HBB: HBO Max’s “The Pitt”

The Pitt shows how emergency medicine goes beyond clinical treatment.

by Asana Mohammed

The Pitt is an American medical drama created by R. Scott Gemmill and produced by John Wells and Noah Wyle. It premiered in January 2025 and streams on HBO Max. The show depicts the daily lives of frontline healthcare professionals in a Pittsburgh hospital as they treat patients in the emergency department while dealing with personal struggles, moral dilemmas, and hospital funding insecurities.

The series has 2 seasons, but I will particularly be focusing on season 1, episode 6, “12:00 PM”, which follows different cases happening at once within an hour: Dr. Collins handles a case of family conflict over a teen’s pregnancy, Dr. Robby has a difficult conversation with a family about their son being brain dead and considering organ donation, and nurse Mel tries to find an elderly patient’s daughter who is also her caregiver. Meanwhile, the staff complains about the push to improve stats while being given limited resources.

The Pitt shows that emergency medicine isn’t only about treating patients coming in; it’s about the conversations and systems behind them. What I appreciate about this episode is that it brings awareness to how complex the emergency department is and humanizes the healthcare workers in the department. The episode touched on topics such as teens and bodily autonomy, communicating familial loss, and whether corporations prioritize profit over patient outcomes and the well-being of their employees.

The case that stood out to me was the pregnant teen who came to the hospital with her aunt instead of her mom. The aunt was supporting her decision to get an abortion while her mom was completely against it. This disagreement led to an argument between them and the teen locking herself in a bathroom. This brought up the question of bodily autonomy with teens. According to the NIH, adolescents’ fear of disclosure around reproductive healthcare may delay their care. What they need is someone willing to listen to them and guide them through their care.

I also love the real-time format of the episode because it simulates for the audience what working in the emergency department is like, with each episode portraying an hour within a shift instead of days. It allows us to feel what is going on instead of just observing it. You also feel when the tone of the episode shifts. For example, the episode went from the staff betting on how far a stolen ambulance would get to when Dr. Robby had to break the news to a couple that their son was brain dead. It was a difficult conversation for Dr. Robby to have, as he was still dealing with loss as well. Whether you work in health or are simply interested in it, The Pitt shows that care depends on conversations as much as treatment, all within one episode.

The Pitt can be streamed on HBO Max.