The Pitt goes analog under threat of a cyberattack and it looks…kinda like old school E.R.
Missed a review? Episode 2.01 / 2.02 / 2.03 / 2.04 / 2.05 / 2.06 / 2.07
Paper and white boards are the new normal in a chaotic episode that does an admirable job of balancing the old school methods with human-driven cases. In addition to concluding the examination of rape survivor Ilana (Tina Ivlev) by charge nurse Dana (Katherine LaNasa) and Emma (Laetitia Hollard), there’s an obese patient – Howard Knox (Craig Ricci Shaynak) – whose size complicates his diagnosis.
These two patients form the crux of the emotional storylines, but together they work to confirm a central tenant of most hospital narratives: that every patient deserves respect and dignity.
I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t want to punch Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson) for his repeated tone-deaf and fat-phobic comments about Knox’s weight. It’s proof of how effective the character is (and credit to Iverson’s acting) that I seethe every time the character opens his mouth; he’s so frustrating because he only sees the cases/diseases, and not the people suffering from them.
It’s manipulative in all of the right ways, particularly when Ogilvie is gently (but correctly) ordered by McKay (Fiona Dourif) to stop making comments in the elevator later. It’s what we’ve all been thinking about the fourth year student. He’s gruff bedside manner also acts as a great contrast to Javadi (Shabana Azeez), who shares a similar “over archiever” mentality. The difference is that Javadi has a great deal of empathy for her patients (see: her ongoing treatment of College student Jackson). In this episode alone, her simple statement that the boy’s parents focus less on curing his schizophrenia/bipolar diagnosis and prioritize his happiness is so different compared to Ogilvie.
Other Observations:
- The switch to analog isn’t as disastrous as it seemed in last week’s cliffhanger, but the extended explanation about procedures, which involves clipboards, specific pens, stickers, etc is completely overwhelming nonetheless. The fact that everyone just rolls with it is truly impressive, though the show seems to suggest that there’s no alternative. The show must go on!
- Shout-out to my favourite character Joy (Irene Choi), who has a photographic memory (naturally) and easily manages to replicate the board when Whitaker (Gerran Howell)’s pictures come out blurry and useless.
- Gotta love that final scene when director John Cameron simply trains the camera on the chaos – without the advent of fancy TV editing – to reinforce how chaotic the analog system is. “How are we gonna get through this?” Robby and Dana ask themselves. Indeed.
- Pretty much every time we cut back to Dana and Ilana, I began tearing up. Even as the examination winds down, Ilana’s clear desperation to be done reinforces how invasive this has been. Still, there’s something incredibly impactful when Ilana remarks that she was glad Dana was working that day, which the charge nurse agrees to. Tears. Hot, salty tears, folks
- Also: these moments go a long way to justifying Dana’s righteous rage when she discovers a week old rape kit in the fridge (they’re meant to be collected by police within 72 hours). Call those motherf*ckers out, Dana!
- It’s a credit to Princess (Kristin Villanueva) that she keeps the ER afloat while Dana is away, but the charge nurse may only have been half joking when she notes everyone would be curled up “in the fetal position” if she weren’t there that day.
- Just like Ilana’s comment, it’s hard not to be affected by Howard’s kindness as he expresses thanks for the care he receives from Robby (Noah Wyle), McKay and Whitaker. Yes, at 474 lbs, he’s a big guy, but he’s also just a person who needs medical attention.
- The only aspect of the story I dislike is the suggestion that Dr. Abbot (Shawn Hatosy) may be sitting out the next few hours while he rides with Howard to another hospital to use the larger CT. Boooo
- The drunk girl with the tongue laceration (Jackie with the CK) is mostly played for laughs because she’s so out of it, but there’s a nice underlying tension between Santos (Isa Briones) and Langdon (Patrick Ball) having to work together on the case after the events of S01.
- Ditto Javadi and Oglivie on the “margarita burn” case. Unrelated, but the *enormous* pustules being the result of juicing limes in the hot sun confirms that I am never making margs outdoors again, apparently.
- We get some extra info on Mel (Taylor Dearden)‘s deposition, courtesy of Dr. Ellis (Ayesha Harris). Apparently the case involves a spinal tap on a boy with measles, which was routine, but went sideways. It’ll be curious to see how this develops moving forward.
- Best exchange: “This is the dark ages” Ogilvie says before Abbot quips that the experience is a replica of his internship. “Charts were written by candlelight” he jokes.
- McKay’s reminder to Langdon that she’s nine years sober and his “one day at a time” strategy is exactly how to cope with addiction is another great moment. It was only when it was done that I reflected that these two characters haven’t interacted a ton.
- Finally, we don’t get any new info on Dr. Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi)’s request for emergency therapy, so that’s another storyline to keep an eye out for moving forward.
The Pitt airs Thursdays on HBO Max
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