The Pitt Season 2 Episode 10 Review: 4:00 PM

On The Pitt Season 2 Episode 10, “4:00 PM,” an incident at a waterpark sends more high-trauma patients to the hospital. Meanwhile, McKay and Javadi have a heart-to-heart, Langdon treats Becca, and Mohan has a medical emergency of her own.

As we enter the “4:00 PM” hour, The Pitt creates deeply human and vulnerable moments for our characters in the midst of extreme circumstances. Director Damian Marcano brings a signature balance of kinetic energy and stillness that allows both the anxiety and emotion to equally shine.

Dr. Mohan and Robby

Mohan’s inner and outer world collide in a very public display. Last season, we saw Samira have a private moment where the weight of the day washed over her. “4:00 PM” directly contrasts that moment where the dam breaks at the most inopportune moment.

Mohan’s gentle demeanor melts away as she snaps at coworkers and patients and becomes visibly irritated. Supriya Ganesh pivots her portrayal to an unrecognizable place with chilling effect. It’s jarring to see Mohan conduct herself in a way that feels antithetical to the very thing that makes her a good doctor.

It also parallels Robby’s own breakdown last season. Both characters continue to stifle down their own feelings and struggles until they can’t be ignored anymore. That’s why Robby’s response to Mohan’s panic attack is so frustrating.

Robby is meant to be a flawed character with biases and and shortcomings rather than this infallible hero. His dismissal of her panic attack highlights his hypocrisy but also reveals his own disdain for how he broke down before. The cracks have shown all season long, but this is a major reminder that Robby hasn’t actually done much work on himself at all.

There’s also a disparity in the way Robby supports Mohan versus someone like Whitaker or Ogilvie. Robby is always able to find a bit more grace for them in the wake of their mistakes or their personal baggage whereas Mohan’s is dismissed immediately as a problem. 

The dynamic of Robby and Mohan is rife with tension, bias, and complications. That thorniness is on full, glorious display this episode. Noah Wyle isn’t afraid of making Robby unlikable and fully dives into the weeds with Ganesh keeping up at his side.

It will be interesting to see how their dynamic continues to unfurl in the homestretch of this season, especially with Samira in a bit of a limbo on her future. As “helpful” as Robby thinks he is, he is only contributing to the stress pushing Mohan closer to her breaking point.

Al-Hashimi chastising Robby for his lack of empathy is a winning moment for the character. She doesn’t have the history of Robby, therefore she doesn’t necessarily have to dance around his concerning behavior. She calls it out with no pretense and it feels like the first time Robby’s actually confronted with his difficult behavior.

While Al-Hashimi hasn’t consistently had popular methods in the Pitt, she understands the importance of empathy in an environment like this. She’s guided by a pure principle and, while her desire for efficiency may distract, she remains people-focused.

McKay, Javadi, and Motherhood

One of the softer, emotional storylines of this season is McKay’s patient Roxie. Roxie has been an exploration of dying with dignity and empathy in a profoundly honest way. “4:00 PM” sets us on the homestretch of the journey as Roxie begins her good-byes with her family.

The heaviness of Roxie’s reality hits hard for in for all involved, including Javadi. She acknowledges her own guilt as she witnesses a mother losing time with her children while she avoids time with her own. 

This profession affects healthcare workers in myriad ways, but this is a momenta moment where the patient holds a mirror to the practitioner’s own life. It’s not an exact replica, but it hits poignantly and takes on extra weight for the people taking care of her.

It raises an interesting point of boundaries with patients and the difficulty that comes from simply having a very human response to something heavy like death. Javadi is not wrong for what she feels, but has to somehow stomach it to support her patients.

Javadi’s very human moment also allows her and McKay to really connect again. Their relationship was a major highlight of Season 1, so it’s nice to see them together again, especially given how much Javadi took from her time with McKay.

Fiona Dourif masters this blend of gentle firmness. McKay doesn’t shy away from saying the difficult thing, but Dourif always delivers it from the warmest depths of her soul. We see this again as McKay talks to Roxie’s eldest son, offering very sobering insight with unmatched compassion. 

Though we don’t see McKay’s son, Harrison, this season, McKay’s maternal nature is on full glorious display here. Through the way she continues to show up for everyone involved with Roxie’s case, we get a beautiful window into her own role as a mother. She understands so much about what this moment means from multiple angles.

Meanwhile, Javadi can’t seem to breakthrough with her own mother. Their exchange feels promising, but the moment is dashed immediately. Shabana Azeez wears the heartbreak like a surgical mask and it seems to send her further into turmoil. Getting to a good place with her mother feels that much more impossible.

Despite how much we wish Roxie could inspire a reconciliation, we know it’s not always that simple. We can’t simply hug and make it all go away. Sometimes, when we do give people a chance, they disappoint us. 

It’s particularly nice to see McKay and Mohan shine a bit more when they were a bit more relegated in the front half of the season. In an episode that feels like the largest in terms of scope so far this season, it also feels the most tender. The anxiety intertwines with the heartbreak in an interesting, but effective way.

Stray Thoughts

• Santos and Langdon are about to blow up any moment now. Things are somehow getting more tense.
• Garcia and Santos’ conversation keys us into just how much Santos was affected by Langdon. She apparently talks about it so much to the point Garcia doesn’t want to hear about it, while Santos feels like a pariah because she spoke up.
• I really commend the way Becca is being portrayed as an autonomous being with desires. We don’t get to see that often with neurodivergent characters.

 

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

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