After what felt like an eternity between seasons, fans of The Pitt can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the doors to the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center open once again. Leading the charge is senior attending physician Dr. Michael Robinavitch, played by Noah Wyle, whose iconic entrance at the beginning of Season 1 is now a hallmark of the show. As we rejoin Dr. Robby and his dedicated team, we are once again immersed in the fast-paced world of this gripping medical drama. The scene is set: an ambulance races across the Three Sisters bridges, EMTs exchange knowing glances, and the urgency of the situation is palpable as we gear up for another day in the life of these medical professionals.

As dawn breaks on the Fourth of July, Dr. Robby is greeted by tier-one cases awaiting his expertise. The Emergency Department buzzes with activity as the night shift hands over to their day counterparts. It’s 7:00 AM, and some things remain unchanged: Dr. John Shen, portrayed by Ken Kirby, clutches his oversized Dunkin’ coffee like a lifeline. Meanwhile, the indomitable charge nurse Dana Evans, played by Katherine LaNasa, makes her dramatic return despite her previous vow to leave. With her signature Nicorette gum in hand, she greets the team, including new RN Emma Nolan (Laëtitia Hollard), with her trademark wit and a cheeky question about bar fights.

Rumors swirl about Dr. Robby’s upcoming sabbatical, his last shift before embarking on a three-month retreat to the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, a culturally significant UNESCO site in Alberta, Canada. Yet, the buzz isn’t solely about his departure. Enter Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, played by Sepideh Moafi, his successor who makes an early appearance with her own set of ideas and protocols, sparking immediate tension with Robby. Their relationship starts on a rocky note, as he perceives her actions as audaciously disrespectful.

Despite the tension, Dr. Samira Mohan (Supriya Ganesh), a fourth-year resident, warmly welcomes Dr. Al-Hashimi, reconnecting with a former colleague from the Pittsburgh VA days. Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden) joins the reunion, but the camaraderie doesn’t extend to Robby and Al-Hashimi, whose professional differences quickly surface. Robby raises an eyebrow at her “patient passports” initiative and balks at her disdain for “The Pitt” moniker, which she believes undermines staff morale and patient satisfaction. Robby’s resigned sigh hints at his ongoing clashes with the chief medical officer, Gloria.

Tension aside, the team unites in the med bay, where trauma surgeon Dr. Yolanda Garcia, portrayed by Alexandra Metz, leads the charge to save a man from a life-threatening stab wound. Her sharp skills and even sharper wit shine through as she teases Robby, calling him by his infamous nickname. The drama and dynamics at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center promise another season of high-stakes medical storytelling.

Those who were once the youngs now have their own flocks of ducklings. Elsewhere, Robby observes the newly-promoted Dr. Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell) handle an end-of-life situation with experience, greater confidence, and a nod to what his boss taught him. Whitaker, once an undergrad theology major, guides new medical students Joy (Irene Choi) and Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson) in a moment of silent reflection. 

The reason why we couldn’t quit thinking about The Pitt when it was gone is that it’s just fucking immersive. Obviously there are a zillion medical dramas – they just keep making them, even though kids these days tell us they would rather binge-stream all ten million seasons of Grey’s at 1.5x speed – but The Pitt’s real-time format has endeared us to its characters in a way no hospital show has since, well, since Noah Wyle was just a duckling himself. Here in the Season 2 premiere, we got protective of Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Douriff) and her support staff when her patient Mr. Williams (Derek Cecil), perhaps suffering from an undiagnosed brain injury, impulsively started to kick her. Hey! Leave our friends alone! Yes, it’s kinda irrational. But this is just fantastic television. We feel like we know these people, something we’ve never once thought about Meredith Grey.

Which is also why we’re overjoyed to see Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) returning to The Pitt for his first shift back from rehab. Count on Santos (Isa Briones) to continue her cold glances toward him, given their history. And Dr. Robby tries to avoid talking to him at all; he banishes Langdon to Chairs, rather than address their own falling out. (“We don’t need you back here; we’ve been covering for you for months.” OUCH.) But man, Langdon does seem reformed. He even apologizes to perennial patient Louie (Ernest Harden, Jr.), whose Librium he originally stole. When he asks Robby about his trip, with a quick-thinking gallows-doctor bit about the UNESCO site’s unique-sounding name (“‘Captain Crunch Flying Squirrel Socks’? Are you having a stroke?”), the bit falls flat. And yet, we know he’s a very good doctor. We know Dana is on Langdon’s side. (“I’ll keep an eye on him,” she tells the night-shift charge nurse.) And Mel can barely contain her excitement that one of her favorite colleagues has returned. We’ll all keep an eye on him. Langdon Watch begins now. 

“Is anyone missing a baby?” Someone left an infant behind in the waiting room restroom. Maybe it’s a safe haven dropoff, maybe it’s something else – the staff doesn’t know. All they have is a little baby girl, maybe a month old, looking to be in perfect health but with no intel beyond that. Examining the infant with Mohan, the new attending, Al-Hashimi, suddenly goes from delivering the usual stream of complicated medical jargon to dissociating, like she’s thinking of something far far away. Mohan looks at her colleague and friend. “Dr. Al? Dr. Al?” No answer.

Nurse’s Desk for Season 2 Episode 1 of The Pitt (“7:00 AM”):

• “What’s up with you today Mel…ancholia?” Leave it to Trinity Santos to land a terrific play on words. When Mel explains her distance is because she’s been named in a medical lawsuit, and the deposition is today, Santos has another one. “Let’s hope you don’t put the ‘Mel’ in ‘Mel-practice.’”

• Does The Pitt have jams now? Part of its real-feel immersiveness has been an almost total lack of accompanying music; there isn’t even a theme song. But the Season 2 premiere opens with “Better Off Without You” by veteran Pittsburgh rockers The Clarks, and closes with the 1963 R&B nugget “Say Yeah Yeah” by Yvonne Fair. “I’ve been hurt, but I refuse to cry…”

Johnny Loftus (@johnnyloftus.bsky.social) is a Chicago-based writer. A veteran of the alternative weekly trenches, his work has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The All Music Guide, and The Village Voice.