Media Blog Project 1: The Pitt

 

For the media blog project 1, I am watching an award winning, HBO’s The Pitt. I watched the most recent episode at the time, Season 2 Episode 4, on Febuarary the 4th, 2026. The show releases episodes weekly, so there will be another episode released by the time I am finished with this project. The Pitt is a medical drama with emphetises on the medical. In other medical dramas, for example, Grey’s Anatomy and Scrubs, the actual practice of medicine takes a back seat to the characters' interactions, and more so serves to just give the shows a place to be set in. This is not the case with The Pitt. The medical procedures and practices take center stage and are the driving force for the drama that takes place in the show. The main motivating force for the characters is their reactions to the medical situations that are being thrust upon them. The structure of each season is that each episode takes place over an hour of a singular full shift at a Pittsburgh hospital emergency room. We follow numerous characters throughout the show, but the most prominent in the episode I watched were Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, Gerran Howell as Dr. Dennis Whitaker, and Isa Briones as Dr. Trinity Santos. All of these characters are featured in the first season as well, and seem to be playing to their character. They all have had roles in the past, but none of them have been major leading characters as they are in this show. The show is critically acclaimed, having won multiple awards across its two seasons. Its first season won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for being an outstanding drama series, and most recently Noah Wyle won an Emmy for the best lead actor in a drama series at the 2025 event. The Wall Street Journal calls it a “...smart, gripping medical drama,” and the show has an 8.9 on IMDb.

The Pitt does not pull its punches in its portrayal of a medical environment. The characters talk in medical terminology so confidently, I just have to believe it is accurate. The set, costume, and especially sound design make the show convincing and effective. When a shard of glass is pulled from a patient's body, it is suitably graphic. The sets are filmed at a Warner Bros. sound stage in Burbank, California, with exterior shots filmed on location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The smooth editing, both inside and outside the hospital, allows it to feel very connected and seamless. The show treats its emergency and characters professionally, causing the audience to take it just as seriously. Doctors will disagree with a procedure, argue briefly, and then return to patient care to do what they can to help them as much as possible. We will see a doctor confidently tell their subordinates and patients what to do, but behind closed doors, we see their self doubts. This gives the show moments of humanity in the stressful and adrenaline filled episodes. As mentioned before, this is a medical drama that has the mediecne as the driving force of the show. Medical events happen, and characters do what they can to react to them. This is a departure from what is normal in the medical drama genre, with shows like Grey’s Anatomy focusing on character moments with the hospital environment mainly as a backdrop for the greater drama that follows its cast of characters. Another show, House, is more similar to the Pitt in its portrayal of medicine. However, the primary focus of that show is a character study of its titular character, Dr. Gregory House, and less of the practice of medicine as a whole. This focus on realistic characters and situations in The Pitt allows it to stand out from the crowd of medical dramas. 

Characters in shows filling out a specific stereotype isnt neccasraily a bad thing. It can lead to media feeling oversaturated or played out, but it can also allow audiences to more easily connect with characters since they will feel familiar. The protagonist, Dr.Robby, seems to be a stereotypical rough mentor type character. He’s smart, capable, and charming. He has a rough exterior that is often seen in paternal characters in media, but because he acts as the main character, we get to see when that stoic persona cracks. Multiple scenes are dedicated to Noah Wyle flexing his acting ability and showing a range of emotions for Dr.Robby. Another character that stands out is Isa Briones as Dr. Trinity Santos. She acts as the “mean girl” of the show. However, due to the context of the show being set in a medical facility, she is more than that. She is a competent and intelligent person, as anyone would have to be to be a doctor. So even with her edge, she is a likable character who gives other characters someone to bounce off of. These realistic characters and settings lead me to believe that the audience of the show would be people in there mid 20s and older. People who want a show that can still have drama, but be relatable, gritty, and provoking. As people get older, it is more common to enjoy media grounded in reality, as The Pitt achieves. From the perspective of someone watching the show from outside the US, I think they would find the high pressure environment accurate to real life. Medical emergencies are treated with thegravity they deserve worldwide, but something they would notice is how payment is discussed in the show. In the episode I watched, there is a family that has no health insurance, meaning they are not sure how they will pay their extremely expensive medical bills, a very real and relevant situation Americans can find themselves in due to our healthcare system. Our healthcare payment system is fairly well known to be ineffective and expensive, as compared to other countries with universal healthcare. People both inside and out of the country would see this moment in the show for what it is, a critique of the current state of healthcare in the US.

Entertainment wise, I wouldn't say that The Pitt is my usual kind of show. That's mainly because I don't watch many shows in general, but more specifically due ot the fact I am quite squeamish. The show's dedication to being both dramatic, yet realistic allows it to be gripping regardless of my personal preferences. In some ways, the show may be too focused on its realism, as it can be a bit inaccessible in its use of medical terminology throughout. At points in the episode, I found its focus on personal dramas between the characters to take away from the medical emergencies happening around them, as with the parkour character’s concussion being swept aside in favor of two resident doctors to squabble. The performances of all the main cast, especially the emotional range shown by Noah Wyle, give the show an emotional depth that can make audiences relate, despite the situation itself being alien to many people. I feel like my opinion aligns fairly well with the critics' consensus. “The Pitt” is also a curious success, as it blurs the lines between network and prestige TV, procedurals and drama, leaving a little something for everyone.” - The New York Times. The user on IMDB sums both my and the general audience's opinion on the show pretty well. “The Pitt is easily the best hospital series I've ever seen. It's been praised up and down by just about everyone and for good reason. It currently has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. This show will have you in your feelings so much by the time you finish even one episode you'll be as exhausted as the employees of The Pitt.”

If it hasn't been clear so far, I do not watch a lot of TV shows. They often feel like too much of a time investment, or I just don’t get hooked enough. Even The Pitt, which I think is quite good now, was not something I would have watched if not for this class. My roommate is a fan and has told bits and pieces, enough to get me interested enough to think of it for this project. Social media tends to reflect search history, so while I may not have much of the show on it now, I’m sure I will start to get more and more videos based on my research into the show. From what I have seen, the videos on HBO Max’s Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok all have the same videos, just cut up to fit each site's respective format. They contain videos of the cast being interviewed and having rapport with one another, giving it a very wholesome vibe that contrasts with the show a bit. These sorts of videos of celebrity interviews are extremely popular, with videos getting thousands of views. A video of just a clip from the show, featuring the family struggling with no health insurance mentured earlier in fact, has over 75 thousand views on the HBO Max TikTok page.

After doing a deeper dive into The Pitt, I’ve learned I may enjoy medical dramas and maybe TV shows in general more than I’ve realized. A show that takes itself seriously and expects the audience to do the same, while keeping some of its advertising light hearted and lead to the show being extremely popular. The performances, sets, sound design, and pacing are all excellent, showing the passion the cast and crew have for the show beyond just its success. I am excited to keep watching and to see how The Pitt continues to present itself as a realistic and grounded drama.

Sources

Emmy Awards

https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/the-pitt

Official Website

https://www.hbomax.com/shows/pitt-2024/e6e7bad9-d48d-4434-b334-7c651ffc4bdf

Wall Street Journal Review

https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/television/the-pitt-season-2-review-a-series-still-in-good-health-b0543147?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqe_iT_dG-OHkX-O3isBc2fuLv7a0vJQlTYrGv5y6KyUPx66tHV9f4yTZSkF-pg%3D&gaa_ts=69862fda&gaa_sig=baHNiF3PXWKR5CKIJayAW_6NUTGnA-IxgmDiwgpkqTdqrVNAyDkrj-4OB834PN69sVhkuk-0Fy065IzywbwAAA%3D%3D

New York Times Review

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/11/style/the-pitt-fandom-social-media.html

IMDB The Pitt

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31938062/reviews/