'The Pitt' Season 2 Episode 14 Recap: Robby’s devastating confession confirms one thing fans feared
The penultimate episode of 'The Pitt' Season 2 aired on April 9 on HBO Max. As most of the day shift staff clock out and make way for the night shift’s members, a few stay back to finish the digital charting. Despite his shift ending, Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) sticks around the ER, where his poor mental state is like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Season 2 has been hinting at his suicidal state from the beginning, with Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) and Dr. Jack Abbot (Shawn Hatosy) fearing for their friend's safety. In this episode, Robby finally expresses his concerns about the sabbatical and his future. Titled '8:00 P.M.,' the episode is written by Wyle and directed by Uta Briesewitz.
Orlando Diaz's (William Guirola) case is heartbreaking, and resonates with so many families grappling with the high cost of medicine in the U.S. The construction worker suffered from life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and was only taking half his prescribed dosage due to the high cost of insulin and a lack of insurance. In episode 13, Robby thought Diaz had committed suicide to ease his family's financial strain. In this week's episode, he tells Dr. Samira Mohan (Supriya Ganesh) that Diaz should have jumped from a higher place while trying to end his life, showing a drastic change in his level of empathy towards patients and also his dire mental state. Robby also loses his cool at the 20-year-old Javadi for filming TikToks inside the hospital, until Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif) explains that she is using the platform to locate Jesse Van Horn (Ned Brower), who was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Robby delivers the grim prognosis to his mechanic friend, Duke Ekins (Jeff Kober), that he has a 50% chance of dying within the next year if he doesn't get surgery. When the ambulance accidentally knocks over Robby’s motorcycle while bringing in a patient, Ekins takes out his tools and starts fixing the bike for his friend. The two men share a moment, where Robby finally admits that he isn't sure he wants to be 'here' anymore. He adds that leading Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center’s (PTMC) emergency department gives him a sense of purpose. However, he doesn't know how to deal with life if he leaves the hospital, and the sabbatical may be his version of running away from his problems once and for all. Sensing that his friend may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, Ekins gets through to him by asking him to set a better example for his students and not running away from his problems: "Is that what you want to teach your students?"
Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) treats a patient with a spinal cord injury with a risky maneuver called the blind closed reduction. He pulls it off brilliantly, saves the patient, and even earns Robby’s respect. Langdon is clearly on a high after the procedure, but his mood shifts when Evans reminds him that he missed his drug test at 8 p.m. Given the strict terms to return to work at the PTMC, a missed drug test may question his future at the hospital. Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell) spends most of the episode searching for his newly minted doctor’s badge, which he misplaced. He is no longer the punching bag from Season 1 as he takes a stand for himself when Langdon makes some sarcastic remarks, leaving Langdon impressed at his newfound confidence. But when he orders a Lyft for a patient, who turns out to be racist and vomits in the car, he is forced to pay a $250 fine.
Meanwhile, Dr. Baran Al Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi) consults Robby on a forty-year-old female's case with a history of seizure disorder and viral meningitis. While reading the chart, Robby realizes that it's Al Hashimi's diagnosis. Her frequent episodes of freezing up randomly while treating patients finally make sense. Her condition also explains why she called a neurologist in the bathroom earlier in the season, and it seems that she is concerned about the effects of her condition. But it also gives Robby another reason to doubt her capabilities to manage the ER in his absence. Tune in for the finale of 'The Pitt' Season 2 at 9 p.m. ET on April 16 only on HBO Max
