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“This is the moment. Time to step up and doctor.” In the gripping second season of The Pitt, Dr. Robby’s journey of self-discovery hits a high point as he motivates a senior resident to overcome doubts and find solutions. His ability to inspire his team and apply his improvisational skills to critical situations becomes the crux of his professional life, even as his inner turmoil continues. Episode 14, titled “8:00PM,” showcases a dramatic scene where Dr. Crus Henderson describes a daring procedure as “cowboy stuff”—re-aligning neck bones for a patient’s urgent cervical dislocation. This thrilling demonstration of medical expertise, featuring Robby supporting Dr. Frank Langdon at a crucial moment, captures the essence of what fans love about the series. “I think I’m starting to breathe easier,” remarks the patient, reflecting the audience’s sentiment as we approach the finale of Season 2.
Meanwhile, Dana Evans grapples with concern for her friend Robby, unsure whether to feel sadness, anger, or fear after his recent confession of suicidal thoughts in the previous episode. She urges Abbot to reach out, hoping to break through Robby’s notorious stubbornness. Abbot’s intervention could be pivotal, but it’s also reassuring to see Dr. Caleb Jefferson, Robby’s psychiatrist friend, stepping in. When Robby dismisses Dr. Mohan’s concerns about a patient named Orlando Diaz, his harsh words shock Samira, revealing a troubling side of Robby. The comment about Diaz needing a higher ledge for his fall, implying a fatalistic attitude, is alarming.
Ultimately, it’s Duke who breaks through Robby’s tough exterior. While managing his own serious heart condition with mechanical metaphors, Duke confronts Robby about his emotional state. He compares the repairable damage of a minor accident to the irreversible nature of death, highlighting the importance of addressing personal regrets. Duke sees through Robby’s facade, recognizing his callousness as a shield against fear. As Robby plans to escape his problems rather than face them, Duke provides the guidance Robby desperately needs.
“That’s not riding,” Duke warns Robby. “That’s running. Is that the lesson you want to leave these young doctors with?”
Robby’s impact on others is evident throughout. When he chides Victoria Javadi for using company time to create content, she stands her ground, demonstrating the confidence he’s helped her develop since the series’ inception. Similarly, Whitaker, who steps into Langdon’s former mentorship role under Robby, refuses to be belittled. Though Langdon may assign nicknames during their grueling shifts, Whitaker asserts his status as a capable doctor, rejecting any diminutive comparisons to a mere sidekick.
Rather than yell at the medics who damaged his ride, Robby publicly calls out a different pair of EMTs, who threatened a woman’s life by misplacing the EKG leads on her chest. Worry over patient modesty and partial nudity should not supplant careworkers’ lifesaving goals. Dr. Al-Hashimi thanks him for imparting this lesson. She also asks for his medical advice. (“I’ve come to respect your opinion.”) The feeling is mutual between the senior attendings, who certainly butted heads philosophically during their long concurrent shift, but have never questioned any professional competency in the other. Dr. Al shows Robby into a trauma bay, where a medical chart awaits, and closes the door.
“History of seizure disorder…35 years after childhood viral meningitis…” Robby is reading the medical information when he trails off. His fellow senior attending is showing him the answer to his questions, and ours, over her dissociative spells. She is not standing around waiting for him to leave, just so she can take over his emergency department. She is honestly asking for help from a peer she respects. She wants him to pause his radical self-examination and doctor the fuck up.
“Baran,” he asks the incoming attending with care. “Is this you?”
Nurse’s Desk for Season 2 Episode 14 of The Pitt (“8:00PM”):
- Noah Wyle wrote this episode of The Pitt, so we wonder if he inserted its many specific, age-appropriate references. Rumble Fish. Clue. Fucking Styx! Maybe Wyle was rocking “Come Sail Away” while writing scripts.
- Dayshifters are departing, but we’ve still got Santos, Mel, and McKay on digitization of paper patient charts. Whitaker’s helping, too, though he’s also hunting for the newly-issued doctor’s badge he lost.
- We didn’t see the content “Dr. J” was making. But it involved telling her followers to be aware of ICE, to stay safe and support each other. McKay also tells Robby to go easy on the social media disparagement. She highlights that Javadi’s TikToks are not a waste of time or even a HIPAA violation, but “actually cool, like bad-ass self-care.”
- We looked for a pin, and can find no listing for a real-life “Zazu’s Sports Bar” in the Pittsburgh area. But in this ep, the two Rolling Rock enthusiasts who stabbed each other at the bar with tabletop American flags certainly add some shouty static to the ED. Surgery? “Just pull it out, man.” Nah dude.
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.