REVIEW: HBO Max's "The Pitt" - Episode 2.10 "4:00 P.M."
After an incident at a nearby water park, several critical patients are rushed to the Pitt. Later, Al-Hashimi confronts Robby about his outburst.
“4:00 P.M.” was written by Simran Baidwan and directed by Simran Baidwan
Mohan suffers a panic attack and Robby has no empathy whatsoever. He attacks her with so much judgment. It harkens back to the first season when Langdon went off on Santos. That was an unprofessional moment. Robby took him aside and told him it wasn’t an effective teaching method. He can’t take his own advice. It’s partly motivated by his own deteriorating mental health. He survives by repressing everything. He buries it deep within him so it doesn’t compromise his ability to do the job. It’s not as deep as he likes to believe it is. It’s come bursting out a handful of times this season. He believes his sabbatical will be healing. Yet it’s also mentioned how dangerous it is to begin his journey immediately after working a 12-hour shift. He’s not taking care of himself. It’s been building up for a long time with him. With Mohan, the stressors are new and sudden. That runs the risk of making this a little too random. It provides a strong focus on the character who has mostly been relegated as a reliable ensemble player this season. The moment where she breaks would have been more powerful if it was consistent with an overall arc. The most consistent element has been frequent calls from her mother. She doesn’t have time for her right now. The volume of calls suggests something more is going on. Mohan doesn’t want to deal with it. It could also be as simple as her mother not grasping the pace of this particular emergency department. Even Oglivie expected to have downtime throughout his shift.
Robby’s apology to Mohan is incredibly weak too. He makes it only to get her back to work. The waterslide collapse produces several major traumas. It’s not quite a mass casualty event that it initially seemed. Mohan being out of commission doesn’t take away from the healthcare provided either. The system still meets the demand. The wear and tear of the day has started to impact the quality of the work. Important conversations have been avoided. Underlying issues are still present. That’s most evident when Santos and Langdon work together. He wants to teach. It’s in his job description as a senior resident. Al-Hashimi believes Santos should be eager to take in the wisdom. It calls into question how many people are aware of the reason behind Langdon’s departure. Garcia suggests he admitted to making a mistake and is now back after receiving treatment. Santos reported him for stealing from the department. He was pressured into rehab because Robby found the drugs in his locker. He had to be forced into getting help. He’s tried his best to make amends. The people who’ve accepted him never had big issues with him anyway. Santos needs to make a condescending remark on whatever Langdon says. It’s her childish way of coping. Garcia is harsh in telling her casual hookup to put on her big girl panties. Their affection isn’t really that deep. Santos can’t turn to her for support. She’s still isolated in this environment.
Multiple members of the staff feel that way. That’s partly driven by Robby’s leadership. He’s disappointed when he sees someone break. He had to have his own breakdown in private. He was embarrassed Whitaker found him. Now, he props Whitaker up as one of the best doctors under his care. He’s the only one he trusts to work up Duke. Robby needed his friend to come in. He provides him with the VIP treatment. He’s spared the agony of the waiting room. Everything is prepped and ready to go. The need for a chest x-ray is the only reason to keep him beyond the few minutes for the procedure to examine his vocal cords. That seems to establish something more. The show wouldn’t introduce this character of importance for Robby early on only for it to be no big deal. That’s the way narrative storytelling is structured. He has his own ways of coping with the world. He expects everyone to follow his lead. They marvel at his brilliance in medical procedures. He doesn’t know everything. He allows Al-Hashimi to take over when she’s the only one who can get an airway into their young trauma patient. She’s brilliant there. She pushes back when Garcia suggests surgeons will be annoyed with the barbarity of the procedure. She saved a life. She didn’t freeze. She was nervous. She confidently executed her plan. She demands more from Robby. He needs to display empathy in order to be a leader. Instead, he expects everyone else to respond to the harsh realities of this job the same way he does. That simply doesn’t work. It sets no one up for success.
Teamwork is the only way for the system to endure. That’s especially true with the shutdown. Javadi was singled out for overlooking a serious medical issue. No one checks on her. She fears disappointing her mother. Shamsi comes down as soon as she hears about her daughter’s mistake. She has such high expectations for her. The ER doesn’t deserve her brilliance. She should be revered as a surgeon just like her. McKay tells Javadi to be open with her mother about what she’s feeling. It’s such basic advice that doesn’t apply well to this situation. This connection with a top surgeon in the hospital opened doors for her. It’s also offered plenty of disdain. She’s still learning. She should have the grace to make a mistake. She can’t. Making videos for social media can’t even offer an escape. It’s a private thought. She wants to express herself to the world. She’s limited and made to feel ashamed for her actions. It’s brutal. Her mother issues have been way more pronounced. That provides a strong connective tissue to the pressure falling on Mohan now. Meanwhile, Roxie is tasked with saying goodbye to her sons. She’s dying. McKay makes her more comfortable. She extends empathy to the older son upset with how unfair all of this is. It’s a difficult case. McKay remains grounded throughout it all. That largely goes unnoticed and unappreciated. Again, no one has time to notice one’s individual skills. All ego has to be set aside. Some characters offer that while others fall to the various pitfalls.
Some more thoughts:
Mel’s deposition was disastrous. Her nerves about it were correct. It has nothing to do with her performance. It’s all about the family suing the hospital trying to get rich off their son being treated for a disease they could have prevented. They don’t want to take responsibility. And so, the histrionics are delivered. Mel can’t receive that without internalizing it.
Becca is sexually active. That’s why she developed a UTI. Langdon respects her privacy and doesn’t tell Mel about what’s going on. Becca is excited to share that she has a boyfriend. It’s unclear why that was a secret in the first place. The sisters were previously described as close. Becca is Mel’s whole world. But Becca is allowed to have a personal life and Mel isn’t.
Al-Hashimi’s neurological condition largely remains a mystery. It’s been somewhat triggered while interacting with children. Prior moments of her freezing came when she treated Baby Jane Doe and Jackson. That could have happened again in front of Robby with the kid who fell off the waterslide. It doesn’t.
Dana commits insurance fraud so Monica doesn’t go into nicotine withdrawal. It’s worth mentioning but it’s treated in a nonchalant way too. The focus then pivots to recruiting hospital volunteers to serve as runners. These two will take anyone willing to at least walk and focus on this particular task.
Langdon wants to pay for Louie’s burial expenses. It’s a sweet gesture for a patient that had an impact on most of the staff. It’s also him potentially overcompensating for betraying his trust ten months ago and not saving his life. He feels guilty because he’s working the program to stay sober. He can’t place his sobriety onto someone else. Doing this would only cause financial issues elsewhere.
Santos, Langdon and Garcia are too distracted by their interpersonal dynamics to have a reaction to the trauma their patient has endured. His finger was falling apart as he held onto his son. He couldn’t keep holding onto him. Fortunately, Emma utilized social media to find the son and contact the police. A reunion should be coming shortly.