‘We Try to Keep the Sensationalism to a Dull Roar’

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In simpler terms, the ending of “The Pitt” offers a sense of relief. Throughout the series, Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch has dealt with numerous challenging situations such as a mass shooting, an aggressive patient, an emotionally troubled teenager, a resident at risk of arrest for tampering with her ankle monitor, his own unresolved pandemic trauma, inexperienced medical students, staff shortages, and constant pressure from the hospital administrator. The final hour of work brings less chaos, even though the ER is still busy with critical cases like a patient with a fork in her nose. Finally, after rushing non-stop for 15 hours, the doctors and nurses can take a moment to catch their breath.

In a unique approach compared to many other streaming series, R. Scott Gemmill, co-creator and showrunner of The Pitt, explains that their aim for season one was more of an improvisational process: “Let’s put on a show and figure it out as we go.” Unlike most shows with prewritten scripts, the production process for The Max show is similar to network-style productions, where scripts are developed and revised during filming, and episodes are shot in roughly chronological order. This flexible approach allows Gemmill and the other writers to adapt and respond to casting and filming discoveries. “I prefer to have a general direction,” he says, “but I keep it loose so we can change course if necessary, choosing the most intriguing or what feels most genuine and authentic.

The Pitt isn’t a biased depiction, but it fearlessly shows how societal policies and broader cultural dialogues impact medical professionals. Gemmill is straightforward about his intentions for the series: “It’s not about persuading people with personal agendas. It’s about revealing the challenges society confronts. People often overlook the fact that the ER serves as a safety net for our society, and it grows more essential every year.

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I initially envisioned our series to span across 12 episodes, mirroring the standard shift duration at a hospital. However, Max felt we could delve deeper into the story, leading us to expand to 15 episodes. It’s important to remember that even though a shift is typically 12 hours long, it doesn’t always mean everyone works exactly those hours. Sometimes, there’s additional charting and paperwork that keeps us at work past our usual departure time.

In our series, we aimed to tackle the ongoing issue of mass shootings, an important topic we felt deserved thorough exploration. Thankfully, we didn’t need to invent contrived subplots to stretch the story; the complexity and devastation caused by mass shootings naturally provided us with ample material to fill those extra three episodes.

At what stage had you started creating a 12-episode series when you needed to revise it for the 15-episode format? To begin with, 12 or 15 was more about initial concept than actual structure. The real difficulty lay in deciding when and where should we introduce significant events like mass casualties and major character breakdowns. We could have ended at episode 12, but there were times when we wished we had, especially when we felt fatigued. Where would Robby’s meltdown occur? Should it be in the midst of the mass casualty or toward the end? And after the mass casualty, how many more episodes should follow to avoid an anticlimactic ending? This was the main challenge rather than figuring out how to expand from 12 to 15 episodes. I’m certain that if we had opted for 18 episodes, the crew would have been willing to adapt. However, a 15-episode season of our show is equivalent to 24 regular episodes in terms of workload.

In a more relaxed manner, I’d say: What was your plan for this last episode? It wasn’t as dramatic as typical streaming series finales.
We didn’t want to leave things unresolved with a big cliffhanger. Since we weren’t sure if there would be another season, I didn’t want to leave the audience hanging. We could have ended on a satisfying note. We had already planned how we wanted it to end: The park scene, the rooftop scene, Abbot in front of the hospital with Robby – these were all set up and filmed in September.

In simpler terms, some intense moments we’ve witnessed recently, such as Langdon being expelled, Dana discussing her hospital work after being hit, or Collins riding in the ambulance – these were all trial scenes for the characters. We aimed to get them into these specific situations. When we’re hiring actors who won’t reach those points until episode 12, we need to test these scenes out. We had to write them ourselves. One of the running jokes Noah often teased me about was on the roof, where Abbott says, “Nice speech. I wish I’d given it.” At the time we filmed that in September, no speech had been written yet. And Noah kept saying, “I can’t wait to see my speech!” To which I replied, “That makes two of us, because I have no idea what that idiotic speech is supposed to be.

It’s intriguing to consider how the earlier storylines were developed before incorporating the mass casualty event, particularly in relation to McKay and the troubled teenager, David. The narrative I wanted to explore was: What measures do you take when you are worried about a child who is resistant to the care he needs? We knew we wanted to delve into the topic of mass shootings, as gun violence is an appalling aspect of our society, with alarming statistics for youth. This was something we felt compelled to discuss – not only the immediate impact on victims and survivors but also the challenges faced by those providing care. Moreover, there’s a societal issue with young men struggling to find identities that have significantly evolved over the past 40 years. Many of the individuals committing these crimes are young white males with specific beliefs or frustrations, or lacking a sense of identity. This story seemed like an ideal blend of themes.

Was it predetermined from the start that David’s storyline would conclude with him not being the shooter? Initially, we had some uncertainty and flexibility, allowing us to adjust our direction based on what seemed most intriguing, realistic, or authentic. I enjoy having the freedom to experiment without making firm decisions until we find the optimal way to craft a compelling narrative. In truth, I didn’t want the character to commit the act, but my fondness for Jackson Kelly, who portrayed him, might have played a role in that sentiment.

The conflict between McKay and Robby was rooted in a mutual validity, yet it required resolution, and she perceived that he wasn’t acting swiftly enough. Therefore, she decided to step up and take charge.

Indeed, it’s McKay who initiates the process of reporting David to the police, isn’t it? This is the reason for his shock when the officers arrive and also explains his fury towards her.

It appeared as though Robby was accusing her of something he himself had done, namely involving the police. In the 13th episode, when he orders McKay to clean up a mess that was arguably not hers, it felt unjust to me. This is because Robby has doubts about Theresa’s mental state since she made herself sick to get her son here, and he isn’t sure if this situation warrants police involvement. The police can’t do much with the “list” that McKay reported, so Robby feels betrayed when she takes action without his consent.

When gunfire erupts, Robby directs the police officer attending to the initial injured individuals towards Theresa in the ambulance bay. Robby isn’t certain if her son was involved, but he feels it necessary for the officer to speak with her as a precaution. Although Robby wants to believe David is innocent, he understands that someone must be responsible for this incident. It wouldn’t be right not to inform the officer to look further into David’s case. Robby has accumulated extensive experience over the years, which makes him confident in assessing David’s mental state; however, he cannot definitively rule out David’s involvement until they find the shooter.

For Robby, the circumstances aren’t clear-cut, which creates his discomfort and apprehension. This isn’t a problem that can be easily resolved with medication. As the day progresses and pressures pile up, his frustration grows. He’s upset with Langdon, annoyed with Collins, irritable with McKay, and on top of that, Gloria is pushing him about patient satisfaction. Add to that the death of Adamson, the day’s patients, a mass-casualty situation, the loss of Leah, and his own emotional breakdown – it’s a lot to handle. It’s possible he’s unfairly blaming McKay for things that aren’t her fault. His behavior is becoming increasingly volatile, and he even tells McKay to tidy up her mess. On a different day, Robby might have managed things more effectively, but today he seems particularly overwhelmed.

It seems the writing in this streaming series had an extraordinary level of adaptability. Did you make any modifications along the way, perhaps after characters were chosen or certain actors’ abilities became apparent?

Absolutely. I typically write without specific actors in mind, but once the cast is finalized, you learn their unique talents; their rhythm, their speech patterns, their comedic delivery. The best part of this profession. Gerran Howell’s scenes involving him getting peed on were not originally scripted. The characters Javadi and Mateo emerged from casting two actors who had great chemistry together. McKay’s ankle bracelet was a last-minute decision to make the character more intriguing and complex. Katherine LaNasa offering a mint to Gloria – that was something Katherine brought from her real-life nursing experience. If you keep your mind open and stay flexible, you leave room for surprising ideas that wouldn’t have occurred to you beforehand.

I’m puzzled that the ankle bracelet was included in the final season! It seems unexpected since we had already scripted most of the episodes before filming began. However, because we wrote ten episodes beforehand, we could make changes as needed. It was likely during episode two or three when we realized the character required something more, and the ankle bracelet seemed fitting for McKay. The challenge then became figuring out how to remove it, when it would come off, and how she would disable it. Ideas like that can quickly escalate. That’s what makes the writers’ room so exciting: someone comes up with a brilliant idea, everyone jumps on it, and suddenly it’s like a pack of wild dogs chasing after fresh prey!

You’ve opted for season two to unfold on the Fourth of July, isn’t that correct? However, it’s not the following day, as the events will have just transpired and everyone would still be grappling with the aftermath and PTSD. It will be a rather subdued period, lasting about 15 hours. We wanted to provide ample time for certain developments, and if Langdon were to reappear, he’d need to undergo some post-trauma treatment.

Are we considering working during the winter season instead? We might need a bit more experience under our belt before we return for that cold weather. Eventually, we’ll have to face it, but for now, we just need to get used to colder temperatures. We knew we’d be back in Pittsburgh in September, so we thought about matching the seasons, making September equivalent to somewhere between May and October. Summers can be tricky with various medical issues – holidays like the Fourth of July have many incidents, and we’ve already had a holiday-themed episode last season, Labor Day. It all just fell into place. There are fireworks; someone might not do well in an eating contest; someone might get sunburned. You can see how the cases start pouring in.

Is season two going to consist of 15 episodes once more?
Indeed, the idea of adding more episodes is appealing, but it poses significant challenges for our team. I prefer to deliver a concise and impactful 15 rather than a stretched and less effective 18. Each hour we spend on a shift was beneficial to us as it encourages a unique style of storytelling. It definitely pushes us to think differently.

What impact does this method of storytelling have on the narrative? It requires a more linear progression as opposed to skipping ahead and filling in details later, which can be common in TV series that span days or weeks. For instance, if Robby is in North One and then appears in South 22 in the next scene, you need to find an authentic way to explain how he got there. The story can’t be compressed for the sake of convenience when it comes to storytelling. Additionally, this approach was also used to realistically portray character interactions, especially first encounters. Given different personalities, it takes time to truly understand someone, not just 12 hours. Thus, the task was to present these characters and their relationships in a relatable manner without resorting to excessive exposition.

It occurred to me during the course of the season that I had grown quite attached to these characters, and I became concerned because of the rotations, which made me fear that some of them might not appear again in a potential second season. This has been a challenge for us. Some of the characters are still medical students, so they’ll be around for a bit longer, while others have more control over their decisions. However, some will inevitably need to leave, which goes against the grain of a successful TV series where viewers develop strong attachments to characters. Ideally, this would be an issue we face two or three seasons down the line. For now, we’re addressing it on a season-by-season basis.

After experiencing such a significant incident, I’m not convinced that every season requires a major shocking event. It could turn into a repetitive pattern, and if we look at the responses we’ve received so far, there wasn’t much of that kind of event until episode 11. This was a positive sign because it indicated to us that we don’t necessarily need to create something catastrophic each season. We might introduce situations that cause minor disruptions within the ER, but I’m not certain if we’ll have another mass casualty incident every season, as it could become insincere eventually. One of our main goals is to be authentic and keep the spectacle to a minimum compared to eliciting a response from the audience. We aim to draw in the audience more through intimacy rather than through a grand display; it’s more personal, which seems to be what they are connecting with.

How has the brainstorming process for season two unfolded?

Well, before I walked into this room for season two, I had a stack of ideas ready. There were concepts like safe-haven babies, encounters with ICE in emergency rooms, a few diseases, and a man who appears. His wife is still his emergency contact, but they’re not together because of his actions. Then it might be discovered that he has early onset Huntington’s disease, which explains his behavior and led to her leaving him. The news is filled with so many stories; the challenge is deciding which ones we won’t tell. For us, it’s not about finding stories—it’s about choosing which ones to leave untold.

In terms of the political aspects of the show, do you perceive The Pitt as more about portraying authentic aspects of the healthcare system or advocating for change? We frequently consult with experts on various topics related to healthcare, such as PTSD in the workplace, autism spectrum disorders, immigration policies, and Medicare. Our aim is to give a voice to frontline healthcare workers, and we often ask our guests, “What is one thing you want people to know about your profession that they aren’t aware of?” We aim to shed light on difficult situations in order to raise awareness about how precarious they can be. There’s already a healthcare crisis, but there’s an even greater one looming on the horizon.

In this current era, the narrative about measles seems particularly relevant due to the unprecedented level of deliberate misinformation that’s being spread. Unlike past medical shows where there was always some degree of misinformation, we’re now encountering intentional disinformation that is leading people astray. This disinformation has resulted in a decline in vaccination rates, which in turn causes diseases like measles to resurface. Sadly, this can lead to tragic consequences, as we’ve already seen two child deaths in Texas. It’s heartbreaking because such tragedies could have been avoided through vaccinations. Our goal, in part, is to use our platform to disseminate the message that vaccines are effective and essential for public health.

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2025-04-11 05:58