Warning: This review contains full spoilers for The Pitt Season 2, Episode 4!
The ending to last week’s episode of The Pitt suggested the good times are just about over and everything is about to turn very bleak again for the men and women of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. That said, Episode 4 doesn’t end up delivering quite the tonal upheaval I was expecting. The tension is mounting, to be sure, but it’s clear the series is still operating under a slow-burn approach. And so far, that approach is working just fine.
There’s definitely an increased sense of urgency in Episode 4 as more patients start rolling in, including a pretty gnarly case of parkour gone awry. But again, the writers clearly aren’t turning the dial up to 11. There’s still ample time for the situation to really spiral out of control. Instead, we get a sense that the day is starting to heat up even as this episode manages to cling to the humor and heart that have defined Season 2 so far.
Ernest Harden Jr.’s Louie is probably the best example of that balance in action. We get some nice, heartfelt scenes between Louie and his caretakers, including further bonding with Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball). But as charming as Louie is, underneath it all, there’s a nagging and growing sense that something is about to go wrong. Is Louie’s luck about to run out? Is there some unforeseen complication that’s about to rear its head? I fear the answers to both questions are a definite yes. That, along with a handful of other cases like the ongoing mystery of Jackson Davis (Zack Morris), provides this episode with all the drama it needs.
If it seemed that Episode 3 wasn’t giving enough focus to the doctors, that’s not an issue this time around. This installment manages to keep a great many plates spinning and gives us valuable time with most of the big players. In particular, we get some solid scenes involving the newbies, Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson), Kwon (Irene Choi), and Nurse Nolan (Laëtitia Hollard). Ogilvie has quickly become the guy we all love to hate, so it’s nice to see him knocked down a peg when his overeagerness endangers a patient’s life. Meanwhile, Kwon’s minor injury and Nolan’s bungled attempt to draw blood remind us that this series really does have a sly sense of humor when it wants.
And if it feels like Langdon still isn’t receiving quite as much focus as he deserves, at least Episode 4 makes it clear that this is by design. Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) is purposely (and perhaps foolishly) keeping him at arm’s length, pushing off that inevitable reconciliation scene we all know is coming. Gotta clear the air before the big sabbatical.
Some other, more lighthearted moments really stood out this week. It’s fun seeing Dr. McKay (Fiona Dourif) catch a break after some of the drama she endured in Season 1, fending off one flirtatious charmer of a patient and forming a connection with another. It’s also hilarious to learn that Javadi (Shabana Azeez) has been moonlighting as a YouTube advisor named “Dr. J.” Hopefully, we get to see a clip or two of her show before the season is up. Finally, it’s interesting to watch the shift in the tenor of the relationship between Drs. Whitaker (Gerran Howell) and Santos (Isa Briones), now that the former’s stock is on the rise and the latter can’t seem to catch a break. Is Santos next up for an on-the-job emotional breakdown?
