The Pitt Season 1 On TNT: Essential Reading For Episodes 4-6

As "The Pitt" makes its basic-cable debut on TNT — rolling out three uncut episodes every Monday in December — TVLine is looking back at the Emmy-winning medical drama's first season and resurfacing key coverage ahead of Season 2's January premiere on HBO Max. To protect first-time viewers, please keep comments limited to Episodes 4-6. (For coverage of Episodes 1-3, go here.)

Episode 4, written by series star Noah Wyle, marks a turning point for Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch. A family's bedside goodbye — and Ho'oponopono, a Hawaiian healing ritual passed down by former ED chief Dr. Montgomery Adamson — triggers memories of the day Robby lost his mentor to COVID. Additional flashbacks to that fateful day — and a mounting panic attack — reveal just how deeply that loss still reverberates for him.

As Wyle explained to TVLine at the time, "The flashbacks — the moments of hesitation that he has throughout the day — are all building to a climax [where] he really does not want to be part of his present." He wanted to subvert the idea of the unflappable medical hero, noting, "At the end of the day, we don't live in a Marvel universe where superheroes fix our problems... I wanted to play a guy that I think is a hero, but does not think of himself as a hero."

Read the full interview for Wyle's complete breakdown of this pivotal hour.

Episode 5 introduces 17-year-old Jake (played by Taj Speights), who stops by PTMC to retrieve a pair of festival passes from Robby — and while first-time viewers may assume there's a familial connection, he is not related to Robby. "I don't think it's a spoiler to say that he's not Robby's stepson," Wyle told TVLine at the time, dispelling any fan speculation. "Robby dated Jake's mother for a couple of years, a couple of years ago, and [he] formed this lovely friendship [with Jake] that is about as close to a familial bond as he knows. He invests a lot in that relationship."

As Season 1 marches on, "you'll get specificity, and you'll at least get context for these relationships [in Robby's life]," Wyle promised — including his current relationship (and former romance) with senior resident Dr. Heather Collins (Tracy Ifeachor).

For those rewatching "The Pitt" ahead of Season 2, you'll find all of our one-on-ones with Wyle in the video embedded at the top of this post. The spoiler-filled Q&A explores the show's origins, Wyle's personal connection to the song that opens Episode 1 (and its possible tie to "ER"), and several key developments from the back half of the series' freshman run.

If you're watching on TNT for the very first time, feel free to press play on the video directly above — this particular cut won't spoil anything beyond this week's marathon. Then, once you've made it through Episodes 4-6, head to the comments and let us know how you're enjoying the show.