The Pitt Season 2 Episode 3, titled “9 AM,” available on HBO Max, tackles a devastating chapter in Pittsburgh’s history. On October 27, 2018, an armed assailant targeted the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, resulting in the tragic deaths of eleven individuals and injuries to several others. This heinous act of anti-Semitism marked one of the city’s darkest days.

**Spoilers ahead for The Pitt Season 2 Episode 3 “9 AM,” currently streaming on HBO Max**

In the second season of The Pitt, the series delves into the impact of this calamity through Yana Kovalenko (played by Irina Dubova), a character haunted by PTSD long after the tragedy unfolded. Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) discovers that Mrs. Kovalenko suffered burns from a hot samovar, mistaking the sound of Independence Day fireworks for gunfire due to her trauma.

Noah Wyle, who penned this episode, shared with DECIDER last month that, “The absence of the Tree of Life discussion in Season 1 opened a door to address it in Season 2.”

Wyle further explained, “There has been much dialogue around the Tree of Life shooting, and speculation regarding whether my character was inspired by a doctor present that day, a man named Rabinowitz, if memory serves. This episode allows us to underscore the significance of that event to Pittsburgh and explore more of my character’s background.”

Wyle explained that by treating Mrs. Kovalenko, Robby is also able to explore his current relationship with his Jewish faith.

“Well, Robby’s faith, or lack thereof, or grappling with his faith last season and including him and his lowest moment reciting the Shema — almost like this childlike prayer, this sort of very primal plea for help — was a really important part of the character’s evolution,” Wyle said. “It would have been irresponsible to not pick up the thread in Season 2 in some fashion.”

Mrs. Kovalenko only reveals her connection to Tree of Life by asking Robby about where he practices his faith, if he does so at all. Robby instinctively returns the question, thus setting up not one, but two, profound conversations about the tragedy’s impact on Pittsburgh.

While Robby is busy doing his rounds in the ED, Nurse Perlah (Amielynn Abellera) treats Mrs. Kovalenko. Noticing Perlah’s hijab, Mrs. Kovalenko recalls the support that the local Muslim community gave to the Tree of Life survivors.

“In researching it, to write about it, I was really moved by the aspect of the Muslim community coming out in solidarity afterwards and raising money to pay for funerals and hospital bills,” Wyle said. “And how underreported that story was.”

Wyle explained that it was “important” to him as a writer to give these characters — Yana and Perlah — this moment without Robby present.

“It has nothing to do with Robby. Robby is not even privy to it, so that we got to talk about it without it being, you know, one to one with the character’s journey,” he said. “Seemed like an elegant way of touching on it.”

And it’s an elegant way of hitting upon one of The Pitt‘s greatest themes. As The Pitt‘s showrunner R. Scott Gemmill put it, while accepting the Golden Globe for Best TV Drama earlier this month: “We show people what we can do when a bunch of individuals, hundreds of us, have a common goal and we work together with decency and humanity, and just acceptance and respect for each other… We can do amazing things.”