Season 2 of “The Pitt” on HBO Max picks up with Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) on his first day back at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center following a stint in rehab. Langdon’s journey toward recovery begins in Episode 10 of Season 1 when Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) finds stolen benzodiazepines in his locker and a heated confrontation ensues.
Although 10 months have gone by since the events of Season 1 of the acclaimed medical drama, Robby immediately distances himself from Langdon. According to Wyle, his character doesn’t avoid his former protégé out of simple anger or discomfort.
“Robby feels that he failed Langdon, as a mentor and as an attending,” Wyle told EW. “And … Langdon represents somebody who’s actually gone off and done the work and faced their demons and done the therapeutic process and come back clear-headed and clear-hearted. And to somebody who has not begun that process, that feels a bit like kryptonite.”
The fact that Langdon’s first post-rehab shift happens to be Robby’s final shift before a three-month sabbatical also ups the tension. “That sort of threw a monkey wrench into [Robby’s] plans for the day,” explained series creator and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill. “It’s only a matter of time before they have to work together and try and resolve this. And whether they do or not remains to be seen.”
The rest of the hospital staff are pleasantly surprised to see Langdon return to work. Langdon is clearly motivated to make amends, even directly apologizing to alcoholic patient Louie Cloverfield (Ernest Harden Jr.) for stealing his Librium nearly a year earlier.
