‘The Pitt’ Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: The Adults In The Room

Competency. It’s the perpetual name of the game around the Pitt, the fuel for every teaching opportunity and above-patient scrum. In our world, where facts are muzzled, capable people across myriad industries are regularly denied, their careers destroyed, when news headlines blare and notifications ping with ever more idiocy, settling in to enjoy an hour of trained professionals collaborating to solve problems always feels like a fucking gift.

Langdon and Donnie were correct to be concerned about the inflammation and pain experienced by restaurant worker Debbie Cohen (Mara Klein). Here in Season 2 Episode 5 of The Pitt (“11:00AM”), her condition is rapidly deteriorating. Cellulitis, “Erythema and warmth halfway up her knee,” or it might still be MRSA – oh crap, it’s definitely sepsis. But the team keeps her calm while they work to save her life. It’s scary, but these pros are on the case. When Debbie’s boss calls threatening to fire her, Robby even grabs the phone and comes to her defense. “Don’t worry,” he tells her. (Noah Wyle just radiating surehanded confidence here.) “We got you.” We wish it was like that more often in real life.

But Debbie’s situation also highlights some continuing staff dysfunction. Dr. Robby is holding hard to his Frank Langdon haterade. He insinuates his former mentee’s initial diagnosis was wrong and blasts him with a stink-eye from across the ED. Robby’s even mad at Dr. Al-Hashimi for bringing Langdon out of his banishment to Chairs. Dana, on Langdon Watch just like us, decides it’s time to address the rift. “You two kiss and make up yet? If you think he missed something, tell him.”

Roxie Hamler (Brittany Allen) and her husband Paul (Taylor Handley) have arrived at the Pitt after a seizure and fall at home, where she is in hospice for advanced lung cancer. In the capable hands of Dr. McKay and Victoria Javadi, Roxie is brought around and made as comfortable as possible. Amid all the chaos of an emergency department receiving more and more patients from the mysterious Westbridge closure, there are bouts of quiet in this trauma bay. Stretches of reverent silence. Cassie shares that her son is about the same age as Roxie’s oldest. With her wide, searching eyes, Victoria notes the supportive empathy that flows between the couple. When Lena (Lesley Boone) from the night shift shows up in street clothes, everyone is surprised. It turns out she’s Roxie’s “death doula,” helping to ease the transition to end of life. It’s OK; Lena’s got them. Everyone in the room seems to age a little in these moments. The sequence is beautifully written and acted, and made even more effective by the constant whirl of activity that surrounds it. 

The Westbridge thing is getting crazy. There’s no intel on what’s happening over there, and rerouted patients keep rolling into PTMC. Like area correctional institution resident Gus Varney (John Lee Ames), whose significant blunt force trauma injuries arrive complete with a sheriff’s escort and handcuffs securing him to the hospital bed. “Orange jumpsuit,” the deputy says; “he’s cuffed for a reason.” It’s interesting to watch the doctors deliver care as they take this wrinkle in stride.

Noelle Hastings is also back on the floor with a good break for the Diaz family. The Pitt offers a “med-surge” recovery area that can accommodate Mr. Diaz while he manages his diabetes. He won’t be in the ICU; it’ll be at least a little cheaper. Hastings running this option down, on a suggestion from Kwon, is another example of competency at work, even if it continues to highlight the broken, between-cracks nature of America’s real-life healthcare system.

But hey, remember Dana looking over her glasses at Noelle? “OK, big girl”? This time they’re more cordial, until Noelle starts talking casually about “Motorcycle Mike” and his restlessness in the bedroom. (Guess that answers the question of whether Noelle and Robby are an item.) Dana gives her colleague that sharp look again. Whatever their personal relationship, Dana’s saying, lay off her senior attending, and his motives for the solo bike trip, midlife crisis sabbatical. Maybe he’s trying to outrun some old ghosts. Maybe he’s looking for something new. 

Whatever Robby’s reasons for the impending departure, work right now won’t allow him to keep sidestepping Langdon. This season, we’ve seen Louie’s belly be drained, and his impacted tooth be repaired. He shared with us his history as a groundskeeper for the Pittsburgh Pirates. His good-timing nature is so appealing, Dr. Robby was even gonna sneak one of their favorite repeat patients a Fourth of July beer. Until he arrives in the trauma bay to find Langdon hovering above Louie and calling for a crash cart. They team up to begin an intense round of chest compressions. Robby’s rift with Langdon will have to wait.

Nurse’s Desk for Season 2 Episode 5 of The Pitt (“11:00AM”):

• Jackson the freaking out college student, since stabilized and sedated, has awoken, though this occurs off camera. Along with his sister Jayda (Erin Croom), we’re anticipating the results of his psych eval. Why was he tased?

• Last week there was a curious moment, overlooking Ahmad’s betting board, where the co-senior attendings shared a laugh. Honestly, it felt kinda flirty. This week they agree on a bit of “MacGyver” treatment – to the bemusement of the youngs on staff – but Robby and Dr. Al continue to clash over ED workflow, Langdon’s presence, and the industry specter of artificial intelligence.  

• 20 charts behind! All the competency in the world can’t buy Santos a few seconds to catch up on her paperwork without interruption. As she supervises Ogilvie doing a med student’s dirty work, the de-impactation of an elderly patient’s bowel, we wonder how Dr. Al-Hashimi’s AI charting would render a Santos-ian technical term like “ass-plosion.” 

Johnny Loftus (@johnnyloftus.bsky.social) is a Chicago-based writer. A veteran of the alternative weekly trenches, his work has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The All Music Guide, and The Village Voice.