This article discusses a fictional mass shooting, drug misuse, and suicide.
Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Pitt season 1.The finale ofThe Pittseason 1 saw the doctors and nurses of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center finally get a chance to slow down, but it didn’t hold back on its emotional storylines. Since the show began,every character inThe Pitthas been put through the proverbial wringer, and the season finale was no different.Dr. McKay’s (Fiona Dourif) ankle monitormishap was sorted out in short fashion, but she and Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) still had to deal with David not being thereal shooter inThe Pitt. The other doctors also had their own problems to deal with, such as Langdon (Patrick Ball) and his drug misuse.
As the doctors' and nurses' shifts finally got to end,The Pittstarted bringing many of its most emotional storylines to a head. Dr. Santos (Isa Briones) revealed a heartbreaking detail of her past, Whitaker (Gerran Howell) revealed that he’s functionally homeless, Dr. King (Taylor Dearden) finally picked up her sister, and more. WhileThe Pittseason 2 has been confirmed, there were still quite a few loose ends left by the season finale. Some ofThe Pittseason 1’s most important storylines are still worth digging deeper into before the next season comes out.
How Abbott Gets Robby Off The Roof Of The Hospital & The Deeper Meaning Of Their Scene
Abbott Showed Robby That He Wasn’t Alone & Could Share His Burdens With Loved Ones
One of the biggest moments inThe Pittepisode 15 came when Dr. Robby went to the roof of the hospital because he was considering suicide. Robby’s mental health deteriorated significantly over his 15-hour shift, and the finale was the tail-end of that spiral.After dealing with difficult patients, the anniversary of Dr. Adamson, the deluge of victims after the PittFest shooting, and the death of Leah (Sloan Mannino), Jake’s (Taj Speights) girlfriend, Robby crashed. He was completely overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted, and if Dr. Abbott (Shawn Hatosy) hadn’t been there, Robby may have jumped.
Abbott did a good job of talking Robby down from the proverbial and literal ledge, but it wasn’t really what he said that calmed Robby down. In fact, Abbott’s words actually annoyed Robby, a fact he even mentioned.What really helped Robby was Abbott’s mere presence: it proved that Robby didn’t have to bear all his burdens alone and that there were other people out there who understood exactly what he was going through. Abbott did startThe Pittlooking over the exact same ledge, after all, so he had a very good idea of what was going on in Robby’s head.
The Pitt very clearly states, through Robby, that we need loved ones to lean on when our burdens get too heavy to carry alone.
Most of Robby’s mental health problems throughout this shift stemmed from the fact that he was trying to handle them alone. He refused to tell anyone how much Dr. Adamson’s death was affecting him, he refused to talk about the emotional impact of losing Leah, and he refused help from the people who were worried about him. The only time Robby’s mental health improved was when he let Abbott in and had a moment to unwind with everyone else at the park.The Pittvery clearly states, through Robby, that we need loved ones to lean on when our burdens get too heavy to carry alone.
Is Dana Really Quitting After The Pitt Season 1?
The PittFest Shooting Seems To Have Been Dana’s Last Straw
Another big development in the season finale ofThe Pittcentered around Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa). Dana had been considering quitting her job as a charge nurse ever since she was punched in the face by an angry patient, and the PittFest shooting didn’t help.It seems like Dana really is going to quit afterThe Pittseason 1. She took down all her pictures from her work station, had a quiet moment of reflection, and seemed like she was ready to say goodbye to PTMC. After years of both literal and figurative abuse, Dana finally had enough.
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There’s a chance she will come back to work, butThe Pittalso may be using Dana to show how burnout can get to even the most hardened veterans of healthcare. A major motif ofThe Pitthas been the phrase “physician, heal thyself.” Dana even said the phrase to Robby earlier in their shift.If Dana really does quit, she’ll be proof of somethingThe Pitthas said all along: healthcare workers need to take care of themselves just as much as they need to take care of others. For Dana, that means leaving the stress and tragedy of PTMC behind.
How Each Of The Doctors Handled The Aftermath Of The PittFest Shooting
Everyone Processed The Stress & Grief Differently In The Pitt
As the medical cases inThe Pittwound down, the show took a closer look at how each of its main characters were handling the PittFest shooting.Some of the doctors, like Dr. Whitaker, Dr. McKay, and Dr. King, mostly took the mass casualty event in stride and finished out their shifts with relative ease. Others, like Dr. Mohan and Dr. Javadi, crashed fairly hard. Javadi mentioned - in a mostly hyperbolic fashion - that she may have been turned off from practicing medicine, while Mohan had a big adrenaline crash and a tearful moment in the bathroom.
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A few of the doctors had more interesting responses.Dr. Langdon didn’t seem phased by PittFest in the slightest, and he was still only concerned with convincing Robby not to report him and preserving his medical license. Dr. Santos actually seemed to grow from dealing with the shooting victims, and it may have even inspired a very surprising bit of generosity from her. Everyone inThe Pitt, however, had to deal with the massive emotional trauma of PittFest in their own way.
Why Santos Offers Her Spare Room To Whitaker In The Pitt Season 1 Finale
Santos Is Secretly A Caring & Compassionate Person Who Wanted To Help Someone In Need
One of the most surprising parts ofThe Pittseason 1 finale came from Dr. Santos. After following Whitaker after their shift, Santos discovered that he was living in an empty room in the hospital, and she quickly realized he was technically homeless. In an almost unprecedented gesture of generosity,Santos offered to let Whitaker live in her spare room without paying rent. It was rather surprising, especially considering how ornery Santos has been all season and how much grief she’s given Whitfield, but it wasn’t completely out of character.
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Santos has a very tough exterior and generally comes across as an ambitious and mean person. That’s not her whole story, however, as she has proven herself to be a very caring and compassionate person deep down. Santos has, on several occasions, shown that she is always looking out for people who are struggling. She did so with the little girl who was being groomed by her father, with the suicidal man she treated in the finale ofThe Pitt, and finally, with Whitaker. Simply put,Santos helped Whitaker because she saw he was in need and wanted to help.
Why The Pitt Season 1 Left So Many Stories Unresolved & How It Sets Up Season 2
The Pitt Shows That Not Every Problem Has An Immediate Or Easy Solution, But Season 2 Can Revisit Some Of Them
The Pittleft a huge number of stories unfinished, from Langdon’s drug misuse to McKay’s ankle monitor and Jake’s grief-fueled outburst at Robby. Season 2 will have a chance to revisit a lot of those plots, particularly Jake and Robby’s relationship, but it’s still odd thatThe Pittchose to leave so many different stories open-ended.The most straightforward reason is thatThe Pitttakes place over just 15 hours, which isn’t enough time to resolve all of its emotionally-charged stories naturally. Jake, for example, isn’t going to forgive Robby for Leah’s death mere hours after the fact, butThe Pittseason 1 ended when Robby’s shift did.
Jake, for example, isn’t going to forgive Robby for Leah’s death mere hours after the fact, but The Pitt season 1 ended when Robby’s shift did.
There’s also a chance thatThe Pittspecifically chose not to see these stories through to their conclusion for two other reasons. On one hand,The Pittmay have been trying to show that some problems don’t have clear or easy solutions, and even doctors have to accept that they can’t fix everything. Robby is a man who’s used to taking problems in the ER head on and developing a clear plan to fix them. His relationship with Jake isn’t nearly as straightforward, and he still has to learn when to take a step back and be patient.
On the other hand,The Pittis almost certainly leaving some story options open for its second season. SinceThe Pittseason 2 takes place eight months later, it will likely give Robby and Jake a chance to reconnect when Leah’s death isn’t as visceral as it currently is.That will also give other characters a chance to develop their stories offscreen: Langdon may be in recovery by then, McKay may be off probation, and Dana may decide to come back to the hospital. There’s still plenty of room in these stories for multiple seasons ofThe Pittto expand upon.
The Real Meaning Of The Pitt Season 1’s Ending
The Pitt Is A Thank You To Healthcare Workers & Shows That Even The Worst Days Will Also Pass
After fifteen episodes,The Pitthas covered a huge amount of ground. It touched on everything from the fentanyl crisis to racism in the emergency room and the nationwide nursing shortage, but its coverage of hot-button issues didn’t replace its more fundamental messages.The Pittis, at its most fundamental level, an ode and a thank-you to healthcare workers, especially in emergency medicine. The entire show was dedicated to chronicling the trials and tragedies healers face every day, and giving its viewers a better understanding of how much they sacrifice to save lives.
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The Pittdoesn’t just thank healthcare workers, however, it also has a very important lesson for them. Once again, the phrase “physician, heal thyself” proves important.The Pittis a reminder that to truly help others and save lives, healthcare workers have to take care of themselves first. For example, Robby couldn’t help anyone while he was having a mental health crisis, and Dana’s burnout means she probably won’t be in the healthcare field at all anymore.The Pittfirmly believes that healthcare workers are superheroes, but it also believes that even superheroes need to take a break.
The Pitt firmly believes that healthcare workers are superheroes, but it also believes that even superheroes need to take a break.
More broadly,The Pittalso has some lessons about mental health that anyone can benefit from.Through Robby and even David Saunders (Jackson Kelly),The Pittshows the importance of human connection and sharing your struggles with friends and family. In isolation, mental health problems fester, and they can get on top of anyone. If David had someone he could talk to earlier, he would never have even been singled out as a suspect. Likewise, if Robby had accepted his friends' help, he might not have had his breakdown and suicidal thoughts.
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Perhaps the most fundamental and broad theme ofThe Pittis the ancient adage “This too shall pass.” The doctors and nurses of PTMC had an unimaginably awful day dealing with the PittFest shooting. Each of them will carry it with them for the rest of their lives. But as Santos said, life gets better. As Robby said, tomorrow is another day. There will always be new challenges and tragedies for healthcare workers and for the rest of us, but they won’t be permanent, and there will be just as many joyous moments, too. In this way,The Pittfound a very hopeful note to end on.
