Welcome to “The Pitt”: A Review of Max’s Latest Hit Medical Drama

"The Pitt" season one is streaming now on MAX. Photo by Hanna Zabski '25.

Say “hello” to “The Pitt” and “goodbye” to “Grey’s Anatomy.” “The Pitt” is a medical drama that premiered in January 2025, following the ER staff of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital as they navigate the day shift. Each episode of the season depicts a different hour of the day shift, starting with episode one at 7:00 a.m. and ending with episode 15 at 9:00 p.m. 

This distinctive storytelling technique enables “The Pitt” to stand out from previous medical dramas, which often unfold over months and years. Viewers can form deeper connections not only with the doctors but also with each patient. 

Seasoned actor Noah Wyle leads “The Pitt” as Dr. Robinavitch, also known as “Robby,” alongside other familiar faces, including Tracy Ifeachor as Dr. Heather Collins and Katherine LaNasa as Dana Evans, the ED’s charge nurse. Viewers may recognize Taylor Dearden, the daughter of Bryan Cranston, as Dr. King, alongside Fiona Dourif, the daughter of Brad Dourif, as Dr. McKay. “The Pitt” welcomes veteran actors, nepo babies and newcomers to lead the show’s excellence. 

With the first season’s finale airing on April 10, fans and critics have started reflecting on the season as a whole. The series is being applauded for its authentic storytelling and diverse representation among patients and doctors. “The Pitt” does not shy away from depicting an accurate ER experience, from long wait times to tragedies that sometimes can’t be avoided. The series highlights workers in underappreciated hospital roles who viewers may not think are integral to a hospital’s inner workings, such as social workers, ward clerks and hospital administrators.

The series’s ratings continued to spike week after week. According to Variety, “The Pitt” has achieved 13 consecutive weeks of growth, with each episode’s premiere viewership outperforming the previous. With the series competing against new seasons of beloved Max originals, such as “The White Lotus,” “The Pitt’s” success speaks to its ability to bring a fresh idea to the screen.

However, as with any new show, “The Pitt’s” success has come with controversy. There is no denying that the show shares similarities with the 1990s medical drama “ER;” both series are led by Noah Wyle and produced by John Wells. According to Vulture, in August 2024, Sherri Crichton, the widow of “ER” creator Michael Crichton, filed a lawsuit against “The Pitt,” claiming that the series is a knockoff of “ER.” Crichton claims that when negotiations for a reboot of “ER” failed at Warner Bros., the company simply rebranded that idea as “The Pitt” without any attribution or compensation to Crichton and his estate. While the case’s legal proceedings are still ongoing, the show’s lawsuit did not appear to impact its ratings or positive reviews from fans. 

As the season progressed and the hours passed, night-shift characters began entering the story and capturing the hearts of fans. Viewers are hopeful that a potential spin-off featuring the night shift characters will be announced, as this could provide for a potential expansion of the “The Pitt’s” story. 

Season two of “The Pitt” has been officially confirmed and is scheduled for release in Jan. 2026. So far, the creators have revealed that season two will feature a 10-month time jump and will take place during a day shift on the Fourth of July weekend. 

Viewers are eager to see which characters will return in the new season due to the show’s one-shift-per-season setup. Will the student doctors still be on an ER rotation in 10 months? Will fan-favorite characters who had ambiguous endings, such as Dana and Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball), return for a second season? Only time will tell.