REVIEW: ‘The Pitt’ Episode 4 — “10:00 A.M.”

It’s been present since the premiere episodes, but what The Pitt Episode 4 really emphasizes is kindness. Kindness in how the doctors and nurses treat their patients, kindness in how the senior doctors encourage and teach the interns, and kindness between the senior doctors as they check in with each other during a hectic shift. While kindness felt like it was seeped into every corner of this episode, other moments existed in stark contrast to that idea, such as when one of the doctors had to deal with a racist patient.

One of the best moments of the whole show so far happens in The Pitt Episode 4. Dr. McKay (Fiona Dourif) and Dr. Javadi (Shabana Azeez) take in a transgender patient named Tasha (Eva Everett Irving), who needs some stitches in her arm. Compared to the chaos brought by other patients, this scene is quiet. Dr. McKay lets Dr. Javadi do the stitches as they chat with Tasha about her job as a sommelier.

Short, powerful scenes add up quickly in The Pitt Episode 4.

It’s a short scene, but it ends with Dr. Javadi telling Tasha she’s going to correct a misgendering issue on the record they have on file for Tasha. Tasha, who was misgendered while dealing with insurance in the ER waiting room, stops for a moment, and then just gives a simple “thank you,” the relief and gratitude clear on her face. Her reaction hits even harder when realizing that she didn’t even have to ask; Dr. Javadi just did it.

The scene’s simplicity speaks so loudly. Pitt Episode 4 literally says trans people exist—just as they’ve always existed. The fact that this scene occurs in a medical show is also huge, considering the difficulties of receiving proper medical care.

Elsewhere, Dr. Santos (Isa Briones) finally gets some focus. Her bluntness and general attitude of “I’ll do it my way” is noticed by Dr. Mohan (Supriya Ganesh), who gives it to her straight after a patient calls out Dr. Santos’ abysmal bedside manner. Dr. Santos’ attitude also results in complications for one of her other patients after she breaks protocol. While Robby (Noah Wyle, who also has a writing credit for this episode) and Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) give Dr. Santos a hard time, Dr. Garcia reminds everyone this is a teaching hospital. Mistakes will happen. Kindness prevails.

The siblings lost their father this week after a long back-and-forth about permitting the use of life-saving measures despite their father’s DNR orders. This storyline has provided the most insight into Robby. Despite his clear frustration with the siblings for going against his suggestions, he’s full of kindness, understanding, and grief.

Despite some heavy topics, The Pitt Episode 4 finds moments for comedy.

It likely has to do with his PTSD regarding COVID-19. New flashbacks showcase the difference between then and now; COVID-19 patients died surrounded only by photos of their families, while the siblings in the present-day stay with their father until the very end. These flashbacks keep coming in small increments but are starting to paint a larger picture. There’s also the fact that it’s the anniversary of the death of one of Robby’s mentors, who likely died during COVID-19.

The Pitt Episode 4 finds moments for comedy. The Pitt Episode 3 ended with an ambulance being stolen. A running joke this week follows the security guard and various nurses taking bets on who stole it. Even Dr. Kiara gets in on the action. A larger focus on the other doctors and nurses make the ER feel bigger and the world of this show more lived-in. It’s a necessary development to avoid the ER feeling too claustrophobic. Considering the ER will be the only location for the duration of the season, these moments provide the perfect amount of levity.

Even though Dr. Mohan tells Dr. Santos that they “bring their education to the job, not their baggage,” every episode carefully peels back layers to these characters. Baggage may not be helpful in the ER, but it’s defining these characters better. There’s still so much more to learn. Dr. McKay’s house arrest ankle bracelet hasn’t been brought up again, and the history between Dr. Collins (Tracy Ifeachor) remains mysterious. Her pregnancy, too, is still a secret.

The Pitt Episode 4 once again balances chaos with small moments and allows other characters to step into the spotlight.

The Pitt airs new episodes every Thursday on Max, formally HBO Max.

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