HBO’s new hit series “The Pitt” has finally finished season one in what’s being described as one of the most realistic medical drama series ever.
“The Pitt,” starring “E.R.” alumnus Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, follows his journey as the attending emergency room doctor in the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, also known as “The Pitt”. The 15-episode series follows each hour of his shift and the horror, tragedy, camaraderie, and everything in between that can occur during the morning shift in the emergency room.
Alongside Dr. Robby, resident doctors Langdon, Collins, Mackaye, and Mohan are joined by new interns and med students Javadi, King, Santos, and Whitaker, who are all on their first shift at the emergency room, which just adds to the impending chaos of the day. These doctors are all, of course, propped up by a supporting cast of nurses and social workers, led by the grizzled but affable charge nurse, Dana.
The characters are the best attribute of this series, and are what elevate it into the elite realm of medical dramas. The way they interact with each other, be it cracking jokes, providing moral support, or antagonism between medical specialties, this provides a context that really helps create a believable setting. Each character has their own trials and tribulations throughout the season, and the performances for every character are superb.
Not once while watching this show did I think, “Oh, these are actors, they don’t really understand this stuff.” I was fully immersed the whole time I watched, which is more than I can say about many other series.
The show does a great job of bringing a new perspective that is severely overlooked in society today, especially after the massive swell of hospitalizations in the COVID pandemic has mostly subsided. We all have stressful lives and worries, but when we get sick or injured, we go to the hospital expecting them to care for us without a second thought.
Most people don’t consider the mental health of the health care providers. “The Pitt” does an amazing job of portraying this, whether it’s a doctor contemplating jumping from the top of the building, stealing benzos from a patient, or a nurse being assaulted by a patient who’d been in the waiting room for hours; it all portrays how flaws in the medical system affect everyone.
Another major factor that makes the show great is the wide range of topics they tackle that are relevant to our culture. The cases they cover range from mundane cuts or common communicable diseases to deeply serious and controversial topics like gun violence, opioid overdoses, underage abortion, mass casualty events, and everything in between.
Speaking about how realistic “The Pitt” is, in a piece for Vulture, Dr. Lukas Ramcharran of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said, “I would love for our family to see what we do on a daily basis – to see the specialty that I love and have dedicated my life to … I’m constantly pausing and saying, ‘That’s what we do!’”
So, as for a question of who I would recommend “The Pitt” to, due to its very graphic depiction of medical procedures, including lots of gore and copious amounts of profanity and potentially upsetting themes, I definitely wouldn’t recommend it as a wholesome family viewing. However, if you are a fan of medical dramas and looking for something that scratches that diagnostic itch, “The Pitt” offers a good compromise, being less of a melodrama than something like “Grey’s Anatomy,” but more grounded and somber than something like “House.”
According to IMDB, “The Pitt” has already been renewed for a second season and should air sometime in early 2026 on HBO Max.
