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Warning: This review contains full spoilers for The Pitt Season 2, Episode 9!
Considering that The Pitt Season 2 is set on the Fourth of July in a major American metropolis, it’s pretty amazing that we’ve made it this far before seeing a grisly fireworks accident in the ER. But here we have an episode that opens with a firework-induced maiming and closes with the promise of many waterslide-related injuries. Summer is in full swing on The Pitt, and the show definitely isn’t hurting as a result.
Episode 9 is one where the medical cases definitely trump the interpersonal character drama. When it comes to the latter, “3:00 PM” mainly focuses on Mel’s (Taylor Dearden) impending meltdown over her deposition, a situation only intensified by the fact that her sister (Tal Anderson) has shown up out of the blue, complaining of stomach pain. It’s nice to see an increased focus on Mel for a change, especially because I’m assuming she’ll be dropping out of the picture for an episode or two while the deposition plays out.
Other than that, this episode mainly focuses on Santos (Isa Briones) on the character drama front, with the reveal that she appears to be casually dating Garcia (Alexandra Metz). This latest little plot twist (though technically the series hinted as much before) didn’t do a whole lot for me, as it seems like the series already has enough going on vis-à-vis Santos without getting into her love life. But maybe it’ll pay off in the end, as the character clearly seems to be heading toward a bigger emotional meltdown in the hours to come.
It should probably be pointed out that this episode marks the first time Season 2 has tried to show us a somewhat more sympathetic side to Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson). We get a brief scene where it becomes clear he has major daddy issues that are probably tied to his obnoxious overachiever side. It’s something, I suppose, but it’s going to take a lot more effort to drag this frustratingly unlikable character out of the hole Season 2 has dug for him.
Again, this episode keeps the focus mainly on the medical side of things, with the fireworks accident being just one of several intriguing cases playing out. This case is quickly turning into one of the more compelling of the season so far, too. Not only do you have a child struggling with the realization they’ve just maimed themselves for life, but you have the deeper issue of his family situation and the uphill battle his sister (Sasha Compere) is fighting to keep him in a stable home and in the US. It’s nice to see another subplot that digs into the current political climate a bit, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing how this storyline plays out.
Also welcome is another appearance of Dr. Abbot (Shawn Hatosy, who also directed this episode) and his patient Howard (Craig Ricci Shaynak). This case takes on a new sense of urgency as it becomes clear that Howard’s options are either imminent death or emergency surgery with a 50% mortality rate. A lot of credit goes to Shaynak for managing such an emotional performance while having tubes attached to his face and only being able to “speak” through a computer assistant. This is another gripping case I’m eager to see unfold over the next several episodes. It’s just a shame that Abbot seems to be bowing out until his inevitable return in the endgame of Season 2.
Through it all, Episode 9 manages to retain some of the humor that’s characterized Season 2 so far. We get a silly little subplot involving Princess (Kristin Villanueva) and other nurses fawning over the X-ray technician (Adam Shaukat). We also see the debut of an entertaining new character in Monica Peters (Rusty Schwimmer), a forcibly retired nurse who’s only too happy to return to the ER in its current, digital-free state. Monica is clearly cut from the same no-nonsense cloth as Dana (Kathryn LaNasa), so she should be a memorable addition to the mix in the coming episodes.
