Why The Pitt May Be The Best Show (Not) On TV Right Now

The Pitt season 2 is coming – and thank god for that.

The HBO Max medical drama swept the Emmys last week, after being nominated for 13 awards and winning three including big hitter Outstanding Drama Series.

Noah Wyle also took home the award for Outstanding Actor In A Drama Series, while co-star Katherine LaNasa was awarded for her role in the show.

For those of us living on the other side of the pond, the wins may have come as a surprise. What was this hospital drama that absolutely dominated the awards show, beating out major contenders like Severance, The Last of Us, and White Lotus?

Who were these actors winning big for their roles in a TV show that, on the surface, appears no different than any of the other countless medical dramas we’ve seen over the years?

Just what was The Pitt, and why was it so good?

Well, after bingeing the entire series over the past week, I can confirm that The Pitt is very good. Well, actually, it’s far better than very good, it’s maybe the best show that’s been on TV in a long time.

The series isn’t just your standard medical drama – it’s a feat in storytelling, an examination of the psyche of the ER doctor, a study on the horrible things that happen to regular people, and what exactly keeps them going.

Set over the course of one day in a Pittsburgh emergency room, The Pitt follows Dr Robby (played by Wyle), an attending still grieving the loss of his friend and mentor, who passed away from Covid four years ago to the day.

Each episode covers an hour in the ER as the doctors work on a consistent conveyor belt of patients syphoned in from the chaotic waiting room outside, or rushed to the hospital after a mass disaster event.

The injuries can be shocking, the conditions presented one after the other oftentimes improbable, but they’re telling a story of a wider experience: one dominated by threat and misinformation and far right ideologies.

In some ways, everything wrong with America is in that emergency room. But for all of its danger, frustration, and tragedy, there is sensitivity and hope – most notably delivered by the doctors who are doing their best to help against every single odd.

The Pitt season 2 is coming soon – and while we still have to wait a few months for it to drop onto US screens, we do have a good idea as to what the series will cover.

Set over the course of a shift on Fourth of July weekend, season 2 takes place 1o months after the events of season 1… and a lot has changed in the hospital.

Dr Langdon has spent that time in rehab to treat his drug addiction, a new attending will join the ER, and of course, Dr Robby will be there to lead the crew with his expertise and general good doctor vibe.

We don’t know exactly what the team will be dealing with in this upcoming season, but given the time of year we can surely expect intoxication, firework related injuries, and a whole lot of drama.

Here’s hoping the series will land on Irish screens sometime soon, so we can all get acquainted with TV at its best.