Diksha Sundriyal
Pittsburgh Medical Trauma Center goes analog in the eighth episode of HBO Max’s ‘The Pitt’ Season 2. At the end of the previous episode, it was revealed that they would be switching off all systems due to the threat of a cyberattack. As all systems go down, the staff has to adapt to their new situation. The episode opens with Robby expressing his disappointment to Dr. Al-Hashimi about not being given a heads-up, while she explains that she was on her way to do so, but things escalated rather quickly. Anyway, they have to focus on the task at hand, which begins with preparing the board. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Pitt Adjusts to the Analog System
Right before the systems went offline, Robby asked someone to take a picture of the board. Whitaker took one, but it’s too blurry, which makes the whole thing feel hopeless, until Joy comes to the rescue. It turns out she has photographic memory, and she remembers all the patients’ names, their illnesses, and the doctors treating them. While one problem is solved, another rears its head. With Dana confined to the examination room with Ilana, the sexual assault patient, someone else needs to take charge of the situation, and the responsibility is handed to Princess. A new system is set up with clipboards and chart racks, and patient stickers, which confuses the tech-savvy young staff but reminds the senior ones of their days as residents.
With the system offline, the generative AI will not work, which means Santos has to write her reports by herself all over again. A fax machine is brought in, through which the lab will send the test results. Over the course of the hour, the staff continues to learn how to navigate the new system, including focusing on details like using ballpoint pens, not felt-tip ones. Meanwhile, Harlow Graham finally gets a translator, and Santos understands what’s ailing her. Her work-from-home setting means she is on her laptop all day, which has resulted in posture issues that are at the root of her present trouble. Santos gives her some meds, anesthesia, and the advice to correct her posture and sends her on her way, grateful that she didn’t send the patient for a CT without a translator.
A new patient named Howard Knox comes in with abdominal pain, attended by Robby, McKay, Whitaker, and Ogilvie. While the others try to figure out what’s ailing Howard, Ogilvie keeps making insensitive comments about his weight, until Howard reveals that his weight gain happened over the course of several years, following the injuries that restricted his movement. Ogilivie is advised by everyone to be more empathetic with the patient and focus on treating him rather than berating him. What makes the guy’s situation even worse is that he has no one to call. He has an estranged sister who lives in a different state, but given the possibility that things could go wrong, she needs to be notified. Eventually, due to his weight, he had to be taken to a different hospital for a CT. But on the bright side, Howard remains cheery and is grateful to the doctors for their care and kindness.
Details About Mel’s Deposition Come to Light
A woman arrives with blindness in one eye, and after a quick checkup, it turns out that the medication that could cure her could also kill her. It’s a high-risk situation, which is conveyed to the patient, who decides to give it a shot. Dr. Al tells Dr. Mel King to stay with the patient to monitor her, just in case something untoward happens. She also suggests that the young doctor use this time to clear her head for the upcoming deposition. Mel tries to do just that, but then Dr. Parker Ellis shows up. It turns out that she is also part of the case and has just returned from her deposition. Mel reminds her that they are not supposed to talk, but Ellis continues her monologue, where she suggests that whatever happened was not their fault.
What happened was that they performed a spinal tap on a measles kid, whose mother now claims that the procedure resulted in her son’s intellectual decline. Ellis suggests that the spinal tap wasn’t the problem, but the decline happened because of hypoxia caused by the measles pneumonia. Clearly, this is what she wants Mel to repeat in her deposition, but something tells us that she feels differently. Dr. Caleb Jefferson returns with a woman named Nicole Stedman from the parent support group. Her daughter was also diagnosed at a young age, so Dr. Jefferson believes talking to her could help Jackson’s parents deal with their own situation. The conversation has an intended effect as Nicole tells her story of taking care of her daughter after her diagnosis, and how, through medication and care, things turned out better.
She states that the same is possible for Jackson as well, no matter how difficult things might seem at the moment. Meanwhile, Princess checks in on Dana, who is still in the middle of the exam. Ilana returns after her brief break and continues with the exam. Once it’s done, Dana gives her pills to stave off any STDs she may have received. Before parting, they share a heartfelt moment, where Ilana expresses her gratefulness for Dana being there for her on such a difficult day. When Ilana leaves, Dana returns to her post. First, she stores the kit in the fridge, only to discover that the previous one, which should have been picked up within 72 hours, has been in there for two weeks. She is frustrated, but there are a lot of other things on her plate.
Things Get More Tense Between Santos and Langdon
A patient named Jackie Lidell is brought in by her friend Jacqui. They were taking pictures when one wrong move led Jackie to bite her own tongue. It is also clear that the patient has had too much alcohol. With Robby and Dr. Al occupied, Langdon jumps on the case, and Santos is not too happy about it. Joy senses the tension between them, but without any context, she doesn’t know what’s going on. Despite Langdon’s efforts to talk to Santos, she brushes him off. He senses her discomfort, which comes out in her remarks and her looks, particularly when Joy wonders if they should recommend a rehab to their patient, based on her drinking habits. At the end of the day, her tongue is sewn and patched up, but when the alcohol starts to wear off, she has no idea what happened.
Elsewhere, Victoria and Ogilvie end up picking the same patient, who has severe rashes all over his body. They are both stumped, and with no idea what has happened to the guy, they turn to Robby for help. But once again, Joy proves that she had been underestimated all this while when she correctly diagnoses the guy, revealing he has margarita burns. With Dana’s return, the chaos starts to have meaning again, and everyone is thankful for it. In other random plot threads, Dr. Mohan reveals that she is not moving to New Jersey anymore and that she wants to pursue a fellowship. Given how good she is with the elderly, Dr. Al advises her to focus on geriatric care. Digby goes missing for an hour, and it turns out he was saying his goodbyes to Louie. Robby’s mechanic friend Duke still hasn’t shown up, which starts to worry him.
Langdon has a chat with McKay, where he discovers that she is nine years sober. He is shocked at this revelation, but he is also glad for her offer of help in case he needs to talk about things. With things getting more chaotic, they try to find a place for the abandoned baby in the pediatrics department, but they are told that the baby is not sick enough to be assigned a bed. Roxie’s parents show up, and a tender moment passes between her and her father, who takes her children out of the room to get some ice cream. Her pain seems to be getting worse, so McKay asks Robby what to do. He suggests they increase the dose of morphine, but with that high a dose, she could die, which prompts Robby to point out that their ethical responsibility is to focus on reducing the patient’s pain. Dying could be a side effect that the patient might welcome at this point.
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