The Pitt Season 2 Episode 7 Recap and Review: “1:00 pm”
In what is certainly this season’s most complete episode, our beloved Pitt deals with compiling 4th of July chaos while certain complications come to a head.
This review of The Pitt contains spoilers.
Needless to say (but not to write, apparently) that this season of the megahit known as ‘The Pitt’ seems a little slower and methodical than the premiere season. Having said that, even the slowest episode of The Pitt is some of the most compelling television you can watch today. This season has certainly proved that while we still await the perhaps not-so-proverbial fireworks of the fictional Fourth of July weekend, the storytelling has still been strong throughout to keep you coming back from week to week.
Last week’s episode, unofficially dubbed ‘The nurse’s episode’ was a brilliant way to shift the narrative that was in slight danger of becoming stale. It was a breath of fresh air, and an engrossing look at some of the talented supporting performers that populate The Pitt. It was akin to a blood transfusion, hooking the audience up to fresh blood, despite the characters being familiar to any fan. Episode 7, already 1:00pm in what promises to be another long shift, borrows from that format, and injects some new (but familiar) plasma.
(Re)Enter Shawn Hatosy as fan-favorite Dr. Jack Abbott. Abbott’s absence was felt by many an impatient fan, as his episodes last year highlighted the climax of the season, and some of the strongest character driven narrative the show had to offer. Hatosy was no small part of that, and was recognized for his efforts with an Emmy Award, which sets a fairly high standard for this second season to meet. The writers Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman and show-creator R. Scott Gemmill use Abbott perfectly to reset the emergency room in a lot of ways, and Abbott often acts as a chance to once again ground the show and its characters little. Last season, he was a much needed voice of reason with his brother-in-arms, Robby (Noah Wylie) and was the steady pulse The Pitt needed during the mass casualty event.
In episode 7, Abbott comes in as the TEMS provider in the Pittsburg SWAT team, as one of his team members has been wounded. This writer might call it slightly unfair just how cool they’re making Abbott, as he was already a vet, a lifesaver, and a brother to our beloved Robby. He has the calmness of an ocean breeze, a sense of humor and a swagger that acknowledges he’s an alpha male without ever having to say it. Yes, he is clearly a favorite of this writer, but Abbott also represents the best the Pitt has to offer; balance, healing (in every sense of that word), encouragement and teamwork. So far he is yet to show any vices as well, perhaps save some deep seeded depression, but considering how selfless he seems on a regular basis, and considering what he’s seen in his life, his borderline suicidal thoughts are perfectly acceptable and understandable. He is perhaps the most well-rounded character in the entire show, and that’s truly saying something, so for him to come into this episode was clearly no mistake, as the episode was tremendously well-balanced.
However, with Abbot’s return, this lease on new life also brings in an aspect that could be a conversation piece, as it was somewhat uncharacteristic of the show. As mentioned, Abbott is already a fan-favorite, and his nurturing soul coupled with his strong yet sensitive male presence makes him naturally alluring to many. So save a little for the remainder of the male race when you show Abbot shirtless, trying to tend to his own wounds, would you? This writer, as jealous as he may be, would in fact make the argument that it was not needed, as the show already had subtle sex appeal, and didn’t require a rather overt and obvious placation of the audience. This season seems to be upping the sexual tension, as if pressured by HBO to compete with its fraternal compatriots within the Game of Thrones franchise. Dr. Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi), who already had a strangely out of place flirtatious moment with Robby, seems to hit it off right away with Abbott, as she essentially devoured him with her eyes (and who could blame her in that uniform).
Granted, no one is going to complain about the scene with Abbott, but let’s put it this way - there are those who misunderstand The Pitt who have made the comparison between that show and Grey’s Anatomy. Nothing could be further from the truth, but when you resolve yourself to rather cheap, albeit chiseled ploys for sex appeal, you do in fact, cheapen the show. If the role was reversed and it was one of the several conveniently stunning female nurses or doctors who was shown in a state of undress, even avid Abbott fans who would agree it wasn’t needed.
Having said that, the show offered so much that was needed, any shortcomings (which again, don’t include Hatosy’s deltoids, let’s be clear) can be forgiven. Most notably, Robby and Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) finally spoke more than five words to each other. Not from lack of trying on Langdon’s part, but it took Robby to literally be cornered in an elevator for the two of them to at least partially hash things out. The revelation that Robby is happy for his former protege that he got the help he needed, but that he is unsure if he wants Langdon to continue working within the department was a bombshell. It explains where Robby was coming from, not simply was he avoiding an awkward conversation, but it spoke volumes in regards to how little he trusts Langdon.
This plot line, coupled with Robby’s newfound bromance with Whitaker (Gerran Howell) has been one of the strongest threads this season. The tension between Robby and Langdon has developed the relationship in a short amount of time, with an even shorter amount of dialogue, and to see that Whitaker deservedly has quickly become Robby’s new favorite has added a genuine track of intrigue. Robby’s character is defined by mentorship, as not only was his former mentor clearly a beloved figure within his life, but he takes Langdon’s mistake as more than simply an addiction, it is clearly the ultimate betrayal in Robby’s eyes.
Slightly less developed than that storyline, and Shawn Hatosy’s abs was the introduction of Dr. Victoria Javadi’s (Shabana Azeez) father, played by Usman Ally. We had the opportunity to see Javadi’s relationship with her mother last season, and needless to say, it was tense. The writing team really focussed on how Javadi needed to blossom and escape the pressure her mother heaped upon her as a gifted young person. It seems her relationship with Dad is much more relaxed and jovial, with him supporting whatever choice Victoria wants in terms of a specialization within her field. This was another small, but stellar development as it was not only great to see that she had a healthy relationship with at least one parent, but that it continues a trend that was introduced several times within the show - there is no certainty in terms of who may or may not return. At the conclusion of last season, Victoria seemed very unclear if she even wanted to pursue medicine at all following the tragedy of ‘Pitt Fest’.
There was another small story thread introduced that may have linked itself to an alleged cliffhanger earlier in the season. Dr. Al-Hashimi in the very first episode had a moment of pause after she had looked at ‘Baby Jane Doe’s chart. The very next episode, that cliffhanger seemingly went nowhere, with no real concern for the baby. As it turns out, this might be a medical problem with Al-Hashimi, as she had to call a specialist who seems to be in the neurological field. Could these pauses be a severe issue for Al Hashimi? It will be interesting to see if she herself might become a medical emergency of her own, or if these ‘pauses’ at any time interfere with her work.
12:00 pm gave us a country road tour and new perspective, and 1:00 pm got us back on the main road. Most importantly, we have our first real cliffhanger of the season, as the ER is forced to go analog as a precaution against a cyber-attack. This episode really did have it all, and then some. New story threads were introduced, touching storylines such as the thread following Paul and Roxie Hamler (Taylor Handley and Brittany Allen) were continued but not concluded, as well as several ongoing hovering questions were partially answered not to give closure, but to re-inflate intrigue. As a mid-season show goes, it was an excellent one-two punch with last week’s episode, and should have everyone invested in what comes next.