'The Pitt' season finale — recap and reactions to the end of Robby's 15-hour shift, what's coming in season 2 and more

Previously on 'The Pitt'

“The Pitt” has been an intense ride in its first season, giving us a gripping look at life in a trauma hospital. Set over a chaotic 12-hour shift that stretches into 15, the show dives into the high-stakes medical drama and the personal struggles of the team.

At the center of it all is Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch (Noah Wyle), a seasoned ER doctor dealing with his own demons while trying to save lives. As the team races against time, they're faced with decisions that go beyond medicine — it's about who they are and what they're willing to sacrifice.

Throughout the season, Robby’s leadership has been tested over and over. Alongside him are doctors like senior residents Heather Collins (Tracy Ifeachor) and Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball), who are wrestling with their own internal struggles. They’re supported by tough, capable nurses led by Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa).

At the beginning of the shift, they welcome some new faces to their ranks: awkward second-year resident Mel King (Taylor Dearden), cocky intern Trinity Santos (Isa Briones), timid med student Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell) and eager prodigy Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez).

The medical cases have been as dramatic as expected, from life-or-death traumas to complex surgeries, but it’s the characters’ emotional journeys that really keep you hooked. As the hours pass, tension builds, secrets come out and relationships crack under pressure.

The finale looks like a quieter bookend to the chaos of the mass-casualty event that dominated the previous two episodes. But in the ER, peace never lasts long. - Kelly Woo

Why is Robby on the roof?

The Pitt 1x15 Promo "9:00 P.M." (HD) Season Finale | Noah Wyle medical drama - YouTube

Watch On

At the end of episode 14 of “The Pitt,” we get a preview of tonight’s season finale. And while there’s plenty to digest in that brief clip, it’s the image of Robby on the roof that jumps out at me.

OK … maybe that's a poor choice of words. But seriously, I am terrified about Robby potentially committing an act of self-harm, given everything he’s gone through this season, including breaking down in the makeshift morgue following Leah’s death.

Practically, it seems highly unlikely that this show has any desire to continue without Noah Wyle — frankly, it might not be able to survive the loss of such a major character. So, while a major season finale death isn’t technically out of the question, it feels more likely that Robby would hurt himself rather than kill himself — if anything tragic were to happen on the roof.

Still, the show clearly wants us to think about it, or they wouldn’t have put that shot in the preview clip. And as we know from the season premiere, where Dr. Robby finds Dr. Abbott at the same spot on the roof, they don’t go up there because they’re happy. - Malcolm McMillan

All hail Mel King

There’s been a lot of talk about nepo babies in relation to “The Pitt” because the cast has several of them, including Taylor Dearden who plays Mel. Dearden’s dad is Bryan Cranston aka Walter White from “Breaking Bad” (or if you really want to go back farther, Hal from “Malcolm in the Middle”).

But if all nepo babies are as good as Dearden, well, give me an entire show of them. Put nepo babies in everything! She’s turned Dr. King into the standout character of the season (besides Robby, the lead). Even among amid a truly excellent ensemble, she shines.

King is so cool, calm, and collected, without being ice cold. She conveys such empathy, warmth, and kindness toward her patients. Even during the rush of patients from the Pitt Fest shooting, she remains level-headed and moves around with efficiency.

After Whitaker drills an IO into a conscious patient’s arm, she merely asks, “OK, um, why’d you do that?” in the same tone you might use with your co-worker who made a fresh pot of coffee when there's already one sitting on the counter. No alarm, no stress, no anxiety for either the patient or Whitaker to absorb.

And remember the look of joy on her face while holding that tiny little baby? King is too precious. I dread when she finds out about Langdon (more on that later).

For now, though, Mel King: You’re my hero! - Kelly

‘I’m your Huckleberry’

@streamonmax

♬ original sound - Max

Whittaker (Gerran Howell) has been one of my favorites this season. He’s obviously no Mel, but I’ve found him to be a relatable character, in small part due to my own small-town upbringing.

He also produced what might be my favorite moment of the series so far.

In episode 2, an unhoused man comes into the Emergency Department reeking of alcohol. It also turns out he has a coat full of rats, and those rats become a fun, occasional recurring bit throughout the rest of the season.

But in episode 9, Whittaker finally gets a point on the board in his battle against the roaming rodents. As a rat runs across the hospital floor, a dog chases it, allowing Whittaker to seize the moment. He does just that, throwing a blanket over the rat, catching it, and then snapping its neck.

Whittaker 1 - Rats … well, OK, the rats are still winning. - Malcolm

Dr. Langdon is now the show’s biggest problem — but will ‘The Pitt’ solve it tonight?

One of the shocking moments of the season so far has been the reveal of Dr. Langdon’s substance abuse issues.

Not only was it a bit of a shock because Santos was proven to be right, which, honestly, nobody wanted, but also because it potentially dismissed a major character in the middle of the season. For “E.R.” fans, it also mirrored a famous Dr. John Carter (played by “The Pitt” star Noah Wyle) storyline.

While we were all, including Dr. Robby, willing to temporarily allow Langdon to return to save lives during the mass-casualty event, I feel most fans (myself included) would feel betrayed if there weren’t consequences for Langdon’s actions.

Based on the research I’ve done (I’m no expert, though), it seems that if Langdon self-reports to the medical board, he might not actually lose his license the way he’s repeatedly claimed will happen. Instead, he’ll likely need to enter into some form of rehab and be required to enter in a formal monitoring program, but he’ll likely be able to return to work.

The theft of the meds may complicate this matter, but I think this is the route the show has to go if it wants to remain faithful to what’s made it great so far. - Malcolm

Free McKay

Another nepo baby, another fire performer. Fiona Dourif is the daughter of Brad Dourif, aka Chucky (and one of my fave roles, Doc Cochran on “Deadwood”). And she’s been killing it, er, saving lives as Dr. Cassie McKay, a 42-year-old second resident.

I love that “The Pitt” included an older resident among all the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed young’uns. It feels very true to life that not everybody takes the same path in medicine. McKay’s life experience also has given this season a lot of memorable scenes, particularly when she is fighting for women like the young employee with an STD who may have been sex trafficked by her “boss.”

She’s also been dogged about not letting go of David, the young man with the “eliminate” list of girls. Now we know that he didn’t become Chekhov’s incel by shooting all the people at Pitt Fest. Yet, he’s clearly still a troubled guy. And McKay isn’t ready to give up on getting through to him.

Maybe McKay crosses the line at times, but her heart is always in the right place. In fact, that’s the reason why she drilled her ankle monitor (which she has to wear due to some undescribed incident with her ex’s new girlfriend) — she’s trying to save lives. And now the cops want to take her to jail? Oh hell no.

I need to speak to a manager please. Karen Gloria, please put your bossiness and image consciousness to good use. The arrest of one of your doctors is not going to help patient satisfaction scores. - Kelly

Who was playing at Pitt Fest?

This is completely in no way important at all, but one thing I’ve been wondering about is the artist headlining Pitt Fest.

The mass-casualty event brought in such a wide variety of people that it was confounding, but other fans have pointed out that those victims may have been workers, crew, companions, etc. Also, most music festivals have side stages to showcase an eclectic mix of musicians.

Still, to lighten things up a little before what’s sure to be an emotionally wrenching episode, let’s theorize about the Pitt Fest headliner.

First, let’s state the facts: Pittsburgh is a mid-tier city. This is a festival. And it’s a festival that Jake, Robby’s teen “stepson,” is excited to attend with his girlfriend, Leah.

I think that knocks out mainstays like Foo Fighters or Weezer; Gen Zers like Jake and Leah would never. The festival aspect eliminates some megastars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, who can command sold-out audiences at their own tours in stadiums across the globe.

And speaking of that, the mid-tier cityness precludes names like Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Styles and Chappell Roan. They’ll play Coachella, but Pittsburgh? Nah.

So, with that in mind, my top three guesses are: Post Malone, Doja Cat and Tyler the Creator. All three are big stars, but not too supernova to headline the fictional Pitt Fest. And I can totally see Jake and Leah being stoked to see any of them. - Kelly

‘The Pitt’ gets points for realism, but the medical procedure it invented may one day help doctors

One of the great things about “The Pitt” is its adherence to being a realistic portrayal of a modern emergency department. It’s not perfect, but compared to most shows, it’s done an incredible job.

But in the mass casualty event that begins in episode 12, the Emergency Department at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital is to triage victims that come in with color-coded slap bracelets. It’s said so matter-of-fact that you almost assume this is how a real hospital would handle a mass shooting.

Except it’s totally made up. A show invention.

“The slap bands, that's something brand new,” executive producer Joe Sachs, a former doctor who was heavily involved in “E.R.” as an advisor and writer, told Parade in an interview.

“No one's ever seen [that] before. The wrist charts, we created that. In the Las Vegas shootings, they were writing on the bed sheet or writing on people's foreheads. So we came up with this concept of a risk chart that would be waterproof and blood proof with Sharpies for everyone that would have everything they needed.

"The traditional triage tag was a tag around the neck that has been seen many times in film and television, where they tear off green, yellow, red, or black for dead.

"[A doctor] from Pittsburgh said he wished they had [them], and they were trying to incorporate in Pittsburgh.” - Malcolm

Hellooo to the internet’s new zaddies

Before the episode gets underway, let’s just take a moment to appreciate the fine-looking, ultra capable, completely badass zaddies who run this ER: Dr. Robby and Dr. Abbott.

The internet has been thirsting hard for Noah Wyle and Shawn Hatosy. Here are just two fan videos for your enjoyment:

@jennytuell14

♬ Father Figure (Featured in 'Babygirl') - George Michael

@twixstar.mp4

♬ original sound - Twixstar.mp4

Oh, and I don’t want to leave out silver fox nurse Jesse, also a total zaddy:

@geniusjesster

♬ original sound - 𝙑𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙨 🎧ྀི

'The Pitt' finale is about to begin!

We’re just a few minutes away from the finale. So, hit the bathroom, get your snacks, pour a beverage (maybe of the adult variety) and make sure you’re logged into Max so you can start watching right at 9 p.m. ET when the episode drops.

Who's ready to see how this shift ends?

And here we go!

As much as I enjoy a binge drop a la Netflix, there's nothing like the anticipation of a weekly episode finally paying off. I've been so excited for "The Pitt" season 1 finale.

I'm also excited by this teaser for "The Last of Us" season 2, which we'll be live-blogging on Sunday.

No, no, McKay won't go

I love a good callback. As McKay’s stunned colleagues protest her getting taken away in cuffs, a flabbergasted Robby beckons over the cops who accompanied their wounded colleague a few episodes ago. And they vouch for her! The circle is complete. So satisfying.

Robby: NTA

I cannot with this mom who is preventing the docs from giving a spinal tap to her son with measles. So, Robby takes the dad to the room with all the dead bodies from PittFest to show him the worst-case scenario. “You’re an asshole,” the dad says.

Yeah, it’s definitely a manipulative move (and probably against the rules — Gloria would lose her mind), but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to save lives.

'Looks like two old white guys poached our patient.'

Dr. Shen, how dare you talk about our zaddies like that?

There's nothing better than a Robby/Abbott team-up.

Mohan: Energizer Bunny. Javadi: Exhausted Bunny.

LMAO at Mohan literally running off the elevator to tackle more cases while little baby Javadi remains behind, sitting wearily on a gurney and contemplating her life choices. I think she’ll definitely go for a different rotation next time.

Dana, don't go!

NOOOOO! Dana is thinking of quitting. I totally get it, but she is the glue holding this ER together. And of course, Langdon is making it all about himself (cue eyeroll).

Also, is it me or does he seem abnormally peppy?

McKay is the big sister/mom we all wish we had

McKay is so good at talking to patients, just as one human to another. I don’t think anybody else would've made a dent in David's shield. He maybe, just maybe, starting to see the awfulness of his eliminate list.

I do wish Robby had given McKay more encouragement like he has with King and Whitaker.

Shut UP, Langdon

Here’s Langdon digging himself deeper into the hole. His intelligence and good looks have created an entitled monster. And now, he’s trying to DARVO Robby? Uh uh, Langdon, not today and not any day.

Robby and I both yell the same thing: “You let me down! You let everybody down!”

(Also, "f---k you!")

Santos is a good doctor — there, I said it

We all like to hate on Santos, but I can admit she has the makings of a very good doctor. She handles Max with such delicacy, sympathy, and grace. Now, she just needs to wield them as often as she does a scalpel.

Another meltdown for Robby?

Robby is spiraling. He's really trying to keep it together, but Langdon's unwarranted verbal attack really did a number on him.

Get the utensils specialist, stat!

As serious and heavy as “The Pitt” can get, it also weaves in some lighter moments, like Whitaker catching the rat.

It’s not funny that a girl has a fork stuck up her nose, but it’s also not not funny. I cracked up at Abbott’s dry, “Don’t worry, we’re bringing in our … utensils specialist.”

And then Ellis taking a photo “for the medical record," hahaha.

The day finally catches up to Mohan

Yep, here’s Mohan’s adrenaline crash; it was bound to happen.

And we get another amusing moment when King matter-of-factly states that she’s still going because “I don’t require much sleep and I have a fast metabolism.” And that's why Mel is my favorite.

O captain, my captain Robby

Robby clearly hates speaking but his pep talk is heart-wrenching. They saw 112 mass casualty patients in four hours and saved 106 lives.

He even breaks down in tears, saying, "None of us are gonna forget today, even if we really, really want to."

Good thing I stocked up on tissues. It's just grief leaving the body.

The day shift clocks off

The Pitt crew is breaking up and going their own ways for today ... and maybe for good.

Javadi is thrilled when Mateo asks her to go to drinks. With a bunch of the others, but hey, it's something.

Dana packs up her personal photos, which is not a good sign for her return. When Robby says "see you Monday," it's like a door slams shut.

Santos follows Whitaker into the bowls of the hospital. Turns out he's squatting in some unused room. She offers him a spare room in her apartment. I really hope we get to see Santos and Whitaker as oddd couple roommates. The redemption of Santos is fully underway.

Is this the worst day of Robby's life?

We've seen flashbacks to when Robby had COVID and lost his mentor/boss. That seemed like a very tough time, but this day may be 1,000 times worse.

Jake hates him, Leah's parents are devastated, he's worried that his colleagues know about his breakdown.

Another panic attack seems to be on the horizon.

Mel is The Best, no contest

I didn't think we'd get to meet Mel's sister, but we do. Their relationship is so precious.

And yes, Becca, "Elf" is so funny.

Robby and Abbott on the roof

Abbott is clearly the comedian of the Pitt crew. The utensils specialist and then the line about how GrubHub won't deliver to the roof.

His heart-to-heart with Robby is so poignant. He doesn't just throw out jokes, he speaks the truth: "You rocked that s--- down there tonight."

Robby can't really hear it or process it, but I think, deep down, it helps.

And as if Abbott wasn't already dreamy, he's in therapy. I'm a fan of an emotionally accountable man.

And now our shift has ended

Robby and Abbott meet up with Donnie, Princess, Javadi and Mateo in the park for beers. And we get a big Abbott reveal: His leg has been partially amputated. It likely happened when he was a combat medic.

I'm cracking up again at Javadi not being old enough to drink and asking that they not tell her mom.

And today was her first shift!

Robby takes off with a beer for the road. "Tomorrow is another day."

A quiet end to an eventful day for the Pitt

After the unrelenting chaos of the shooting aftermath, things started to get back to "normal" in the ER.

"The Pitt" used the finale to wrap up a few loose threads but left others dangling, possibly to pick up in season 2 (more on that later).

Some initial thoughts:

- Robby really needs to go to therapy.

- I now loathe Langdon and don't want him to return to work. As much as I like Patrick Ball as a performer, the character is dead to me after the way he tried to manipulate both Dana and Robby. And he really seemed like he was high.

- Still, I was sorry not to see some kind of closure for him and Mel. Their mentor/mentee relationship was a highlight of the early episodes.

- Speaking of Mel, she didn't have a lot to do in this episode, but her brief scene with Becca was such a treat.

- That Abbott amputated leg reveal was so intriguing. I want to learn everything about his background.

- We all knew the show would try to redeem Santos at some point. And you know what? It worked for me. If we don't get to see her and Whitaker living together, let's riot.

- If Dana doesn't come back, also: riot.

Season 1 just ended, but there’s already a plan for season 2

Season 1 only wrapped up mere minutes ago, but production on season 2 is already in full swing.

“The Pitt” was renewed for a second season back in February and will debut on Max — and hopefully HBO — in January 2026 (h/t Deadline).

But we don’t just know when the medical drama will return to Max, we know when season 2 will take place in the show’s fictional timeline. In a panel with Deadline, show creator R. Scott Gemmill revealed that the show is set 10 months after the events of season 1 and will take place over a Fourth of July weekend, though it will keep to 15 episodes again.

As to who will return from our main cast? After season 1, everyone from the hospital staff could return and I imagine most will. From a story perspective, nurse Dana (Katherine LaNasa) and med student Javadi (Shabana Azeez) both signaled they could be done with medicine after the harrowing events of season 1, but I’d be shocked if the actors were ready to leave the hit show just yet. - Malcolm

Early fan reactions to the finale

The finale dropped less than a couple hours ago, but fans are already all over social media with their reactions. Here's a sampling:

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I want 'The Pitt: The Night Shift'

I know "The Pitt" just completed its first season, like, three seconds ago, but I already want season 2 and a spinoff.

Season 2 is happening, for sure, as Malcolm described in the previous post. But can R. Scott Gemmill, John Wells and Noah Wyle please please please (with a Sabrina Carpenter on top) make "The Pitt: The Night Shift" happen?

The shooting brought in several night shifters, like Abbott (whom we briefly met at the beginning of episode 1), attending Dr. John Shen (Ken Kirby) and senior resident Dr. Parker Ellis (Ayesha Harris).

I've already gushed about Abbott, so you know I want to see more of him. And he clearly told Robby that he prefers working the night shift.

Shen and Ellis rapidly grew on me (particularly Ellis). Her scene with Abbott and the fork-up-the-nose patient is one of the most hilarious of the entire season.

I want to know more about all of them! What happened to Abbott's leg? Is Shen so unflappable all the time? Does Ellis take photos of all the weird injuries she comes across?

And who are their night shift colleagues — the nurses, residents, med students, etc.? Let's meet them, too.

I'll also accept "The Night Shift: After Dark" as an alternate title.

‘The Pitt’ now holds the belt for best TV show of the year

While tonight's episode won’t be one of the ones we think back to years from now — that honor goes to ”8:00 A.M.,” “2:00 P.M.” and “6:00 P.M.” — the show landed the plane. And because it did, “The Pitt” is now my pick for the best show of 2025 so far.

How long will it hold onto that title? Unfortunately, “The Last of Us” season 2 premieres this Sunday, so it might not be long. But “The Pitt” deserves to hold the “best show” title belt for however long it can because it showed us what compelling, tightly-paced, well-crafted old school TV can look like in the streaming era.

Read my latest opinion piece for my full thoughts on what made this season so great and why I’m excited for season 2 - Malcolm

How long could 'The Pitt' run for?

We already know that "The Pitt" is returning for a second season, but given the show's winning reception, how long could it last? Well, it sounds like R. Scott Gemmill wants it to stick around for a while yet.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gemmill said he feels responsible to keep "The Pitt" going "until people don't want to work on it anymore, or people don't want to watch it anymore".

"I think a very important part of my job is to keep a show on the air as long as possible", he said. "I will always, I tend to, will work on a show until they take my chair away and shut the lights out, because I think that's really important to give people the opportunity to work, and to work in Los Angeles and to work the sensible hours that we do.

"It’s really important. And so I don’t look to the next best, next big thing. I’m really dedicated to whatever show I’m on at the time and trying to make it last until people either don’t want to work on it anymore, or people don’t want to watch it anymore, and then we move on and do the next thing". - Martin Shore

The day shift has ended: Here's who could be leaving 'The Pitt' after season 1

With season 1 officially over, there's a chance we've seen some characters for the last time.

Most likely to not return are Javadi, Santos, Whitaker and Mel. This season was the first day of their rotation in the Emergency Department.

With season 2 taking place 10 months later, it's quite possible they're rotated out of the ED and out of our lives. Javadi also seems to be questioning her decision to practice medicine after the events of this season, making her the most likely of this group to be one and done.

Of course, Dana, could also be headed out the door for good. After getting punched in the face and dealing with a mass shooting, she's earned the right to not come back.

Finally, Dr. Langdon is a possible candidate to not return, but I expect he'll be in full swing for his rehabilitation, though I also expect there will be some simmering resentment and anger between him and Dr. Robby. - Malcolm

Running low on storage?

It looks like today is gonna be a quiet day for Switch 2 pre-orders. So as deals editor, I'm gonna look for some Switch deals in the meantime.

Now, we all know that the Switch 2 will use microSD Express cards for storage. However, if your current Switch is running low on storage (or you don't plan on getting a Switch 2), it looks like Amazon has a bunch of microSDXC cards on sale from $13.

Honestly, microSDXC card deals are easy to find anytime of the week and most of these have been cheaper before. But they're generally just a few bucks away from their all-time price lows.

Switch microSDXC sale: deals from $13 @ Amazon