The current season of Max’s medical drama The Pitt continues to follow the doctors of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center through another high-pressure shift, this time set on the Fourth of July. While the second season introduces new challenges and a new attending physician in Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, the show has not forgotten its roots. Writers have woven in several subtle nods to the events of the first season, rewarding attentive viewers who have followed the series since its debut.
One particular callback in episode 2 of season 2 involves Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) and Dr. Melissa King (Taylor Dearden) . The moment is quick, lasting only a few seconds, but it carries significant meaning for both characters and demonstrates how the writers are tracking the personal growth of the ensemble cast months after the traumatic PittFest mass casualty event that closed out season 1 .
A Small Gesture That Speaks Volumes About Character Growth
The callback occurs after Dr. King is accidentally pushed off her stool by a patient and hits her head. She retreats to a treatment room to recover, and Dr. Langdon comes by to check on her condition. When he is called away to tend to another emergency, he does something unexpected. Before leaving the room, Langdon shuts the door and deliberately turns off the light, then says quietly to King, “The ER can be a little bright and noisy” .
For casual viewers, this might seem like a random act of kindness. But for those who watched season 1 carefully, the line and the action carry much deeper meaning. The moment directly echoes a scene from season 1, episode 7 titled “1:00 P.M.” In that episode, Dr. Langdon struggled to treat an autistic patient named Terrance (Coby Bird) who was admitted with an ankle injury. Langdon grew frustrated when his standard approach failed to calm the patient.
Dr. King, who is neurodivergent herself, stepped in to help. She closed the door to the treatment room, dimmed the lights to reduce sensory overload, and sat calmly with Terrance, explaining that emergency rooms can be overwhelming places for autistic people. After watching her successfully connect with the patient, a visibly impressed Langdon asked, “How did you do that?” King explained that treating autistic patients simply requires a different approach. However, Langdon cut the conversation short and walked away, leaving King standing alone in the hallway .
Why This Moment Matters for Langdon’s Season 2 Arc
The callback in season 2 proves that Langdon was paying attention all along, even though he seemed dismissive in the moment. By repeating Dr. King’s words and replicating her actions—turning off the light to create a calmer environment—he shows that he not only remembered the lesson but also applied it to support his colleague in her moment of need .
This small gesture carries additional weight given Langdon’s circumstances in season 2. The character returns to Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center after completing a stint in rehab for opioid addiction. His relationship with Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) remains strained, as Robby has not forgiven him for stealing painkillers while on duty. Dr. Santos (Isa Briones) continues to view him with suspicion following her discovery of his theft in season 1 .
Yet this interaction with Dr. King suggests that Langdon is genuinely working to rebuild himself. The scene demonstrates that he retains his capacity for empathy and that he values what he learned from his colleagues before his addiction came to light. It also shows respect for Dr. King’s expertise and experience as a neurodivergent physician, treating her not as someone to be pitied but as a peer whose methods are worth remembering and replicating .
Taylor Dearden’s Approach to Portraying Dr. Melissa King
Taylor Dearden, who plays Dr. King, has spoken previously about her approach to the character. She emphasized the importance of avoiding clichés and stereotypes when portraying a neurodivergent person on screen. The show has been praised for handling Dr. King’s storyline with care, showing her as a fully realized professional who happens to process the world differently from some of her colleagues .
The fact that Langdon incorporates what he learned from King into his own behavior reinforces the show’s message about competence and empathy. King does not need special treatment, but she does benefit from colleagues who understand her needs. Langdon’s action of turning off the light acknowledges that understanding without making a big display of it, which feels true to both characters .
Other Season 1 Callbacks Hidden in Season 2
Langdon’s callback to Dr. King’s teaching is not the only nod to the past that sharp-eyed viewers have spotted in the new season. The season 2 premiere also featured a significant moment involving Dr. Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell) that directly mirrored a scene from the very first episode of the series.
In season 1, episode 1, Dr. Robby stopped Dr. Langdon from leaving a room immediately after a patient died. He explained the department’s tradition of taking a moment of silence to honor the deceased, saying, “One of the things we do here is to take a moment of silence when we lose a patient. To respect their humanity and also to remember that this was somebody’s child or sibling or parent. A friend.” The solemn moment was undercut when Whitaker’s phone rang with an obnoxious ringtone, highlighting his inexperience and nervousness .
Fast forward to season 2, episode 1. An elderly patient from an assisted living facility passes away, and Whitaker, now a first-year resident, takes charge. He gathers the new student doctors, Joy Kwon (Irene Choi) and James Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson) , and asks them to reflect on the treatment. When Ogilvie tries to rush off to find another patient, Whitaker stops him and delivers almost the exact same words Robby used in season 1. He also reminds them to silence their phones, a clear nod to his own earlier mistake .
The scene carries extra emotional weight because Dr. Robby watches from the doorway, observing how much Whitaker has grown since his first day in the ER. This passing-of-the-torch moment signals that Whitaker is emerging as a potential leader in the department, filling the gap left by Langdon’s fall from grace .
A Plaque Honoring the PittFest Tragedy
Another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it callback appears in the background of an early season 2 scene. As Dr. Robby walks through the hospital corridor, the camera briefly shows a plaque on the wall. Eagle-eyed viewers who pause the frame can see that it is a memorial honoring the efforts of the medical staff during the PittFest mass shooting that dominated the final episodes of season 1 .
Director of photography Johanna Coelho, who also worked on season 1, explained the thinking behind this subtle nod. In an interview, she noted that the camera does not linger on the plaque because Dr. Robby does not stop to read it. He keeps walking, and the camera follows him. This approach aligns with the show’s philosophy of staying with the characters and their experiences rather than forcing the audience to focus on expository details .
Coelho added that viewers who rewatch episodes often notice details they missed the first time because things happen quickly in the background. The plaque serves as a reminder that the trauma of PittFest still lingers in the hospital, even if the characters are focused on the new emergencies of the day .
What These Callbacks Reveal About The Pitt’s Storytelling
The decision to include these subtle references to season 1 demonstrates the care that creators R. Scott Gemmill, John Wells, and Noah Wyle are taking with the series. Rather than hitting viewers over the head with reminders of past events, the writers trust the audience to remember character dynamics and pay attention to small details .
This approach also reinforces the show’s commitment to realism. In a real emergency room, doctors do not have time to stand around reminiscing about past cases or dramatic events. Life moves fast, and the work continues. By placing callbacks in the background or in quick moments of dialogue, The Pitt mirrors the way real people carry their histories with them without constantly discussing them .
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Where to Watch The Pitt Season 2
New episodes of The Pitt season 2 premiere Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on Max. The second season consists of 15 episodes, following the same format as the first season, with each episode covering one hour of a single shift in the emergency department. The season is set on the Fourth of July, approximately 10 months after the events of season 1 .
HBO and Max content chairman and CEO Casey Bloys has expressed enthusiasm for the show’s annual release model, noting that the series can deliver 15 episodes each year without the lengthy gaps between seasons that plague many prestige dramas. This approach gives viewers something to look forward to on a regular basis while maintaining the quality that has earned the show critical praise .
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