I’m no stranger to medical shows. I was raised on E.R. My life can be marked by phases relating to that show. Being young enough to watch reruns on TNT in the morning during the summer to finally being old enough to watch it air in real time on NBC in the 10 pm slot. So when I heard there was another medical show with Noah Wyle, you can imagine my excitement. But also being neurodivergent, I tend to come around to things once they’ve already been around for a while. So please allow me to dive into the first season of THE PITT and provide some context for how this amazing medical show is hitting its stride now in its second season.
One of the main premises of E.R. that I always liked, particularly as I’m rewatching it now, is that the timeframe stays fairly static. Episodes of E.R. do not usually occur over several days. They tend to stay within the confines of a shift and move the story lines around that. The Pitt does the same and not only focuses on one shift for the season, but makes each hour of the show about an hour of care. And that to me makes the time that much more relevant and powerful. We’re used to waiting hours to get seen in the E.R., and then you get taken back for testing and who knows what else, and you’re there for ages. But that’s also true for everyone else there, with the exceptions of the trauma arrivals. So the show creates this beautiful tapestry of stories interweaving through the shift, and the time it takes to handle each case is different but all important. It really drives home how busy the emergency room can really get and the work it takes to handle all those cases in the time allotted. E.R. did this really well, and The Pitt is honing in on that formula and making it even better.
Another reason I liked E.R. and now The Pitt is the amazing social commentary. A lot of people have critiqued The Pitt for being too heavy-handed with the political commentary. But I would argue it’s not nearly as potent as E.R. was in delivering social critique. In the first season of E.R., which aired in 1994, one of the first episodes features Wyle’s character assisting a transgender woman who ends up committing suicide because she doesn’t feel accepted. This episode aired in 1994. But people want to claim The Pitt is too heavy-handed on political commentary??? I don’t know, folks. I think The Pitt could be even louder and more annoying about it. Especially given Dr. Robby’s disappointing approach to the teenage incel. Because I’m sorry, you’re worried about ruining his life, but not considering all the lives he could ruin if he decides to go on a shooting spree? Come ON, Robby!!!
Lastly, and this is one that has some level of nuance, but…it’s real life. And I realize that’s a very simplified statement. But, and maybe this is where people find the show too political, everyone’s lives and cases have a deep, meaningful story impact. A man falling off his ladder is one thing; him falling off because his wife is poisoning him is another, his wife poisoning him to get him to stop grooming his daughter makes it a WHOLE OTHER THING. And here’s the thing that I think makes people uncomfortable: they don’t want to acknowledge how common this is. I have two criminal justice degrees, one of them specializing in studying victimology. And you know victims. They are all around you. People who have been victimized by family, victimized by partners, and so many people suffer in silence because they fear being judged. But the reality is that a lot of people in the world have been harmed by other people. So maybe you don’t want to see that in your stories, and that’s valid. I don’t watch any movies that feature rape scenes anymore for that exact reason. The world is dark enough; I don’t need it in my shows. But I’m also not going to ignore reality. A medical show featuring a father abusing his daughter or a young man struggling with mental health and violent tendencies isn’t too much; it’s real life. And if you don’t want to watch that, that’s ok. We need light right now. For me, I find medical shows comforting. Because it shows me the beauty in the people who choose to go to work every day and save lives. And we need those people. We need them now more than ever.
The Pitt has already been confirmed for a third season, so apart from this retrospective, you’ll get some more season two reviews from me as that season progresses. I’ll be around for as long as it wants to go. And if I’m honest, I can see this show lasting a decent amount of time. They’ve found a formula that works and that I think will keep people engaged. E.R. lasted 15 seasons, and while that’s not typical for HBO shows, I think The Pitt has found some serious staying power.
