What's The Point...of Watching The Pitt?
Another medical show…do we really need more of them? There are hundreds of them out there, some that are comedic, some which focus more on workplace romances then cases, and some which base characters on fictional detectives like Sherlock Holmes, and call it a medical show.
So what does The Pitt have to offer that is so different? I mean, sure it has won five Emmys but is it really that great?
Well…kind of.
Here are all the reasons why THE PITT is a little different from the other medical shows.
1) No Time for Romance: Unlike other medical shows where romance tales precedence over fictional patients’ lives, The Pitt focuses on how many patients are taken care of in a span of an hour. There are no random hookups, no blushing interns, and the janitor’s closet is used by the janitor.
2) The entire season is based on a day: Other shows have done it but not many medical shows. The show highlights the busy lives of doctors and how much pressure they are in a single hour to the point that they can’t even take proper bathroom breaks or even sit down for lunch.
3) No Superheroes: There are no over the top “Aha!” moments. No men in capes rushing to save the day, no epiphanies in the middle of giving someone a lecture. There is no one doctor who manages to save all the patients and is called a hero.
4) The Teamwork: There may be rivalry among departments, but the ER department works in unison. They kind of have to if they intend to save lives. You don’t see interns sabotaging the other on purpose or deride them. Even if some of the doctors don’t get along, when they are working on a patient, you can see the teamwork.
5) The Nurses: Most shows barely depict the hardwork the nurses put in. They are seen as cocky and fashionable or with uppity attitudes. In The Pitt we actually get to see how nurses work as well. They are the wheels that keep everything moving. They work with the doctors, assist them in any way possible. Interestingly, we also get to see the ridicule and even violence they are subjected to, things that go unnoticed in other shows.
6) Non medical issues: The show cleverly integrates non medical issues into the story as well. We see the packed waiting rooms, the irate patients who are fed up of their healthcare system, the primary caregivers who are exhausted, and the parents’ concern over their teenage children and the substances they are exposed to. Ordinarily, putting too much into one episode would have seemed clunky and confusing. Instead, these storylines are seamlessly connected to the main story.
7) Addictions: There may be at least three patients who come in and have issues with substance abuse. But what we barely see coming is one of the doctors also dealing with these issues. Interestingly, the doctor believes he is in control of his addiction and treating his withdrawal symptoms. He isn’t showing any signs and symptoms after all. In fact, he has been able to conduct several procedures with a steady hand. But he is stealing from the patient and he is told to leave.
8) Personal Issues: Doctors are humans and of course they have their own demons to deal with. But it never takes up the majority of the storyline. We have at least two doctors who deal with severe depression, both in leadership roles. We have a doctor starting her career but also having to take care of her neurodivergent sister. Or there is the doctor who has had a restraining order filed against her and has to wear an ankle monitor which keeps malfunctioning. The doctors go through highs and lows in just one shift and it is interesting to see how each one of them evolves as the day progresses in each episode.
9) The Leadership role: In most medical shows, we see the Attending or head of the department barking orders at interns and residents. We see them sitting in their offices and putting their residents down. In The Pitt the central scene is the ER department and so the Head of the department isn’t allowed to even sit. We get to see the head actually manage the department, dealing with patients, residents speaking rudely to the interns, dealing with chief medical officers watching their every move, and then listen to the nurses complain about the lack of security.
The head is seen actually managing all of these issues, and also delivering motivational speeches when the staff has to deal with a catastrophic event.
10) Thinking on their feet: Yes, there are breakdowns aplenty, even from the one you thought couldn’t break. But their breakdowns are not played out to a popular sad song. They have their breakdowns and then get out there to save the patients.
Even when a mass casualty takes place, and they have dwindling supplies, they all work together and use the tools they have to treat patients and save lives. There is even a doctor who treats a patient while donating blood!
The Pitt was lauded for being a realistic medical drama. And it is. There are no ridiculous tropes or lengthy scenes or overly dramatic ones that include blowing up a hospital.
Hopefully the second season manages to continue on the same stream and not give in to dull romances just for the ratings and to feed the fandom.
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