The Pitt (2×11) 5:00 P.M. Review

For our review of the last episode, click here.

Employing a different strategy from the first season, instead of throwing a major crisis at the ‘Pitt’ for them to overcome and turning down the dial on character development, relying on those characters to lead the way as this second season comes to an end has proven to be the right choice. While not without drama, the performances this season have gone to another level and this latest hour is a testament to this. It was only a matter of time until the current climate to catch up and the effects are only beginning to be felt in terms of the trajectory from here on out.

Dropping the sex bomb on Mel, this was further proof that Becca was pulling further away from her twin sister. Having taken care of her most of her life, it has become Mel’s identity, but as Becca has shown signs that she could take care of herself and develop her own life without Mel, this dealt her a major blow. Weary of a life without her sister, Mel felt loss as she would have to figure out what that could look like. Leaning on her circle, Dana and Langdon found time to chime in, with the former finding the right words to cheer her up (Katherine LaNasa, Patrick Ball, and Taylor Dearden continue to deliver stellar work this season). Meanwhile, as Robby’s last shift before his sabbatical was coming to an end, he wasn’t quite ready to let go of the department. Making it seem like he didn’t care and was merely counting down the hours until he could finally leave, something had to come in the way of that (in this case, Duke and his consistently delayed tests, and Robby’s concern about his wellbeing while he would be gone), as his true emotions started to take over. Through his actions over the course of the season thus far, it is clear that there is something deeper behind his need to leave and of course the rest of the department picked up on this and expressed their concern.

Being topical, McKay introduced Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson) to an unhoused patient she had been treating outside of the hospital as part of the hospital’s street team. However, their absence going to a nearby park to meet her and administer treatment, especially during the time of crisis the department was currently in, did not sit well with Robby. And during her absence, Roxie died. Ultimately, the main event is the inevitable appearance of I.C.E., who brought in a detainee with questionable injuries. Still very much controversial, their appearance would generate plenty of internal debate amongst the staff about whether or not they should be there but, above all else, their presence of the hospital did not go unnoticed by certain members of the staff and patients in the waiting room who did not dare hang around in case they would find themselves also detained. Trying to diffuse an altercation between two fed up I.C.E. agents and the female detainee they brough in, as they wanted to take her back to detention before she was medically cleared, longtime Nurse Jesse Van Horn (Ned Brower) found himself arrested.

The moment viewers have been waiting for all season has finally arrived. Avoiding him for as long as she could, Santos and Langdon had to eventually work together. Getting amends from most of the staff, convincing them that after going away for 10 months to go to rehab and take of himself, he had changed, Santos remained unconvinced. However, the two share a different relationship with her being the one who turned him in for stealing drugs from the department. Essentially escaping any jail time for his actions, he fared quite well, though only a few people in the department know what Langdon really did. Laying it on about how tough his life has been in his time away, Santos did not particularly care about whatever he went through and, showing impressive restraint, the only thing that would get her to forgive him was to confess to stealing drugs. Another winning scene for Patrick Ball, Isa Briones could also hold her own when she has to.

On the other hand, a few cases jumped out here. First, a seemingly mentally ill mother absently leaving her son in a hot car for an undetermined amount of time. Having the presence of mind to go to the emergency room, she was not all there, somehow wandering into traffic before being saved from getting hit by a truck by Al-Hashimi. But the real tension would once again come when Nurse Emma Nolan (Laetitia Hollard), whose already had a rough first day, was part of yet another incident when she found herself in a headlock by an alcohol and cocaine-riddled golfer coming out of sedation at just the wrong time for her. A series known for abrupt cliffhangers, the outcome of this incident will have to wait until next episode.

still courtesy of HBO Max

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.