Diksha Sundriyal
The second season of HBO Max’s ‘The Pitt’ follows another trying day at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, as Dr. Robby and his team get all hands on deck. It being the Fourth of July weekend, the Pitt already has a lot on its hands, and a few hours into their shift, it turns out that Westbridge Hospital’s system has broken down due to unknown reasons, which means more traffic is flowing into the Pitt. If things hadn’t been chaotic already, they become so as more patients start to flow in. On top of it, the doctors also have personal and professional issues that need to be sorted out to break the tension. At the end of the fifth episode, an unexpected turn takes place for a familiar patient, leading to a heartbreaking sixth episode. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Louie Succumbs to His Illness in The Pitt Season 2
‘The Pitt’ majorly follows the stories of the doctors and nurses at the PTMC, while the patients come and go. Most patients leave for good, but some return later in the day because their situation worsens due to one reason or another. So far, Louie is the only patient who has returned for both seasons, and it becomes clear that he is one of the “frequent fliers” at the hospital. His excessive drinking is the main source of his health troubles, and while he is told, time and again, to reduce it, if not quit, he never makes any promises he doesn’t intend to keep. Still, he remains a lovable figure, and the staff is particularly attentive towards him because they like him.
While it is great to see Louie again in the second season, it also highlights the problem of his repeated returns to the hospital, which points towards a bigger issue. It shows that he is not taking care of himself, and his body will eventually give up, which is exactly what happens. He comes into the hospital with a toothache, but before treating that, the doctors have to drain the fluid in his belly. The first couple of episodes focus on these issues, as Louie continues to be his friendly self. He is also so familiar with the draining process by now that he can actually train the new interns in the process. While both his issues are treated, no one realizes that things are much worse than they appear.
After Whitaker has treated Louie, he is left alone, while the doctors and nurses tend to other patients. When Langdon finds time, he decides to quickly check in with him, which is when he finds him unconscious and unresponsive. At the same time, Robby comes around and, realising what has happened, he immediately jumps on reviving Louie. This is where the fifth episode ends, and the sixth episode begins with Robby, Langdon, Perlah, and others desperately trying to find a way to revive Louie. After a lot of time and effort, it becomes clear that the patient is already gone. Later, Dana tells Emma that he passed away due to “pulmonary hemorrhage from liver failure,” showing that his excessive drinking finally took the toll that he had always been warned about.
Louie’s Death Marks the Departure of Ernest Harden Jr. From The Pitt
Ernest Harden Jr. plays Louie in the first and second season of ‘The Pitt,’ and became a fan favorite for his portrayal of a warm and deeply lovable character. The actor brings a sense of calm in an another chaotic atmosphere of the Pitt, and despite his health troubles, he is never irritant or pessmisstic, at least not in front of the staff. His death marks an emotional moment, particularly for Langdon, with whom he had developed an unlikely friend, and Whitaker and Perlah, both of whom had treated him enough times by now, and were attached to him, even if they didn’t know anything about his personal life.
Louie’s loss also hits harder because we know that ‘The Pitt’ is so constrained within its format that it has no time to indulge in flashbacks or other ways to bring characters back. Still, at least for the remainder of the second season, Louie’s name will continue to float around as staff members like Langdon, Whitaker and Perlah, will come to terms with their grief and reflecting on their own life through the lens of Louie’s fate. Either way, this is the last we have seen of Louie, and from the way he’d won the audience’s hearts, Ernest Harden Jr. will be sorely missed.
Read More: What Happened to Dr. Heather Collins? Did Tracy Ifeachor Leave The Pitt?
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