‘The Pitt’ Season 2 Episode 8 Recap and Review: “2:00 pm” - The Writers Deftly Delve into Addiction
‘The Pitt’ has never shied away from dealing with real life health issues that are prevalent in North America, but this week’s episode takes a look at those who suffer from self-inflicted afflictions and once again reminds us about empathy.
This review of The Pitt contains spoilers.
I’m going to switch things up a bit this week, as I review what is most certainly my favorite show on television today. For those familiar with my writing, you’ll notice I often utilize ‘this writer’ when referring to myself and try to avoid the personal “I” when formulating these pieces, in some vain attempt at professionalism no one would even mind. I do this because I try to keep an objective look at the shows and films I review, and get you, dear reader to put yourself into my proverbial shoes when looking at the work.
In short, I try not to make things personal.
This week however, it felt like a disservice to separate myself from the work because, if I’m to be honest, which every good writer should be, it really hit home. This episode was extremely personal to me, and I felt it perhaps deeper than most, which is saying something for a show as compelling and tear-enduring as ‘The Pitt’.
This week was yet another sensitive look at a real life issue affecting millions of Americans - addiction. The show has dealt cards from the addiction deck before. Last season alone we dealt with Dr. Cassie McKay’s (Fiona Dourif) fallout from being an alcoholic, with bitter-sweet vignettes of how she’s really gotten her life together since becoming sober, how she’s become an excellent mother, and become a caring, empathetic physician even later in life than most. One of the most explosive conflicts of the show happened mid-season when Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) was outed as an addict himself; wrongfully stealing pain medication from his patients. In a conversation I had with Ball last season, he was sure to point out that this is a sad trend with many physicians, that there are so many that are addicted to medications to help deal with stress, pain and mental health issues, albeit the wrong way.
Which reminds me once again just how cautiously and lovingly The Pitt has always dealt with addiction. We, as the audience, never hate McKay for her past issues, we commend her for it. We even love her for it. While he may be egotistical at times, the development with Langdon was some of the strongest character building within the entire show, which is again saying something. Ball played it with such realism that you could understand how this could happen so often. You almost felt for this family man who had clearly gone down a dark path many might sadly travel.
In the early second season, one of the most intriguing and emotionally powerful story threads has been that concerning Pitt regular Louie (Ernest Harden Jr.) who was a beloved figure in the ER, despite his alcoholism. Ask yourself, especially if you’re a fan of Louie as so many are, how easy it would have been for the writers of the show to vilify Louie. To have him be sloppy drunk all the time, or belligerent, or violent. When the character sadly passed away this season, he was looked at with such reverence it was as if the crew lost a family member. Dr Robby’s (Noah Wylie) revealed that it was the death of Louie’s young wife and child in a traffic accident that caused him down his path of addiction, and again, you understood. You never judged that character. You understood him. This week’s episode even continued that, as Digby (who has been played brilliantly this season by Charles Baker) who went MIA for a little while divulges he and Louie were friends, and he had to pay his respect to his fallen buddy. It was such an endearing touch to once again humanize people society is far too often guilty of overlooking or dismissing.
”2:00 pm” introduces us to the character of Howard Knox (Craig Richie Shaynak), a patient who suffers from a form of addiction as well. Knox weighs nearly 500 pounds, and for most of the central story, this episode unveils many of the hurdles that healthcare workers have to circumvent when a patient is this heavy. Once again, Knox is not belligerent, he isn’t rude, he is in fact a very funny, soft spoken individual, portrayed with a softness by Shaynak that is utterly endearing. To see what this poor many has gone through, as the camera subtly gives you just a glimpse of the massive scars on his knees, or as he comments that the most exercise he gets is walking from the bedroom to the kitchen, you begin to understand his life.
I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hit home. Hard.
I am an obese individual myself. Food is my addiction. It is a way that I have self-medicated through the stress and perceived pain within my life, and it is one that I have struggled with for the last decade, to the point where it has really affected my life. I try to live said life very much like Knox, with humor and humanity. I try to be a good father to my two boys, show them love and support as much as I am capable, but the weight does get in the way.
Perhaps it was the purpose of this week’s episode, to warn us about what is a North American epidemic, to scare overweight individuals like myself into making almost impossible but necessary changes. Perhaps it was simply what the show has done time and time again, it was saying to those who relate to the character, that you are important. That you are seen. That you are loved.
The characters reminded Knox constantly that they’re going to do everything to help him. Well, most of them did. Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson) who has made a habit of saying everything that comes across his gifted but somehow also damaged mind once again spoke up and said the wrong thing quite often. You might remember that when Louie had passed away, Ogilvie pissed off Perlah (Amielynn Abellera) with his glib reaction to Louie’s passing. Iverson mentioned in my chat with him that Ogilvie holds himself, and everyone around him to the same high standard, that only you are in control of your life. So if come in with liver failure, or if the ER cannot draw blood as they can barely find a vein on your massive frame, you have no one to blame but yourself. It’s an attitude towards addiction that many adopt, and while the character is certainly rude, he’s not necessarily wrong. He just needs to learn some bedside manner.
Many fans have compared Ogilvie to the no-bullshit nature of Santos (Isa Briones), whose character has proven time and time again she will not suffer fools, nor does she mince words all that often. You can add not mincing facial expressions as well, as this episode featured quite a few scenes between her and Langdon. Last season, while you might say Santos was the cause of Langdon’s downfall, he clearly caused the issue in the first place. Regardless, any time they have seen each other since last season’s climax, it has been more than tense. Briones made Santos’ opinion of Langdon quite clear, as she would be the perfect person to play poker with. Not an inch of her face wasn’t conveying exactly how she felt, and it was the perfect counterbalance to the safe space provided earlier for Louie and Knox’s affliction.
It was a rare treat that McKay then gave Langdon a little understanding. The character has been bounced around between those who sympathize and welcome him back, and those who clearly think he should no longer work in The Pitt. We get so few scenes between McKay and Langdon, and in one all-too-brief moment McKay became my favorite character as she showed Langdon patience, guidance and understanding. I hope there are way more scenes between the two of them, or perhaps McKay can even become Langdon’s sponsor, as they clearly understand one another and don’t judge each other’s former addiction.
It’s a shame there wasn’t enough time to revel in all the love and understanding this episode, as it quickly degraded into chaos. As last week’s cliffhanger indicated, The Pitt was forced to go analog, as they had to shut down all computer systems to ensure they weren’t victim of a cyber attack. This was akin to last season’s introduction of the mass casualty event, and once again, it was up to the senior leadership to step up and show the new kids how things were done in the 90s and early 2000s. The trio of Robby (Noah Wylie), Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi) and Abbot (Shawn Hatosy) quickly went through how things work when you have to put aside Al Hashimi’s beloved AI, or can’t rely on apps. The crew now have to ensure everything is filled out in triplicate, and require stickers in order to get prescriptions filled. Very much like last year, the writing was quick and frantic and really grabbed you to highlight the panic the staff must be feeling in the moment. The lighthearted nature the show is also known for got a chance to shine, as amid all the chaos there were some excellent generational jokes between the young medical students, and the Gen X old schoolers. Emma’s (Laetitia Hollard) reaction to the alarming noise coming from a dial up fax connection will never not be funny.
As next episode looms, the writers were sure to let the audience know this chaos, this climactic event is just getting started. Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden) and her deposition also looms, and it will be interesting to see what poor Mel has to go through, and how it will end. We discovered through a conversation with Dr. Parker Ellis (Ayesha Harris) that it was last year’s antivax family that came in when their son had the measles that are the cause of this lawsuit and deposition. I enjoy how the show is also never afraid to shy away from the political rhetoric that surrounds people who don’t trust modern medicine. The family is suing King and the other attending doctors as they believe the spinal tap, which was key in saving the young man’s life, caused him irreparable damage. Let’s hope whoever is heading up the deposition has more common sense than the family that brought up the lawsuit.