Santos and Collins each deal with moral quandaries. Samira's careful approach earns praise from patients - and reproach from Robby.
Every episode concludes with something dramatic happening. It's a familiar structure in television to compel interest in the next episode. It leaves the viewer wanting more. It's notable in this narrative simply because of the real-time format. It almost suggests that something dramatic always happens in the Pitt near the top of the hour. Of course, chaos consumes the Pitt at every single moment. It's a lot for the characters to juggle. Yet the familiarity of this device is prominent too. A woman comes running through the Pitt looking to prevent an abortion. It's not because Robby and Collins have knowingly falsified medical records. Instead, she reveals herself to be the patient's true mother. She objects to the procedure. It's probably a bit more melodramatic than the show has been up to this point. It still grapples with the realities of this situation. The doctors know how different a matter of days can be in this case. That's the difference between their patient being eligible for a medical abortion. Robby takes responsibility over the matter. Collins is still caught in the middle too. She knows precisely what happened. She didn't question the relationship between the patient and the person who brought her in. However, the situation is fraught with so much more drama. The mother wants her daughter to continue with the pregnancy no matter what. To her, an abortion should never happen.
That's the dramatic ending that propels the story to whatever comes next. The passage of time is noted largely by the people in the waiting area. That's mostly measured through Doug's complaints. He demands to be seen. He wants to cut the line believing he takes priority. The staff doesn't have anything to do for him at this moment. They run repeat labs to monitor his condition. That's all they can offer. Nothing is too concerning. Of course, that's obviously foreshadowing something dire to come. It hasn't happened yet. However, that moment almost feels inevitable at this point. The show has simply built it up too much to be anything else. Doug hasn't disappeared for a couple of episodes only to pop up again. He makes noise whenever the action cuts to the waiting area. Meanwhile, McKay is pleasantly surprised and happy to accommodate when her burn patient actually returns to get treated. That provides her the grace and dignity to open up about her life. That's meaningful character development. It also spotlights the emotional maturity she has especially in comparison to the judgmental Javadi. That should be a given based on their ages and experiences. It also highlights how tough love is the way this system operates. Harsh things are said in the hopes of helping these students learn and grow.
McKay doesn't have a perfect life simply because she's a doctor. She has to break down that preconception in order to connect with her patient. She has to share her story to be better accessible to the patient who needs help. It's slow and methodical work. It has the potential to be just as healing as the treatment being done on the hand. Meanwhile, Javadi just openly suggests a social worker needs to come in and provide easy solutions. It's a matter of privacy and dignity. She doesn't have the same lived experience. She doesn't know any better. And so, the situation worsens. McKay and Javadi have a relaxed dynamic. Then, Javadi started snooping around about the ankle monitor. Her opinion about McKay changed without having the maturity to talk about it with her. McKay noticed the shift. It's something she has endured before. She knows how to address these obstacles. She has the authority to criticize Javadi's actions. The med student wasn't coming from a sincere place. She has a lot to learn. Only so much can fit into this shift though. The characters may not experience a ton of growth. They still have to do their jobs in the Pitt. That's the reality of this work. They have to set aside their egos to navigate this complicated, chaotic system. That's true even when they receive conflicting guidance from their superiors.
Mohan is eager to tout her research looking into the ways different hospital systems treat patients of color. It's important work. She experiences it firsthand. She acts with compassion towards those she sees being abused by the system. She takes a keen interest in Joyce's care. The patient has to be intubated. The decision needs to be made as soon as possible. It's Mohan's job to get Joyce and her wife to accept that reality. It's a daunting prospect. It's in the aim of saving her life. It's what needs to be done. Robby doesn't have time to waste. He jumps from one case to the next. He oversees everything. He needs to trust his staff is able to handle all of these tasks. Collins doesn't have that same responsibility. And so, she recognizes Mohan's skills and compassion. Care wasn't compromised. Everything remains deliberate. The doctors don't have to rush through their actions. They can take their time. They have to get things right. They shouldn't face any stigma over human error either. Santos feels she will be blamed over not injecting medication fast enough. She races through life. That urgency is the priority. It also makes her quick to deflect and shift blame instead of facing the demands of the job. That's why this practical experience is necessary. Only so much can be learned from textbooks. This is how medicine is applied. It requires a delicate touch and understanding that every patient responds differently.
Throughout all of that, Whitaker also has to endure repeatedly being hit with bodily floods. It has become a recurring bit. He has to get new scrubs after seeing every patient it seems. It intensifies a bit here. That escalation is significant. It's not as if the show can keep building on this idea. It's just a normal function. Whitaker requires scrubs. The hospital must provide them to him. He must change to ensure no cross-contamination occurs. It's happened multiple times already. It will probably keep happening. There really isn't more to it than that. It's actually more insightful when he must respond in the heat of the moment. Sure, a patient shouldn't be surprised to learn a student doctor has been treating them. That should be part of the informed consent process. However, Whitaker remains capable of the applications of medicine in this setting. He's thrown when a blister bursts. He has a team of people willing to step in and help him when needed. He's also shocked when a patient vomits blood. But again, he stays in an uncomfortable situation doing what's necessary to treat his patients. It's uplifting. He may be the butt of the joke because of what he has endured so far. It hasn't defeated him. He hasn't been able to let it go either. He still lingers over the patient he lost. That hasn't diminished his skills. He's learning. That's all that is needed right now.
