The Pitt Season 2 Episode 3 Review: 9:00 AM

On The Pitt Season 2 Episode 3, “9:00 AM,” the patient load increases dramatically while Santos and McKay receive clarity on their patients.

Dr. Santos

Dr. Santos emerged as a controversial character among The Pitt audiences almost from the jump. However, she remains one of the most interesting and complicated characters of the series. 

Santos doesn’t mince her words. She’s not warm and fuzzy like some of her coworkers. She oversteps sometimes in the name of proving herself.

But there’s never any doubt that she cares for the patients.

We can assume based on her interactions with patients on The Pitt Season 1 that Santos has a history with abuse. Isa Briones excellently shifts Santos’ energy, conveying so much without saying a lot. We aren’t fully privy to the details of her experiences but we know the pain bubbling underneath.

Despite the turbulent resolution, Kylie’s case highlights immense growth for Santos. She follows her instincts without jumping to conclusions. 

The most striking moment from this whole case is her response to it afterward, complicating the character further. Santos berates herself for misreading the situation and not immediately thinking of ITP as a possibility for Kylie. Her initial suspicions aren’t wildly out of pocket, though; she’s supported by Dylan and Robby on her theory with the caveat to not jump to conclusions. 

It’s a revealing moment for Santos that reminds us of her humanity. Beneath her fiery exterior, she demands perfection for herself and error is not an option. Santos’ biggest pressure comes not from the work conditions, but from herself.

This also harkens back to a moment where Robby asks if Santos has talked to a trauma counselor. She clearly hasn’t fully worked through her own trauma and these cases specifically hit a nerve in her. How will Santos’ self-inflicted pressure collide with the weight of these cases that speak to her personal struggles?

Dr. McKay and Michael

The dynamic between patient and doctor is a multi-faceted one and they must show up for their patients in myriad ways. McKay not only provides clarity to Michael with his diagnosis, but assists in weighing his options while also providing emotional support. This sobering moment is a juggling act for McKay. 

Fiona Dourif’s gentle gaze allows for McKay’s compassion to emanate off the screen. The severity of the situation is never reduced, but Dourif somehow soothes not only Michael, but the audience in this devastating moment. It’s also not lost that, despite the fact that she does this job well, this isn’t easy for McKay.

The Pitt succeeds with thrilling medical anomalies and down-to-the-wire saves, but it’s biggest strength remains the human stories that permeate the medical crises. “9:00 AM” drives this home bringing in Michael’s ex-wife as his emergency contact.

Although it is initially uncomfortable, Michael and Gretchen have this unexpected and beautiful moment of forgiveness and closure. The specifics of their relationship aren’t entirely clear, but the history fills the air between the two.

Gretchen leaves on that melancholic note, her face awash in contemplation while McKay allows it all to settle. It’s a beautifully bittersweet way to humanize the patient beneath the ailment and, although it never excuses Michael’s past behavior, it does provide the context for it.

Speaking to the Cultural Climate

A number of patients introduced in “9:00 AM” speak to larger cultural conversations. There’s a lot happening thematically between Mrs. Kovalenko, Jackson Davis, and Mr. Diaz. Yet, the respective threads don’t feel at odds with one another and each has their own moment to breathe or plant seeds for their larger arc down the line.

The Pitt is no stranger to weaving current events into the fabric of the story. What’s most impressive with this episode is that none of these patients feel like they’re simply there to check a box on a big social moment. There’s a level of intention and care with each storyline, regardless of whether or not the patient is in and out or if they have a longer road ahead of them.

These patients always provide a new lens to examine our characters with. In particular, Perlah shares a fleeting, yet beautiful moment with Mrs. Kovalenko that peels back the layers on a character that hasn’t been explored as deeply as others yet.

Amielynn Abellera infuses Perlah with a charisma that makes her integral to the hospital, despite her smaller screen time. Here, though, Perlah’s response is silent and restrained. It would be nice to have more time to sit with Perlah in this moment, but Abellera wears her heart on her sleeve and makes the audience feel the weight of the interaction for her.

Though Mr. Diaz and Jackson Davis don’t have major resolutions yet, they promise an interesting conversation as well as dynamic moments for our doctors. Mr. Diaz’s life outside the hospital is not entirely clear yet, but there is an implication of financial struggle that will undoubtedly impact his time in the Pitt. Dr. Mohan feels like a perfect vehicle to explore this thread how she consistently advocates for disadvantaged patients. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Al-Hashimi has a wonderful moment of advocacy reading off Jackson’s drug test results. Sepidah Moafi channels Al-Hashimi’s no-nonsense delivery into every syllable of the results, telling us exactly how the character feels about the assumptions Jackson’s attacker is spewing. After constantly being at odds with Robby, it’s a nice reminder for audiences that Al-Hashimi deeply cares for her patients as well.

Going Forward

The episode ends with news that all Westbridge patients are being redirected to the Pitt. “9:00 AM” ups the ante early for this season, adding to the already massive patient load they’re facing.

Between Robby’s impending sabbatical, the Pitt itself struggling systemically, and the busy holiday, a much larger struggle looms over the horizon that will surely test our characters. What that larger test is remains to be seen given that the cause of the redirect is still a mystery.

Given all of this happening at the 9:00 AM hour, it keeps audiences wondering what else could possibly happen. Knowing this show, anything.

Stray Thoughts

• Langdon and Donnie attending to the young boy with beads stuck in his nose brings a beautifully vulnerable moment between the three fathers. It’s nice in today’s world to see a showcase of men being emotionally intimate and honest with each other.
• Despite how ready Dr. Robby is for his sabbatical, he still maintains space for his patients to work through what they need to. It would be easy to craft Robby as jaded and hardened, but it feels true to his spirit to continue showing up emotionally for his patients.
• McKay deserves some levity and it looks like she may get it with this meet-cute!
• The Betting Grid is back!
• Ogilvie and Javadi’s animosity cracks me up.

---

What did you think of this episode of The Pitt? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!

Critic Rating:

Audience Rating:

The Pitt airs Thursday at 9:00 PM ET on HBO Max.

Check out our latest TV recommendations, updated weekly!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!