By Soncirey Mitchell
Reader Staff
From House to New Amsterdam, Royal Pains to The Good Doctor, there are hundreds of medical dramas with just enough interpersonal conflict and medical jargon to deliver enjoyable but unrealistic depictions of modern health care. Now that the world has lived through the COVID–19 pandemic and watched American medical institutions crumble due to loss of staff, lack of funding and political scheming, though, the old, romanticized stories no longer cut it. The genre has been begging for an overhaul, and Max’s The Pitt rose to the challenge.
Set throughout a 15-hour shift in a fictional emergency room, The Pitt follows doctors, nurses and medical students as they treat fentanyl overdoses, drownings and gunshot wounds on little to no sleep. Though each case presents new and interesting challenges, the show’s brilliance stems from focusing on internal and systemic issues while the gore of the work fades into the background.
Courtesy photo.
Let’s be clear — there’s still a lot of gore, but the plot is shaped by the budget cuts and understaffed stations that make caring for patients infinitely more difficult. Each episode represents an hour of the shift, allowing audiences to feel the intense strain and mental and emotional fatigue faced by health care providers shuffling hundreds of people through the ER as quickly as possible to make room for the next patients.
Psychological trauma in all its forms makes the show what it is. It deals with everything from the ramifications of the abuse nurses face at the hands of patients to the PTSD medical workers developed during the pandemic to the nation’s wider mental health crisis — especially when it comes to young men.
The Pitt doesn’t shy away from breakdowns and intense emotions, or from delving into the kindness and love co-workers show one another to get through the day. Central protagonist Dr. Michael Robinavitch — Noah Wyle of ER — is one of the best, emotionally intelligent male characters in recent TV history. Wyle’s performance is subtle and impactful as he comforts students, cries through the loss of patients and works through panic attacks. He dispels the image of the sexy, arrogant doctor popularized by Grey’s Anatomy and instead shows a vulnerable, mature, well-rounded character that reflects real medical professionals’ hardships.
Every episode of The Pitt shows characters facing hellish circumstances and choosing to stay, risking physical and emotional harm to help others. It’s a devastating watch; but, despite the death and gore, it has an undercurrent of hope and perseverance that makes it a story worth telling — and watching.
