The Pitt Recap: The Groundskeeper at Three Rivers Stadium

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Things are starting to feel really tense at Pitt. With the Fourth of July and all the talk of revolution and fireworks, it’s like a slow build-up to something. After six hours, we’re noticing some spots where things could potentially escalate.

The situation at Westbridge is still unclear, with no resolution yet for Ahmad’s board, but things are definitely getting more intense. Patient numbers at PTMC are continuing to rise rapidly. Robby, Dana, and Dr. Al are struggling to manage the overwhelming influx of patients in the emergency room, and all the surgeons are currently occupied. The waiting room was already extremely crowded early this morning, so it’s likely even worse now. The hospital is reaching its breaking point. Beyond that, several other emotionally charged situations are on the verge of escalating. I’m particularly watching Robby and Langdon, as Robby is avoiding his former protégé, but they’re stuck working closely together for a long shift, and Langdon seems determined to reconcile. The ongoing tension between Robby and Dr. Al-Hashimi is also a concern. Plus, Santos is already struggling to handle multiple tasks and is frustrating her supervisors with her difficulties, which could lead to further problems. And to top it all off, it’s incredibly hot outside, making an already difficult situation even worse. When I’m already miserable from the heat, dealing with illness is unbearable. Everything is building up inside PTMC, and the system can’t sustain this level of stress.

Adding to the already heavy emotions, Louie, a familiar face at the ER, has passed away. Robby and Langdon did everything they could, but he began to bleed heavily as soon as they put in the breathing tube, and it quickly became clear there was no hope. It was heartbreaking to see Dana realize what was happening when Robby simply shook his head, and Perlah was understandably devastated. Louie’s body had fought hard for a long time, but he couldn’t survive a severe lung bleed.

The news has upset most of the staff, though Ogilvie seems unaffected. Even if he didn’t know the patient well, a little respect for colleagues is expected. It was particularly insensitive when he bluntly announced a patient’s death to Whitaker, who was trying to deliver the news gently. It’s a simple matter of being considerate. Unfortunately, Ogilvie remains unpleasant. Despite claiming to love working in the ER, I couldn’t help but wish something – anything – would distract him.

Langdon is understandably devastated by the loss of his dog, Louie. Combined with his recent serious illness and recovery, it’s been a difficult time for him. To make matters worse, they’ve just learned the waitress who also suffered from the infection will need to have her leg amputated. Dana finds Langdon feeling down and reminds him that he isn’t responsible for either of these tragedies. They finally have a chance to talk, and Langdon is amazed that his wife stayed with him throughout everything. He also feels abandoned by the hospital staff during his rehabilitation. Dana has decided not to pursue legal action against Doug Driscoll, who assaulted her previously, and she couldn’t stay away from work for long. Believing Langdon deserves forgiveness, she interrupts his apology, telling him, “Consider us even, we’re good.”

It’s good to see Dana and Langdon still have a strong connection this season, but Dana is clearly struggling. Early on, she told Robby she’d prioritize herself and keep work separate from her personal life, but it was obvious she wouldn’t be able to. We’re already seeing her attempts at boundaries fall apart. Though she doesn’t talk about it as much as other staff, she’s deeply affected by Louie’s death. She uses the situation to teach Emma a difficult skill and give Perlah a break, but it’s clear she wanted to do something special for Louie one last time. The care she puts into preparing his body for viewing – the detail about tucking him in and leaving a hand exposed for visitors – is incredibly touching. The Pitt is great at staging complex scenes, but these quiet, powerful moments – like when Kiara and Lupe identified bodies in the pediatrics room – are what really stand out.

I was really struck by Dana’s conversation with Emma about working through the pandemic. She talked about how heartbreaking it was that so many people didn’t get the proper goodbyes, and how many died feeling completely alone. It’s clear the experience deeply affected her, and she shared how many of her colleagues just couldn’t continue after everything. The PittFest shooting seemed to be the final straw for her, but it’s obvious her sadness goes much deeper than that. When Emma asked why she went back to work when so many others didn’t, she just couldn’t bring herself to answer. And it’s so sad – she doesn’t even want to participate in the debriefing about Louie.

This season, Dana is letting her vulnerability show more, but she’s still fundamentally resilient. Despite trying to set limits, she consistently acts on impulse, as demonstrated by how she handles the case of inmate Gus. While Dr. Al fights to get Gus admitted for treatment of severe malnutrition, Robby refuses to free up a bed. It’s clear Robby isn’t providing equal care to all patients, as his bias against Gus is evident. However, when Dana discovers Gus is from her hometown and used to work at a bar she frequented – a place where she had her first kiss – she reverts to her old ways. Suddenly, Gus, who was previously stable, experiences a drop in oxygen levels after Dana intervenes, forcing Robby to admit him for observation. Dana remains tight-lipped about what happened, but her expression when Robby pointedly asks if she’s stopped going above and beyond for patients speaks volumes. That’s the Dana we know.

It’s probably for the best that Dana isn’t at the debriefing—it’s a very emotional room. Langdon discovered a photo of Louie with a woman in his wallet, and Robby explained that Louie was once married. He used to work as a groundskeeper at Three Rivers Stadium. His wife desperately wanted a child, and she became pregnant, but tragically, she and the baby died in a car accident shortly before the due date. Robby says Louie was never the same after that. I really hope Ogilvie is feeling awful right now, but I doubt he is.

Roxie is really struggling, both physically and emotionally. She’s in a lot of pain, and the high dose of medication she needs surprises even the medical staff. But what’s even harder for her is seeing how much her husband, Paul, is sacrificing to care for her. She feels like he’s losing himself as he takes on all the responsibilities for their family. As they prepare to take her home, she’s overwhelmed by the thought of him continuing to carry such a heavy load. He insists he’s happy to do it because he loves her, but Roxie can’t bear to see him suffer. She asks him to go home and rest, offering to wait for the ambulance with her friend, Lena. She needs him to have a break, and perhaps she needs a break from feeling guilty. The other women present understand what she’s trying to say, even if Paul doesn’t, and they convince him it’s a good idea. He leaves, and Roxie stays, and I’m worried about what will happen next.

Discharge Papers

Robby now has another issue to deal with involving Dr. Al. Dr. Al encouraged Santos to use an AI program for charting, but Santos, being very tired, didn’t double-check the AI’s work before sending it. This led to inaccurate patient notes and an angry doctor confronting Robby about it. While the mistake was mostly Santos’s responsibility, Robby is already stressed and doesn’t need the extra problem.

Is there another motorcycle accident victim being brought in? Brandon seems okay, but this is starting to feel like a bizarre version of A Christmas Carol. Is Robby going to be visited by ghosts of bikers past, present, and future? Given how often he complains, it actually makes sense.

Things are continuing to deteriorate with Jackson Davis. Now that he’s awake, Dr. Jefferson has been able to assess his condition and has determined he’s experiencing auditory hallucinations and paranoid thoughts. He’s currently under an involuntary psychiatric hold, and his sister, Jada, is extremely distressed by the severity of his condition.

We’re having a really difficult time with Harlow, a patient who is deaf. She’s been getting headaches and feeling nauseous, and it’s a struggle to communicate effectively. The hospital only has one ASL interpreter, and when that person is busy, our other interpreter, Princess, can’t handle everything. Santos isn’t helping much, and Harlow keeps being left to wait without proper communication. It’s frustrating – couldn’t they at least communicate with her in writing to provide some assistance?

I thought the sight of Landgon’s patient vomiting hot dogs would bother me, but surprisingly, it doesn’t. Dealing with that severely blocked bowel last week completely prepared me for the disturbing images in The Pitt – nothing seems shocking anymore.

We’re getting to know the nurses really well this season, and I love learning about them. Donnie has tattoos on his wrists: “D” and “C” for “death and chaos,” which he got after PittFest, and “M” and “B” for “miracle and blessings,” which he got when his daughter was born. He’s really sweet about being a new dad, though he talks about it a lot – we definitely understand how much being a parent means to him!

• Dana calling the patient who grabs Emma’s arm a jag-off. That’s art.

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2026-02-13 07:57