REVIEW: Why ‘The Pitt’ is the Gritty Medical Drama We Need

by Sara Beaupre '27

From “Grey’s Anatomy” to “Scrubs” to “ER,” the trope of the medical drama has been done and redone 100 times over. But none of those shows dive quite as deep into the inner workings of the emergency department as HBO’s “The Pitt”.

Each episode follows one hour in the Pittsburgh Medical Center, but in contrast to previous shows, “The Pitt” doesn’t revolve around the characters' personal lives interspersed with medical procedures. It is an adrenaline-filled, gritty reality of what healthcare workers go through daily.

One of the major themes of this season was mental health. Healthcare workers see death, tragedy, and heartbreak every single day, and “The Pitt” proves that you can only take so much before you fall apart.

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Noah Wyle, who plays Dr. Robby, does a fantastic job of showing how difficult the emergency room is to deal with. He is very clearly depressed, and his words, emotions, and expressions leading up to his confession told you everything.

It is a gut-wrenching thing to watch. It makes you sympathize with healthcare workers because it allows you to see the impact of the medical world on the human body and mind. There’s only so much one can take before they break.

“The Pitt” is a master at being able to discuss heavy topics.

There’s a moment in episode 11 where a patient is escorted in by ICE agents. It’s pretty clear the medical staff and patients are instantly on edge. People immediately leave the emergency room without proper care because they are more afraid of what ICE can do than whatever pain brought them there.

To further prove the show's stance on the issue, charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) says, “Can’t we just tell the agents to fuck off?”.

In addition, when nurse Jesse Van Horn (Ned Brower) stands between a vulnerable patient and ICE agents, the show delivers a gut-punch: The doctors haven’t finished their treatment, but Van Horn is the one hauled away in handcuffs. It is a chilling reminder that in “The Pitt,” the hospital’s walls offer no protection against the outside world.

People love to watch television to escape, at least for a little while. So it is safe to assume that most would prefer not to have to deal with political issues or mental health, or death, or gross medical procedures in their wind-down shows. But sometimes it’s important for people who have influence on the general public to speak up and bring attention to things often shied away from.
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“The Pitt” is a show that is grounded in reality, that is unafraid of being true to its opinions, and that offers phenomenal acting. You can see how much they suffer and persevere, but also how the little moments almost make up for it.