My view of "The Pitt" (SPOILERS) Pt. 1

My mom and I binge-watched The Pitt this past week, and I'm shocked by how good the show is. It's easily become one of my favorite television series ever, and I highly recommend it to everyone I get to. For those who haven't seen or heard about it, here's the rundown:

 The show is comprised of one season (with a second one set to air in January 2026), with 15 episodes on HBO. Each episode is around 55 minutes (with the last one being roughly an hour long). The entire season takes place in one day, which is set in a Pittsburgh ER ward of a hospital. The ER is underfunded, understaffed, and overworked, gaining the endearing nickname of "The Pitt" by its Senior Emergency Attending Physician (Dr. Robby). The show is acclaimed for its accuracy to a real-life ER ward, and is based loosely on a real hospital in Pittsburgh (known for being "The Place You Go To Die."

Here's a description for The Pitt:

 "Attending physician Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitc

h starts a grueling shift at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center's emergency room (ER), nicknamed "the Pitt" by its staff, by welcoming four newcomers: Victoria Javadi, a third-year medical student; Dennis Whitaker, a fourth-year medical student; Dr. Trinity Santos, an intern; and Dr. Melissa "Mel" King, a second-year resident. Throughout the next fifteen hours, the students and residents learn more about their professional duties, while trying to deal with the emotional toll of patient care and the hardships of working in an overcrowded and underfunded ER, guided by Robby and the Pitt's other staff members, including charge nurse Dana Evans, second-year resident Dr. Cassie McKay, third-year resident Dr. Samira Mohan, and senior residents Dr. Heather Collins and Dr. Frank Langdon. Meanwhile, Robby struggles to cope with traumatic memories resurfacing on the fourth anniversary of his mentor's death, which happened in the Pitt during the COVID-19 pandemic." (via Wikipedia)

 My overall character writing analysis: Each recurring or main character in this show is clearly loved by someone on the writing team. Even the one-off characters we meet receive depth, and some even get a backstory. This show is one of the few where I've struggled to identify who my favorite character is, because each character is so realistic. They have depth, history, emotions, and not all their actions are justifiable or applaudible. This show also handles inclusivity and awareness with ease. The team is diverse, open, and accepting. We also have antagonistic characters who make us acknowledge the way minorities are treated and the effect those actions have. At first, while watching this show, I did not realize just how inclusive it was until I met an antagonist who consistently became a source of discrimination. 

The show discusses topics of racism, homophobia, sexism, suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, poverty, disparity, religion, and many others with grace and care. Each character is fighting their own battles, and we see them connect with one another and care for each other. The show also represents our everyday heroes, such as nurses, doctors, paramedics, and EMS, mothers, and fathers...the list goes on. 

Each recurring major character we meet has a backstory that we get to explore during their shift. We see them struggle, love, work, and learn. Some characters can be described as more or less dynamic, with varying levels of "good" or "bad". 

This show also covers a very underrepresented topic: COVID, specifically its effects on all healthcare professionals. Dr. Robby, whom I'll talk about further, is our eyes for this. 

For fear of going on for too long, I won't be talking about EVERY character on The Pitt, but I am going to talk about the ones who stood out the most to me. Either for their lovability or their dynamic character. However, here's a list and a short description of each major character. 

• Dr. Robby- The "main" character, who leads our ER team. A true leader, with a big heart
• Dr. Collins- A senior resident in The Pitt, and Dr. Robbys 'right hand".
• Dr. Langdon- A resident at the hospital, and described as Robby's "best resident" (and a personal favorite). He's curt and knows what he's doing.
• Dr. Mohan- A third-year medical resident who shares a lot of similarities with Dr. Robby. He's hard on her because he knows her potential. She's compassionate, sometimes to a fault.
• Dr. McKay- A compassionate single mother who's always prepared to help patients, even after they've left the ER.
• Dr. King- A second-year resident who struggles with social cues, yet easily holds the cake for the most successful student. Another personal favorite of mine. 
• Dr. Santos- A medical intern who's confident and eager, sometimes getting herself into trouble. She's perceptive and ready too get sh** done. Easily one of the most hated characters on this show, but in my eyes, she's a complicated female character, and kicks a**. 
• Whitaker- A lovable fourth-year medical student who lacks confidence and gets the short end of a lot of sticks. 
• Javadi- An awkward medical prodigy learning in the hospital. She's frequently overlooked because she's younger than most. 
• Dana Evans- A charge nurse and close confidant of Dr. Robby. She's the true leader of The Pitt, and easily one of the toughest characters on this show.

My personal character analysis will be posted in part 2.