Esta and Aaron took a trip to everyone’s favorite trauma center together and watched the traumatic final episode of THE PITT season two.
Aaron: THE PITT concludes with a “thoughtful” episode that will have audiences embracing the quiet while also exploring the mental load on its employees. We’ve spent an entire season watching each member of the trauma center having “help dance through the darkness,” so it’s no wonder they all embrace each other like a dysfunctional family.
Esta: It was a beautiful bookend that ended just as it began, swaddled in the loving arms of medical professionals who constantly overcare and are committed to the healthy welfare of their patients and colleagues, no matter where the truth leads them. Every second is poignant, profound, and palatable. It feels like the audience is constantly under a deep spell of holding each other in safe spaces.
I love that it recognizes that no one can compartmentalize every day and explores it exquisitely. It is important and necessary to have someone or something in your life.
Aaron: What shocked me about season two was the absence of a big overarching story. In second seasons and in sequels, showrunners usually go for bigger and better. And when the waterslide plot started to sneak in, I thought we were going to have a slew of injuries. Instead, audiences are treated to seeing how handling death so often can damage you. It’s sad, compelling, and introspective in a way that I didn’t think THE PITT was heading, but I loved every heartbreaking moment.
Esta: There were so many truisms about the journey of learning to live after someone dies. It was a subtle feast, brilliantly written and performed.
Aaron: And “Oh, baby,” did we get the perfect ending for Dr. Robby. I’m so glad that I “stayed for the fireworks” to see how his story in season two concludes. Is it all resolved? No. But that’s okay since life is so messy, it shouldn’t give audiences easy answers. And the answers that Dr. Robby seeks are the hard, meaty things that keep us up at night. Watching him struggle to grasp them throughout the season, and in those closing moments, moved me to tears.
Esta: The entire ensemble was fantastic, but the most emotional seconds of the show belong to Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby. He has the superior acting skills to guide an audience through every gut-wrenching outburst. He holds our heart in the palm of his hand, cradling it through every revealing, distressful, inspiring story arc. As Wyle’s tears well up, fans can’t help but allow theirs to flow freely down their cheeks. He is superbly intense and unforgettable.
I would also be remiss if I did not mention the phenomenal performances of Drs. Langdon, Abbott, and Al-Hashimi, as well as Nurse Dana. I am in awe of their compelling ability to hold our attention and compassion. Well done!
Some of our favorite quotes this week:
- “I’ve seen so many people die that it’s leeching something from my soul.”
- “It comes for all of us, and we can’t let ourselves succumb to it.”
- “So many wonderful things to see and people to love ahead of you”
Final Thoughts: “It’s never too late” to tell real-life nurses and doctors that THE PITT pays tribute to that, “it’s going to be okay.” Until then, we will await our return visit to the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center on HBO Max.
