This Mardi Gras, the new hit TV show, The Pitt, made its way to New Orleans. Actor Noah Wyle, who plays Dr. Robby in the show, held the position of king in this year’s Krewe of Orpheus parade.
The first season of The Pitt aired in early 2025, and the second season is currently releasing new episodes every Thursday. The show takes place in a busy and high-stress Pittsburgh hospital. The Pitt is a medical show that differs from many other medical shows both in its format and plot. Unlike Grey’s Anatomy and other highly dramatized shows, The Pitt doesn’t have many romantic subplots or overly melodramatic relationships between doctors.
The show has a unique form, in which each episode depicts one hour of a single shift; each season existing over the span of one day. In each new episode, viewers can watch the way each patient progresses, look into the personal lives of each doctor and investigate real life issues, both in the medical field and in broader American society. The Pitt explores themes of gun violence, religious hate crimes, sexual assault, and violence against nurses. Still, the show balances these difficult subject matters with light banter and charming characters. Although, at least so far, there are little-to-no workplace romances shown on screen, fans of the show relentlessly “ship” any two characters they can imagine. I understand the impulse, as watching a workplace-based show is always a little more fun with the addition of a clandestine romance.
In my own viewing of The Pitt, I have become infatuated with the emotionally complex characters and the high-speed plot. It is nothing if not adrenaline inducing. I would recommend this show to any viewer who is put off by the medical inaccuracies and unrealistic recoveries of other medical shows. The Pitt is both engaging and emotional, while still showing the realistic, gritty side of the medical field. Wyles’ character, Dr. Robby, stands out immediately as a character of depth by being incredibly patient and compassionate to both the other hospital workers and the patients. Wyle’s appearance in the Krewe of Orpheus may bring recognition of the show from New Orleanians interested in medial dramas that portray the high-speed nature of hospital jobs.
