Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Pitt episode 13!As of The Pitt episode 13, Robby and the rest of the doctors at the trauma hospital have officially begun working overtime. However, it’s not acknowledged in the episode, with everyone preoccupied by even more gruesome injuries from PittFest’s shooting victims. This episode features not only The Pitt‘s gory medical realism but also an emotional test as Robby tries to hold himself together. This doesn’t last long, though, as Jake’s fate is revealed, sending him into a spiral as he finally reaches his breaking point.
But it’s not just about the senior attending’s experiences either, as the younger doctors-in-training are forced to take charge in various life-threatening scenarios. This includes some of the most time-sensitive patients they’ve needed to treat, with many suffering injuries that stick in the mind long after the episode has ended. Despite bits of conflict between some characters, everyone’s professionalism during such an arduous time shows how much they’ve grown over the shift. It also lays the groundwork for the final hours while still making this one engaging.
The Pitt’s Trainees Get A Chance To Save Lives On Their Own
Everyone’s Quick Thinking Becomes Important For Many Patients
At first, it’s unclear if the young trainees at the hospital can handle more patients rolling in. Whittaker accidentally drills an IO into an awake patient’s arm, while there’s not enough time to monitor some like Grayson, who passes out from blood buildup in his head injury. However, the team of trainees pulls itself together and assesses various cases. With Grayson, for example, they improvise and use an IO drill to relieve cranial pressure, a risky move that ultimately pays off.
[Mel’s patient is] a perfect illustration of the mental attributes doctors need to look out for in major scenarios like this, while emphasizing how observant the trainees have become.
As some of the least experienced characters in The Pitt, however, it does become difficult for them to manage everything. Whittaker is treating a woman named Carmen with an upper leg gunshot wound that won’t stop bleeding. While he’s eventually able to quell the flow of blood, she passes out from the blood loss, alongside internal bleeding pushing against her bladder. Luckily, Santos makes an executive call to perform a risky REBOA to control her blood flow. While Dr. Abbott reprimands her for not coming to a senior doctor first, he’s impressed by her quick call that saved Carmen’s life.
But it’s not just physical damage the doctors have to deal with, as Mel ends up monitoring a woman who’s behaving oddly throughout the episode. Despite being told to stay in a wheelchair, she walks around to observe the horrors of the hospital as doctors are trying to save as many lives as possible. Mel believes the woman could have possible PTSD from the shooting, which would explain her behavior. It’s a perfect illustration of the mental attributes doctors need to look out for in major scenarios like this, while emphasizing how observant the trainees have become.
Robby Reaches His Breaking Point As Jake Arrives At The Hospital
Another Familiar Face Also Returns
As for Robby, he’s trying to save as many lives as possible, starting with the police officer shot in the face at the end of The Pitt episode 12. His worry about Jake lingers in the back of his mind until midway through the episode, when he arrives in the back of a pickup alongside his girlfriend, Leah. She’s been shot through the chest, while Robby’s stepson is bleeding heavily from the leg. The episode confirms Robby used to date Jake’s mother and they kept in touch, adding more depth to their relationship as events take a serious turn.
While Jake is okay, Leah is not; a bullet ripped a massive hole into the left side of her chest. She comes in without a pulse, prompting Robby to use four liters of blood in a desperate attempt to bring her back. Abbott swoops in again, seeing how much he’s struggling, gently telling him she’s probably not going to survive. It doesn’t seem to get through at first, until his friend tells him how many lives could be lost if he keeps focusing on Leah. Unfortunately, Robby is forced to accept the fact his stepson’s girlfriend has died.
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The Pitt Episode 11 Review: I’m Still Reeling From 2 Big Cases & 1 Horrific Cliffhanger In Medical Drama’s Best Episode Yet
The Pitt episode 11 features the deadliest cases Robby and the hospital have had to deal with, all while the promise of tragedy looms on the horizon.
The Pitt‘s realistic depiction of Leah’s death is compounded by the arrival of David, who saunters in looking to pick up his mother, Theresa. He’s tackled by SWAT then taken into the hospital to treat a possible concussion. When law enforcement accuses him of being the shooter, he snaps back, denying it.
Earlier in the episode, a man with a gun holster near his foot was identified not to be the shooter, meaning whoever it is remains at large.
While there’s no confirmation by the end of the episode, his confident return coupled with adamant denial makes it unclear if he really is the shooter. However, his phone was at PittFest when the shooting happened, meaning he could have some insight, even if he didn’t do it.
Episode 13’s Final Scene Encapsulates Everything The Pitt Has Been Building To
How Will Robby Handle The Shift’s Final Hours?
Image via Max
The most memorable moment of episode 13 happens at the very end, when Robby tells Jake that Leah is dead. Despite not being hospital policy, he makes an exception for him to see her body, which is in the pediatric room with all other deceased victims. It parallels a previous scene where Kiara spoke to a woman in the waiting room about her husband, confirming his death. However, this is more personal because of the connection Robby and Jake have, making the senior attending finally cry as the day weighs on him.
But the breaking point comes when a grieving Jake asks why he couldn’t save her. Robby starts having flashes to when Adamson died, revealing a terrible truth: he had to turn off Adamson’s oxygen supply. The grief he’s felt has been mixed with pangs of guilt, with Jake’s questions paralleling the responsibility he now feels for every life the hospital loses. Noah Wyler puts on a powerful performance as Robby’s face reddens with sadness and anger, listing off everyone who’s died that day before wheeling Jake out and having a panic attack, curling up on the floor.
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Upcoming Episodes of The Pitt |
Release Dates |
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Season 1, Episode 14: “8:00 P.M.” |
04-03-2025 |
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Season 1, Episode 15: “9:00 P.M.” |
04-10-2025 |
With only two episodes left, The Pitt‘s final stretch will no doubt focus on the aftermath of Robby breaking down. The senior attending doesn’t seem to be in the right mental state to continue, meaning it will fall to Abbott, Langdon, and the younger doctors to keep everything going as the last hours tick by. What this means for Robby, however, remains up in the air. Since there’s still two episodes left, he’s unlikely to go home; whatever he decides to do next could be what heals him, or spells disaster for the patients under his care.
New episodes of The Pitt arrive Thursdays at 9pm ET on Max.
The Pitt
9/10
- Release Date
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January 9, 2025
