The Pitt: Series Review
The Pitt is a new medical show that recently came out with its final episode on HBO. The show follows Dr Michael “Robby” Robinavich through a 15-hour shift in Pittsburgh Hospital’s Emergency Room. Each episode is one hour long, with fifteen episodes of the season representing the 15-hour shift the doctors must endure. The show also touches on topics of PTSD and the mistreatment of workers in the medical field. Critics have dubbed The Pitt the most accurate medical show ever created, and praise the show for helping bring light to the challenges healthcare workers face, as well as doing them justice with scenes that show striking medical accuracy.
In a world of Chicago Meds and Grey’s Anatomy, The Pitt is a breath of fresh air from the drama that plagues other medical shows. While still dramatic at times, The Pitt displays the real-life experiences that occur in the ER. Instead of two brand new medical students hooking up in the break room on their first day, the residents in The Pitt have to deal with disagreements among coworkers while still having to collaborate in order to save a patient’s life. The Pitt also depicts the effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on healthcare workers; Dr. Robby lost his mentor during the pandemic and struggles with flashbacks of his death throughout the episode. This reality is especially important to represent because studies now show that over half of the healthcare workers who worked during the pandemic exhibit symptoms of PTSD.
Not only does The Pitt display the effects the pandemic had on healthcare workers, but it also discusses the mistreatment of nurses in the healthcare system. Head nurse Dana Evansholds holds the whole ER together like glue, assisting doctors and nurses alike when someone needs help, and making sure everyone is where they need to be to ensure the department runs smoothly. Despite the extraordinary work she does, Dana and many of the other nurses are treated awfully by many of the patients; one man even goes as far as to punch Dana because he is not being admitted into the hospital fast enough. This assault causes Dana to confide in Robby that she wants to quit her job. Burnout in healthcare workers, especially nurses, is becoming increasingly common as the mistreatment of nurses continues to escalate. The Pitt does an excellent job of capturing this and bringing awareness to the situation surrounding nursing in the United States.
The Pitt also brings up real-world problems that we as a country are facing today. The show features a college student who dies of an overdose, which highlights the drug crisis in America and how anyone can be affected by it. A mass casualty event also occurs towards the end of the season, raising important questions about gun violence in a time when firearms are one of the leading causes of death in the country. The Pitt also exhibits strong medical accuracy; doctors agree that the show has done a better job at depicting the life of an ER doctor than any other medical drama. I believe that it was a genius choice to make the episodes as long as the shift of the doctors; as the audience watches the show, they experience how long a real doctor’s shift would be in real time. There are no time jumps, and it is honestly shocking how much can happen over a single hour. I think this choice brings about even more awareness of how grueling a single hospital shift can be, and it was one of my favorite choices of the entire show.
The Pitt shows the real problems the American healthcare system faces and brings awareness to issues that surround both the medical world and our daily lives. This show is truly the high-quality television we’ve all been waiting for. The Pitt masterfully manages to “keep it real” while still developing an intriguing storyline. Even if you aren’t fully into medical shows, I would still highly recommend watching it for both awareness purposes and entertainment, because this show is a true 10/10.