One of the topics I often find myself addressing in TV shows is how the writing and performances can dismantle toxic masculinity and why that continues to be an excellent and significant narrative. The Pitt Season 1 is especially great at navigating through this subtly, and the season finale, “9:00 P.M.,” locks it into place with a verbal brawl that feels like a long time coming between Noah Wyle’s Dr. Robby and Patrick Ball’s Dr. Langdon.
Addiction is a sensitive topic to handle when we’re still living in a time where people have yet to process that it’s a disease and not some sort of character flaw to vilify. With this in mind, the approach the series takes to showcase Langdon’s journey throughout the single day and where it leaves him and Robby’s dynamic is no small feat. It’s a testament to the writing and the performances that we see depictions of complex male figures who are products of how society views them, and what that means for their mental health going forward.
Unless The Pitt drastically slows down with pacing, viewers are likely only going to get glimpses of what the characters’ personal lives look like outside of their work shifts. The series’ one-day approach is part of its appeal, and it’s not something I’d want to see altered. Still, we do get enough puzzle pieces throughout that we’re able to construct into some sort of an image by the end. We’re left with enough questions that make it relatively straightforward to start asking the right questions. From the get-go, it’s clear that both men are dealing with something. Robby shouldn’t be working this shift because it’s the anniversary of Dr. Adamson’s death (and maybe a part of him still hasn’t fully grieved), while Langdon is doing a lot of overcompensating to make his home life something it isn’t. Does he know how to be a good husband? Are he and his wife on good terms? What’s got him so agitated and riled up that he isn’t meeting her halfway and forcing Dana to question all his moves?
If Langdon had some sort of healthy approach to addressing his emotions, then it’d be simpler for him to have gone to Robby about his withdrawals instead of taking matters into his own hands. In addition, his wife should be his partner in all of this, so it’s also worth asking how much she knows, notices, and how that plays into their dynamic. So, again—what’s life at home like for him? Judging by the approach he takes to talk Mel through her much-needed break, we can decipher that there’s empathy and gentleness in him, yet it’s locked inside his need to chase thrills instead of sitting still. We also have his comment about his ADHD, which is another thing to wonder about, and what the next steps have been since his diagnosis. (Also, does he have an actual diagnosis, or is he doing the millennial thing of saying you have something solely because you match the criteria of a list made by someone who isn’t even a medical professional? Yes, he’s a doctor, but again, who’s he talking to?)
Ultimately, what’s clear as day here is that neither Langdon nor Robby has someone they feel comfortable enough to really talk to. Because of societal expectations, both men harbor this intrinsic need to be strong, which makes their argument in the ambulance bay as compelling as it is heartbreaking. (Note: Robby lets his walls down a smidge with Dr. Collins, but he’s still reserving so much.)
Anyone who’s been around someone with an addiction knows that it’s easier for them to push back and crush the person in front of them than it is to admit that something’s wrong. A large part of recovery and sobriety is getting to the place where you can recognize what’s harmful, but that’s not where Frank is at this moment. He was not only caught, but he was caught by an intern, making it all the more frustrating for him to recognize what’s really at stake here. He’s comfortable enough to confide in Dana, sure, but even there, he’s internally combating the fear of what’ll happen and the knowledge that this is no longer his sole secret. He isn’t in the right headspace to fully let his walls down, so he puts up a fight and bites back defensively. Plus, now that they don’t have critical patients to focus on, every voice inside Langdon’s head and every ache is louder, forcing him to confront those demons in the only way he knows how to.
Now, before we deep dive into the conversation with Robby, we need to talk about Patrick Ball’s performance throughout the episode. The words on the page are one thing, but the way Ball brings them to life is so gripping that it’s painful to watch. We get glimpses of Langdon’s boyish charm throughout the season, but all at once and with a single expression, Ball makes him look so small it’s haunting. From the way his voice fractures a bit when he says, “What I am is scared,” to the pain that flashes in his eyes, Ball shows viewers how terrifying this vulnerability is for Frank. And because he isn’t ready to deal with it, he’s going to fight twice as hard, making the conversation with Robby that much more intense.
There’s so much nuance in the conversation between Dr. Robby and Langdon that filling the space with wordless acknowledgments is the fantastic work Ball and Noah Wyle are doing. There’s no denying that the men care for each other, but there’s also no denying that they’re two sides of the same messed-up, battered coin.
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Robby spends the majority of the season wondering if everyone’s okay when he’s the one who needs a shoulder to cry on, yet when push comes to shove, he wants to deny that as well. Still, he’s had his breakdown—he’s reached the point of no return during this shift, so while the dam is broken in him, he can admit to Langdon that he let him down. Robby can remark that Langdon should’ve come to him, even if Langdon isn’t ready to hear that, because here, Robby’s already at wits’ end. His pain is out in the open, while Langdon still hasn’t grappled with the fact that he can no longer hide behind a shiny, seemingly perfect exterior. He’s cut open, but he refuses to acknowledge that he’s actually bleeding.
Again, the accuracy of how The Pitt’s Season 1 finale brings Langdon’s addiction to the middle of an already dark night is exemplary in underscoring how addiction is a struggle. It’s proof that because men are so often scorned when they’re vulnerable, it’s easier to be vicious and patronizing than it is to admit that the pain is unbearable. Nothing is more noticeable than the fact that Langdon regrets the words coming out of his mouth right as he says them, but he isn’t ready for that truth yet. And with The Pitt Season 2 taking place ten months later during the Fourth of July weekend, it’ll be engrossing to see where this leaves both the men after their fallout.
Related Content: Scene Breakdown: Dr. Robby’s Moment of Vulnerability in The Pitt’s ‘7:00 P.M.’
Slowly, but surely, I imagine that The Pitt will continue to explore how vulnerability is a strength, and why it’s imperative not to bottle emotions because human beings are only capable of withholding so much before the truth spills out in a time where we aren’t ready to confront it. This is what unravels in The Pitt Season 1 finale, and it’s one of the many reasons the show’s fantastic in its approach of acknowledging raw human complexities. Robby’s guttural curse at the end of the scene? That’s likely going to haunt Langdon, and I can’t wait to see how it all pans out.
The Pitt Season 1 is now streaming on Max.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Max