Upamanyu Biswas
After a long, grueling, and exhausting shift, the daytime doctors at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center get a well-deserved break in the final episode of ‘The Pitt‘ season 1, titled ‘9:00 P.M.’ However, their last hour is marked with a variety of incidents that loosely tie up any open ends to the day’s events while leaving our main characters in a completely changed spot, particularly from an emotional and mental standpoint. Matters came to a serious head over the last few episodes because of the Pittfest massacre and the warzone-like atmosphere surrounding the PTMC and its emergency doctors, who had to show their resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. However, it is only the beginning of the journey for some.
The previous episode ended with Dr. McKay being arrested by two police officers, a direct consequence of her tampering with her ankle monitor during the Pittfest shooting incident, which enabled her to contribute as a doctor. We also saw Robby in a different light as the pressures of his job and the stress of the day started to take a toll on his demeanor and ability to micromanage situations effortlessly. Therefore, it comes as a pleasant surprise as the season wraps up in a relatively stress-free but poignant manner as the main characters take the time to reflect on their day’s work and what lies ahead in their future. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Pitt Season 1 Episode 15 Recap
The episode starts with Robby being alerted about McKay’s arrest in the front lobby. Although the cops are unwilling to budge, Robby manages to enlist the help of Officer Harrelson, whose team witnessed McKay saving lives during the Pittfest rush and who helps free the doctor temporarily. Eventually, Gloria checks up on the situation with Robby and Abbott, asking the former to hand over all the daytime duties to the night-shift doctors. Elsewhere, the doctors still continue to face trouble convincing the mother of Flynn Edwards, the measles patient who was brought in during the last episode, to allow them to perform a spinal tap on the boy to ensure he is not at risk of dying. Frustrated by the parents, Robby takes Flynn’s dad to the morgue to show him an example of what might happen to his son if the doctors are not allowed to help.
Meanwhile, Santos and Ellis talk about some of their previous cases, while Dr. Mohan seems to be in a rush to find more at-risk patients. The latter’s personal life comes into question as McKay and Ellis both inform her that she should have a handle on her career and maintain a strict line between work and privacy. Later, we see her break down in the toilet as she comes down from her high and cries uncontrollably in front of the mirror. With the chaos of the Pittfest massacre far behind, Langdon also sees the perfect opportunity to make his case to Robby as he asks the senior attendee not to report his malpractice. Robby is flabbergasted by Langdon’s brash attitude, promising nothing. Langdon also flags Dana to ask her about any rumors surrounding him and if she can vouch for him later.
Although Langdon has his own priorities, Dana is more concerned about herself as she plans on resigning from her job shortly, especially after the chaotic events of the day. The rest of the episode fluctuates between two primary cases – a patient with a crushed pelvis and Flynn Edwards. Robby and Abbott handle the former, while Mel takes point on the latter, with Shen and Ellis assisting. In the meantime, Whitaker goes on a wild hunt across the hospital in search of a missing patient. They eventually find her smoking outside and wheel her back in. Once the cases are adequately stabilized, the doctors prepare for their final lap, and everyone gets ready to go back home. However, Robby’s last appointment leaves him with much to ponder as he takes a step back and heads for the roof.
The Pitt Season 1 Ending: Why Does Robby Step Towards the Roof Edge?
After Robby heads up to the hospital roof, Abbott follows behind him, worried about his colleague’s mental health, especially after several out-of-character moments in the last two episodes. Alarmingly, when Abbott steps onto the terrace, he realizes that Robby is standing on the very edge of the roof with no railings for support. The scene is a mirror opposite to how they run into each other in the show’s opening. Contextually, we know that Robby has been through the wringer in the past 15 hours of his prolonged shift. The senior attending has been juggling various personal issues from the past, particularly in relation to his time as an emergency doctor during COVID-19 and his inability to save his mentor, Dr. Adamson. These issues have only been exacerbated by the losses during the current day shift.
As a result, Abbott is understanding of Robby’s decision to step onto the ledge. In many ways, it parallels how Abbott himself was struggling with suicidal thoughts at the end of his shift earlier. It showcases the exhaustion and overwhelming nature of the work put in by ER doctors, especially the ones in charge of it all, like Robby. Still, Abbott reminds Robby that it is in their DNA to keep returning no matter how tough the circumstances or day. He tells the protagonist roundaboutly that they are built to save people no matter how difficult or tricky the job gets. Abbott even consoles Robby about his small mental break in the morgue earlier, a moment of vulnerability he is ashamed to admit. However, Abbott reinforces that he is far more resilient than he gives himself credit for, mainly because the break only lasted a few minutes at most, which is incomparable to the psychological toll of their job.
What Happens Between Robby and Jake?
While Robby’s mental break may have been due to the series of challenging cases presented at his doorstep throughout the day, his inability to save Leah, Jake’s girlfriend, is the main trigger for unleashing those raw emotions. To compound the issue, Jake blamed Robby for not doing his utmost to save Leah when, in fact, Robby did more than he should by diverting significant amounts of resources to the girl’s revival. As a result of this misunderstanding, Robby kept a distance from Jake for some time while dealing with the other Pittfest patients. Near the final moments, the senior attending decides to bridge the gap between them by approaching Jake, who is kept company by Janey. Although the protagonist hopes for a better exchange, Jake is still hurting from Leah’s loss and dismisses Robby ungraciously.
Robby is devastated by the fact that Jake is broken from the incident. However, he states that he is willing to accept the blame as long as Jake does not blame himself for taking Leah to the Pittfest event in the first place. Moments later, he has to go on yet another heartbreaking expedition as Leah’s parents turn up at the hospital seeking news on their daughter’s fate. Robby takes long breaths before heading to the visitor room to face them. After everything he has been through during the day, facing Leah’s parents is the moment where he is overwhelmed by the emotions of not being able to do enough. He is even distraught at the fact that the cases continue to pile up at the ER with no break in sight. Therefore, he heads up to the rooftop to reflect on everything, which is where Abbott finds him.
What Happens to David?
Another significant plot strand explored near the ending is the final conclusion to David and Teresa’s arc. We saw the two come into the hospital in the first episode, which turned out to be a complex case of a mother seeking help for her son by faking an illness. After some digging, we learned that David has a hit list of girls he wants to hurt, which causes D. McKay significant concern regarding the well-being of those girls. Subsequently, when the Pittfest shooting began, McKay suspected that David might have something to do with it. However, this later proved to be a false rumor. By that time, David had already been put on psychiatric hold by his mother. The boy was enraged by the fact that he was kept imprisoned for something he had a part to play in. Any further opportunities to interact only resulted in David angrily shutting out everyone.
In the final parts, we see McKay take a more reasonable approach to her conversation with David and appeal to his sense of bettering his life for the future. She tells him that even though he may be blameless in the Pittfest shooting crime, he may end up going down that dark path if he does not open up to a professional and sort out his feelings before it is too late. While the words may be harsh to hear, David finally responds by listening to her and absorbing everything she has to say. We also see him tearing up, which shows that he registers everything McKay is trying to tell him and the good intentions behind them. Thus, after a series of push-and-pull circumstances, David finally comes around to McKay and Teresa’s way of thinking and agrees to see a professional.
What Happens to Flynn Edwards?
One of the last medical cases introduced in the season is the one involving Flynn Edwards, a young boy suffering from measles. While dealing with his situation proves to be a hassle because of his uncooperative parents, particularly his mother, this is one of the rare cases that ends without any concrete resolution. We see Flynn’s mother repeatedly state her intentions to move the boy away from the ER and into the care of the family physician. However, both Robby and the other doctors attending the case believe that a spinal tap must be done on the kid to ensure he is not at risk of more severe damage, not least of which could be death. Unfortunately, the mother remains stubborn till the very end, even though the father shows some signs of giving in to the doctor’s suggestions.
Late into the story, Flynn’s dad approaches Mel to tell her that she has the go-ahead for the spinal tap. Ellis and Mel work together on the procedure but quickly find out they are working without the mother’s supervision. She walks into the room and orders the doctor to stop the spinal tap while also reprimanding her husband for going behind her back while she was stepping out for a while. Subsequently, she leaves the room, stating that she is moving her son out immediately while calling someone on the phone. We never see the conclusion to their storyline, which is most likely a deliberate choice. As the doctors prepare to head home for their shift end, their input on matters is minimal to none. It showcases how most doctors have no control over their cases, especially when handing them over to the next batch of ER doctors. To that end, Flynn Edwards is now someone else’s problem.
Why Does Santos Ask Whitaker to Move in?
The final parts of ‘The Pitt’ season 1 focus on the lives of our main characters away from the constant turmoil of their ER department. As such, the show pulls back from its intense storyline to showcase every doctor as a human being with a vast array of problems, just like any other ordinary person. Nothing exemplifies this better than the unique interaction between Santos and Whitaker near the end. After everyone heads home, Santos witnesses Whitaker enter a private staff exit door. Intrigued, she follows him up to the staff living area, where she discovers that Whitaker is living in a private room in the hospital. After some questioning, it becomes evident that the intern is broke and incapable of affording a place for himself, showcasing the pains he is going through to become a resident.
Once Santos hears Whitaker’s explanation, she decides to help him out of his terrible plight by asking him to move into her apartment, which already has a spare room. Whitaker refuses at first, explaining that he has no way to pay rent. However, Santos showcases her good side by telling him that he can stay for free as long as he cleans the place properly. The moment may seem trivial in the long run, but it paints our main cast of characters in an even more human manner. This is particularly true for Santos, who, for a long time, has seemed obnoxious and arrogant. However, over the course of the season, we have seen her grow and morph into someone better. It showcases that she is a normal person with complex motivations, one willing to allow a colleague to move into her home free of charge. It could even lead to some romance down the line.
What are Langdon and Dana’s Next Move?
Despite ending on a reasonably poignant note, ‘The Pitt’ leaves behind a couple of burning questions with regard to our main crew, which could be altered moving forward. We are primarily talking about the fate of Langdon and Dana, both of whom may be leaving the PTMC for different reasons. The former could be facing some serious medical offense charges if Robby reports it to the authorities like he should, while the latter has been planning on resigning ever since she got sucker-punched by Doug Driscoll. It leaves the door open for both of their medical careers to end in the future, particularly in the case of Langdon. The doctor desperately tries negotiating with Robby about staying quiet about his drug-stealing antics. However, it only leads to more arguments, antagonizing Robby even more towards Langdon.
Similarly, Dana is tired of running her post as charge nurse and being repaid by a punch in the face by Driscoll. Incidentally, her aggressor is caught by the police by the end, leaving Dana with a decision to make regarding her choice to file charges against the man. However, she wants to put the entire day behind her and leave her job as soon as she can. Evidently, her role has taken a toll on her and led her to question everything she has been doing with her life. Thus, it comes as no surprise that she is at the end of her rope with regard to pushing on. In the ending portions, we see her collecting her family photos from her workspace, indicating that this is her final day at the hospital. From the look of things, the PTMC could likely lose both her and Langdon in the following season.
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