Review: The Pitt
By Adisen L. Thomas
Everyone needs a good, trustworthy TV show to binge-watch. Something reliable to casually turn on while doing homework, while sick or when crying and scooping ice cream straight from the pint into your mouth … umm, anyways.
The Pitt, streaming on Max, might be just what you’re looking for. Set in the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, The Pitt follows an ensemble cast of health care workers navigating an overcrowded, high-pressure emergency department. The show’s real-time format makes the emergency department feel unrelenting. There is barely enough time for either the characters or the audience to catch their breath before more patients arrive. By the time each hour is over, the audience is left wondering what will happen next.
The Pitt, (2026).
Both seasons focus on a central crisis, highlighting the mayhem of day-to-day work in the emergency department. The pace never falters, with long, intensely choreographed takes making the show feel like one continuous sequence.
The writing team for The Pitt is led by creator, showrunner and executive producer R. Scott Gemmill, along with Noah Wyle, John Wells, Joe Sachs and Simran Baidwan. The writers also emphasize medical accuracy on set. Before filming, the actors undergo an intensive two-week boot camp. This preparation allows them to move through medical procedures naturally, helping the show’s long takes feel less rehearsed. The Pitt also hires medical consultants to maintain accuracy on set, from the pronunciation of medical jargon to natural physical movements.
The Pitt especially focuses on realistic scenarios within health care, including systemic hurdles and health care worker burnout. Many patient stories are connected to real-life social factors. Characters often deal with issues such as the challenges of the U.S. insurance system, mental health struggles, addiction, racism and homelessness. This makes patients feel less like just patients and more like the people behind their illnesses. Their health is often connected to circumstances beyond the hospital, forcing staff to treat both the patient and the circumstances surrounding them.
Staff members also face challenges such as moral dilemmas, past trauma and the pressure to make difficult decisions under stressful circumstances. Each staff member has a unique story, making the characters more relatable to the audience.
Season one of The Pitt introduces viewers to the busy, compassionate and overworked team working in the emergency department. The characters also represent different ways of handling the pressure. You might find yourself relating to the stoic main character and senior attending physician, Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, who keeps his emotions contained, or the nervous new medical student and TikTok influencer Victoria Javadi, who is still learning to navigate the chaos.
The series also uses humor to lighten the heaviness of the emergency department. Charge nurse Dana Evans says, “Don’t mind Myrna. She’s harmless.” Dr. Dennis Whitaker asks, “She’s handcuffed?” Evans responds, “That’s why she’s harmless.” Moments like these give the audience a break from the emotionally heavy scenes.
While season one introduces the staff and environment, season two shifts its focus toward the exhaustion of keeping empathy alive in stressful and overwhelming situations. Season two also offers a glimpse into the relationships between staff, whether between the new group of medical students or through secret workplace relationships that are not revealed until later in the series.
Season two picks up over a chaotic Fourth of July weekend, leaving the emergency department to deal with a barrage of patients and rising tension among staff.
The Pitt delivers a compelling narrative mixed with humor, emotional drama and chaos as the team moves through the emergency department. Whether you watch it for the medical drama, the characters or simply because you need your next show to binge, The Pitt offers plenty to keep you coming back for another hour.