After a motorcycle collision, a husband and wife find themselves in the ER. Later, Robby bonds with a Tree of Life survivor.
The Pitt is produced on a massive soundstage in Los Angeles. The creative team has proudly talked about the importance of providing consistent work to experienced crew members following years of uncertainty and outsourcing. The show also prides itself on showcasing Pittsburgh history. That was on display in the first season with the recognition of the Freedom House Ambulance Service. It becomes relevant once more when Robby treats a survivor of the Tree of Life shooting. Yana's life was changed on that horrific day in October 2018. The community still carries the scars. The synagogue hasn't reopened since though has promised to do so at some point. Many of the characters could connect with the trauma of that tragedy given their experiences with the PittFest shooting. Instead, Robby is positioned with the strongest bond because of his Jewish faith. He's not a practicing member of the community. He claims he only attends services during the holidays. Even that could be taken as a lie in the hopes of easing his patient. Whenever it comes to details about Robby's personal life, the audience should remain weary. He's a guarded individual who doesn't open up to others. His self-destructive tendencies can only be noticed by nuanced observers who know what to look for.
The season has opened with a focus on religion. It has provided purpose and direction to several patients already. Judaism remains a constant for Yana despite the lingering effects of trauma. A nun had gonorrhea in the eye because she was trying to be of service to the less fortunate. Robby's first patient of the day was asking for a priest under the false belief she was dying. Faith provides clarity in the most challenging of circumstances. Perlah is the most demonstrably religious among the staff. Her Muslim faith is communicated through her clothing. She covers her hair. Yana thanks her for the ways the Muslim community provided support following the Tree of Life shooting. Perlah wasn't involved in that. She didn't know about that connection. It was a learning opportunity for her as well. It highlights the ways in which humanity is connected. A belief system can divide. It can suggest that some know what's best and judge others who don't obey as they do. It's actually freeing to acknowledge that someone has that same devotion. Not everything aligns perfectly. Fundamentally though, faith is built on the same principles of love and service. The hospital offers plenty of that for people when they need it most.
The most consistent guiding principle for Robby is a trust in his medical instincts. He has clashed with Al-Hashimi throughout the first hours of the shift. She offers a different perspective. She's new to this environment. He's sizing her up to determine how she will change what he oversees. The two are less combative in this episode. They have the freedom to go their separate ways and handle cases differently. They come back together for the big traumas that arrive at the door. That too is very illuminating. The staff treats all three victims of a car-versus-motorcycle collision. The motorcyclist was killed on impact. He wasn't wearing a helmet. Robby's colleagues tease him about also picking up this hobby. He lies about always riding with the proper protection. He's going through the motions while being reckless on his own time. This job offers stability. He also needs a break in order to reflect on his life and find balance. Yana chastises him for his midlife crisis. No one is supportive of his plan. He remains committed. He sees the purpose. Nothing else matters. That's how Mark and Nancy Yee felt too before landing in the emergency department.
Both Mark and Nancy had clarifying moments as they feared losing the other. At first, Mark presented with the most serious injuries. He was potentially paralyzed. Instead, the doctors discovered a potassium condition. One that presents for the first time during this stressful situation. Al-Hashimi notably keeps Nancy updated on the encouraging signs. That showcases her strengths during treatment in ways that contrast with Robby. However, the entire staff failed when they accepted Nancy was fine. Instead, she collapses due to internal bleeding. That requires emergency surgery to fix. That sets up the role reversal where Mark improves and has to worry about his wife. He records a video apologizing for being wrong. Everything came into perspective. The only thing that matters to him is his wife. Everything changed as a result of this accident. Hopefully, the surgery is successful. The staff may never know. They are tasked with stabilizing care. Longterm treatment is done by the other departments. Some patients may stay in the emergency department way longer than they should. That doesn't always provide the staff with the resolution they need to know everything will be okay with the people they treat every day.
Sometimes, stories are neatly resolved and provide that clarity. Santos' instincts were wrong about Kylie. She had an immune disorder altering her platelets. She wasn't the victim of abuse. Nevertheless, the mere accusation is enough to break her father and his girlfriend apart. The suggestion that it was possible couldn't be forgotten. Santos takes pleasure in the dad being prickly. It aligned with her assessment. She doesn't have to feel bad for imagining the worst case scenario. In fact, she believes that was more likely than this rare disorder. Similarly, Mr. Williams' ex-wife must re-examine the end of their marriage after a mass is discovered in his brain. McKay noted the change in his demeanor. His affect was altered every time she checked on him. It's astonishing that he kept his ex-wife as his emergency contact. They haven't seen each other in years. Their understanding of one another changes following this diagnosis. She wants to be there for him even though she has moved on. She has found happiness elsewhere. She didn't think that his change in behavior was caused by a health condition. That change pushed her away. Now, it has a potential explanation. That's devastating to know it could have been developing for years. McKay gets caught up in the emotions too. Some answers aren't always pleasant. That's the nature of this work where any story can offer the perspective to shift everything.
Some more thoughts:
- The holiday shift has been manageable so far. Everything's about to pick up considerably after Dana gets a call about another trauma center shutting down. They've entered Code Black for some reason. As such, all traumas will be diverted to the Pitt. That's a daunting prospect. It also inspires Ahmed to set up a new betting pool for how long this will last.
- It's so sweet watching three fathers in different stages of parenthood connect while removing marbles from a kid's nose. Donnie will accept every piece of advice. Meanwhile, Langdon reveals he's been reflecting on the work of an Irish poet. All of this will probably become even more sentimental depending on the state of Langdon's home life after his stint in rehab.
- Mel is solid for the first time this shift. She oversees Javadi removing the taser wire from the college student suffering an apparent psychic break. Then, she manages the case of a man who took mysterious pills to treat high blood pressure. He took too many but should be fine in a few hours.
- An overzealous and racist campus security guard falsely believed a Black student was on drugs and tased him. He suddenly felt important. When all the tests came back negative, it became assault. The police were on the scene to arrest the man. He thought he was walking in their shoes but his actions only proved how little he could trusted with the safety of others.
- McKay constantly guides a Walmart greeter back to his bed. He's a charmer. He needs to interact with people. His serenade of McKay is sweet. It's also notable that an injured sports player is obviously flirting with her. No details of his case are known. She did mention the need to get laid though.
- Louie is still getting his belly drained for a majority of the hour. That's just about finished. The tooth pain has become concerning and more immediate. He doesn't tolerate any of Whittaker's attempts at distraction. He needs this dealt with so he can enjoy a drink and the fireworks.
- Lupe finds an ASL interpreter for the deaf patient in the waiting room. She won't miss her name being called again. Nevertheless, it was difficult to be noticed with the special care she requires. That adds to the stress of the situation and the time spent here.
- Dana offers so much kindness to Digby across his treatment so far. He's gotten a shower, his cast removed, and the maggots gone that lurked underneath. She offers up a sandwich and the promise for more help if he needs it.
- While Javadi and Ogilvie are too busy competing with each other over who knows more, they frighten a patient's loved one. They may know the science but their social skills fail. They each need to be the one with the final word even if there is nothing left to say. They have to be the best which is much more annoying and entitled coming from Ogilvie.
