HBO Max‘s The Pitt has carved out its place in the medical genre. The series made an award-winning splash in the first season, and Season 2 is more of the same. That includes some of the same weaknesses, but most of the same strengths are back on deck, too.

It’s an efficient return for the hit show, which began its first season on January 9, 2025 and is back almost exactly a year later. The on-screen gap is almost as long. One character makes reference to happenings in Season 1 being “ten months ago,” and viewers are quickly made aware that Season 2 takes place on the Fourth of July. This passage of time is a natural opportunity to introduce new characters and changes for the old ones, and most of those work.

The primary dynamic in Season 2 is between Dr. Robby (a once again on-point Noah Wyle, who could probably recite medical jargon in his sleep at this point) and the new ER attending, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi. “Dr. Al,” as she’s called, is portrayed by Sepideh Moafi (The L Word: Generation Q) and fills the spot in the ensemble created by actor Tracy Ifeachor’s departure. But whereas Dr. Robby and Ifeachor’s character Dr. Heather Collins were friends, Dr. Robby and Dr. Al are uneasy colleagues. The Pitt creates a push-pull similar to what happened last season on Chicago Med: the experienced veteran at odds with the younger, more aggressive newcomer. One of the ideas Dr. Al brings in is the use of generative AI, which feels like a story requirement for every medical drama at this point. None of this is a bad idea; it’s just been done before.

But the season also doesn’t shy away from probing further into one of the show’s best stories. Dr. Frank Langdon returns to the ER after time spent in rehab, and now has to prove himself all over again. Actor Patrick Ball is great in portraying a version of Langdon who feels very different—vulnerable, anxious and quieter. It’s clear that the character has changed, and his addiction isn’t just tossed aside because it took place last season. Maybe it’s easier to incorporate that due to The Pitt‘s real-time format, but the creative team still deserves credit for making that commitment, and Ball has just added a whole other layer to an already complex character. Plus, Langdon’s friendship with Melissa King (played by Taylor Dearden) is brought almost right back into the narrative, and it’s lovely to see that continue to develop.

One of the things that vacillated in Season 1 was a sense of all the main characters. Dr. Robby was front and center as he should have been, and there were excellent stories for Langdon, Collins and Dana at different times. But the medical students and interns could sometimes slip into archetypes. The Pitt Season 2 has pushed all of the characters forward, in large and small ways. Langdon has a fantastic opening arc, but then there are other subtler progressions, like Whitaker’s added confidence and Donnie having become a father.

The Pitt Season 2 jumps right back into all manner of medical maladies as well. The show struggles when it writes cases purely for comic relief, but it still has ways to cut right to the heart when dealing with serious subjects. Abuse is once again a topic, in different ways than Season 1. There’s also another emotionally startling storyline right off the bat, although it takes a few episodes to develop. The real-time approach keeps a very deliberate pacing; there’s no tension manufactured by quick cuts or dramatic underscore. There are moments when viewers may want things to move a little faster. But one of the things that has made The Pitt so popular is that it doesn’t adhere to the same style choices as the traditional medical drama.

In fact, Season 2’s biggest criticism comes when it gets too close to that expected line. The detours into banter between characters don’t always work, most notably when Trinity Santos is used to stir the pot again. That was the same issue with her character last year, and then she blossomed when The Pitt dug into who she truly was. It takes a while for Season 2 to get past her sarcasm a second time. Yet there aren’t too many of those predictable beats.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that this series still isn’t for the faint of heart or those uncomfortable with graphic medical content. The Pitt is literally up close and personal with bloody surgeries and other procedures in ways that no other medical drama is. That has its place in putting the audience right in the thick of the action, but it’s also not going to be for everyone. Yet The Pitt Season 2 retains almost everything that made the first season so successful, and the show is wisely sticking to its guns. It’s likely to pick up a few more awards along the way.

The Pitt streams Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT on HBO Max. Photo Credit: Courtesy of HBO Max.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.