Reel Review: The Pitt Details What Healthcare Professionals Go Through in Real Time
Medical dramas are a staple for cable television, and now they’ve infiltrated the world of streaming. The Pitt premiered on Max with a fresh take on the medical drama genre and structure. Instead of following a case or two through each episode, The Pitt depicts the real time experience of nurses and doctors in the emergency room. An hour in the show is an hour in real life, allowing viewers to experience what working a shift in the ER is really like. Across the fifteen episode series, the actors depict what a true fifteen hour shift entails including limited breaks, a variety of medical cases, and the dynamic of interns learning in a fast pace and high pressure environment.
Noah Wyle leads the series as the departments head doctor, keeping a calm outer shell but is clearly under pressure. Navigating the overcrowded emergency room set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is no small feat. He has a team of nurses, interns, and residents all helping him keep things moving all while administering proper care. While many medical dramas focus heavily on the medical professional’s personal lives, this series is strictly professional. What you see is what you get and while minor details about each character’s past is revealed, the job at hand is always the main focus.
The first episode starts at seven in the morning, the beginning of a fifteen hour shift, along with the introduction of a new set of interns. After some quick introductions, the interns are put to work. The diverse group features an overly confident and blunt student, a doctor’s daughter set on proving she isn’t a product of nepotism, a student loan drowning man who seems to be constantly changing scrubs, and a woman with difficulties reading emotions and deescalating stressful situations. Each of the newcomers have strengths and weaknesses that bring unique perspectives to each case.
Without harping on the concept of the Covid 19 epidemic, this show details how that experience shaped and effected healthcare workers. While many of us can leave our houses now with very few reminders of that time, these professionals have to clock in and work in the environment that was so devastating and mentally taxing. These professionals are constantly reliving that period of their lives long past other’s experience.
The Pitt details all of the challenges that healthcare professionals go through on a daily basis. The chaotic nature of the show is as gripping as it is realistic. By following a real time structure, this series portrays a realistic and empathetic view of what healthcare professionals go through on a daily basis. The next time you step foot into an emergency room, remember that people are there to do their jobs and treat you the best they can, no matter the circumstances. Bouncing from case to case is stressful enough, let alone with the constant pressure of giving the best care while professionals balance taking care of themselves.
The Pitt is streaming on Max.
