pitt sub for expressing that opinion. The casual arrogance and dismissiveness just unnerves me. I'm an engineer, not a doctor, but I've seen people get hurt because of that sort of attitude from an engineer. Right now she is still a student, so her behavior is in check. She will definately be the kind of doctor to tell a patient it's stress without following up on the possible signs of cancer. Because in her mind people are dumb and Santos is inherently right. I have an inkling that her awful handling of the deaf patient is going to pop up again. They seemed to make a point of showing her notes on that patient.
9
Soda-Popinski- 5 days ago +6
Yea there are a lot of people on here who are miserable and identify with her character. You can find a Santos in every Chilis in the country waiting tables.
6
flearhcp97 5 days ago +2
My only issue with ultra-realistic TV fiction like this is, why wouldn't I just watch a documentary?
2
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