It’s a bit disconcerting to see the “new kid” of Cook County General Hospital on the massive hit “ER” become the grizzled veteran of a similar medical drama three decades later, but that’s where we’re at with the very good “The Pitt,” a show that reminds one of the simple charms of well-done procedural television.
The incredibly influential John Wells was a producer on that NBC smash (along with a stunning resume that includes “The West Wing,” “Southland,” “Shameless,” “Maid,” and many more). The story goes that “The Pitt” was once conceived as a sequel to “ER” but has evolved since into a very different show. Yes, we’re back in a hospital with more relentless pacing and no time for personal lives. (And the difference in language and image restrictions from NBC to Max changes the tone, too.) “The Pitt” unfolds over 15 real-time episodes, 15 hours in an emergency room in Pittsburgh where lives are changed – and sometimes saved or ended – in the blink of an eye. It’s a smart show that values character detail and intricate medical science that sometimes succumbs to doses of melodrama. But for everything that it does very well, that can be forgiven.
Noah Wyle does the best work of his career as Dr. Michael “Robby” Rabinavitch, the voice of reason and calm at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. But he’s also dealing with his own demons related to four years prior, when COVID turned ERs around the world into literal nightmares and took the life of his mentor. Brief flashbacks to that era look like a horror film, a reminder of how much trauma our medical professionals are carrying with them to this day. Wyle imbues Dr. Robby with just enough weariness to balance his innate kindness and intelligence. He is deeply emotionally present for his patients, colleagues, and students—it’s a teaching hospital—but also recognizes the systemic issues in his profession, especially in a subplot involving the powers that be looking for things like satisfaction ratings and threatening to take control of the ER from him.