REVIEW: ‘The Pitt’ Episode 9 — “3:00 P.M.”

Turns out, The Pitt Episode 8 was the calm before the storm. The Pitt Episode 9 amps up the action as tensions rise in the overcrowded waiting room and between Dr. Santos (Isa Briones) and Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball). Robby (Noah Wyle, who also has a writing credit for this episode) briefly loses his composure, while Dana (Katherine LaNasa) is the MVP. Flirtations are also on the rise on the ER floor, proving that even in a fast-paced ER in a “real-time” format, there’s still time for some workplace romance in another fantastic episode of The Pitt.

The entire episode works well as a pressure cooker. The episode rightly starts on a somber and quiet note after the death of a six-year-old girl named Amber. Robby brings everyone together for another debrief, but the chaos of the ER reigns supreme. There won’t always be time to grieve and evaluate properly before more patients need help. Even the boss can’t stop for respite, punctuated by the fact that Robby’s rare show of emotion gets interrupted.

Tensions have been rising slowly all season. It’s not entirely clear what issue Dr. Langdon has with Dr. Santos, but he decides to let it all out in the middle of a patient’s room, surrounded by nurses and doctors. It’s definitely an attitude unbecoming of a doctor, and it’s the reason Robby loses his cool for a second time this hour.

Emotions are still high as The Pitt Episode 9 recoils from the previous episode.

Even though Dr. Langdon mostly consists of sarcasm veering toward being offensive, there have been small moments where that exterior breaks. His vulnerability toward Dr. King (Taylor Dearden) a couple of episodes ago was a great moment that added more layers to him. But The Pitt Episode 9 breaks him apart even more.

His phone call with his daughter at the top of the episode in the wake of Amber’s death showcases a more emotionally diverse part of him. But it’s his shame, standing there listening to Robby yell at him for not living up to what it means to be senior leadership, that finally turned Dr. Langdon into a well-rounded character. Patrick Ball handled it all beautifully.

Doug (Drew Powell), the big racist white guy who’s been complaining about being stuck in the waiting room all day despite getting tests done, finally breaks after a different altercation between two women sends him over the edge. The altercation is where Dana gets a moment to shine as she comes out to the waiting room to settle the women and everyone else down. She also dresses Doug down twice. The retaliation Doug delivers to close out the episode is definitely a gasp-worthy moment—his violence is so visceral and out of nowhere.

After the emotionally heavy previous hour, the more lighthearted flirtations between different characters is much-needed in The Pitt Episode 9. It’s a surprising inclusion—the series’ “real-time” format means The Pitt can’t exactly put a lot of focus on the romantic entanglements of the characters like other medical dramas do. Even the history between Dr. Collins (Tracy Ifeachor) and Robby hasn’t quite been fleshed out yet.

A little flirting goes a long way in The Pitt Episode 9.

Still, Dr. Javadi (Shabana Azeez) awkwardly stumbles through asking out nurse Mateo (Jalen Thomas Brooks) while they work on Earl. His comical reactions to the whole debacle make it ten times funnier. It’s such a welcome treat for a show filled with high drama. Dr. Javadi’s subsequent freak-out to Dana after Mateo lets her down gently is also a highlight. Dr. Whitaker’s (Gerran Howell) ongoing scrub drama lands a few cute moments with another nurse. Only time will tell whether the nature of the show lets these new connections flourish. But they’re welcome, nonetheless, as they perfectly balance the rest of the ER’s chaos.

Some long-running story threads quietly reappear in this episode, such as Theresa (Joanna Going), whose troubled son is still out there, potentially planning to hurt people. This continued threat will likely be the climactic moment the whole season has been leading to, but there are also smaller stories that could have a large impact on the characters. Dr. Santos’ theory that someone has been tampering with the drugs is still on the table, as is Robby’s trauma from working during COVID-19.

Pitt Episode 9 continues a fantastic stretch of episodes in this first season. While the medical students seemed to culminate their learning in Pitt Episode 8, they really step into their own in this episode. The show itself continues to showcase a strong compassion for the patients, writing everyone from the doctors, nurses, and security to the patients of all shapes and sizes with empathy.

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

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