The Pitt Season 1, Episode 12 Review: The Show's Big Event Yields Big Results (2025)

The Pitt Season 1, Episode 12, "6:00 P.M." is not the frenetic hour that the end of Episode 11 promised. Instead, the Max medical drama gives viewers an installment of controlled chaos, where there's a lot developing but few storylines are explored in-depth -- which is the right approach for this show. It may not feel as tense or dramatic as it could, but it allows the fans to focus.

"6:00 P.M." is centered on the mass casualty incident (MCI) caused by an active shooter at the PittFest music festival. Dr. Robby and Dr. Cassie McKay are convinced that the shooter is David, the young man they've been looking for across most of the season. But the real developments are the ones that somehow take place between characters in the middle of a crowded ER.

The Pitt Season 1, Episode 11 Is Surprisingly Character-Driven

The Episode Doesn't Delve Far Into Any One Medical Case

The Pitt isn't even the first medical drama to feature a mass casualty event this week. FOX's Doc Season 1 finale used the same idea, except it was a train derailment instead of a music festival shooting. The Pitt does it better, though, because it carries its medical emergency through the whole hour instead of simply using it to launch other storylines. What's interesting about "6:00 P.M." is that despite everything that's happening in the ER, it never feels as fast as other medical dramas. Viewers see and hear -- through constant background dialogue about this problem or that need -- that there are a ton of patients. But the pacing doesn't seem any different from any previous episode.

That may be because the script does not spend extended amounts of time with more than a few patients. The story of Sylvia and her deaf son Omar is the only one that serves as a sort of backbone to the episode, as Dr. Melissa King is desperate to help Sylvia. King was sidelined in the prior episode, so it's nice to see her back in the spotlight as she volunteers to donate her own blood when Sylvia needs some. There are plenty of other victims whom The Pitt shows on-screen, but most don't even get names, and are gone quickly after they first appear. That may surprise some viewers who are used to more "case of the week" type storytelling.

But it's the reactions of the doctors that serve as the proverbial cases, from King's desperate measures to Victoria Javadi working side by side with her mom. Audiences also meet a handful of fresh faces as extra doctors are called in from the night shift to help out. The doctors become the story, which for the most part is successful. It feels much more like what an MCI actually is, even if the patients thus feel like they're almost interchangeable. The Pitt's celebrated realism is in full force here.

The Pitt Episode 11 Brings Back One Missing Character

But There's Another Major Player Still Absent

The "all hands on deck" approach allows The Pitt to bring back Dr. Frank Langdon, who was infamously dismissed in Season 1, Episode 10 for stealing drugs from the hospital. The next episode included Langdon calling incessantly, so it makes perfect sense that he would see the news and rush back in to help, even though he's not supposed to. Dr. Robby sees Langdon in the middle of the ER and confronts him about being there, but they don't have time for a full-blown argument, so Robby later comments that he'll deal with Langdon "when this shift is over." That's presumably the end of the season -- which is in only three more episodes -- so it'll be interesting to see if The Pitt actually does circle back to that conversation, or takes the easy way out by just giving Langdon a free pass due to the extenuating circumstances.

Whatever the reason, from an entertainment standpoint, it's nice to see actor Patrick Ball back on screen again. He only has a handful of scenes, but he brings the energy level up whenever he appears. The same is true of Chicago PD alum Shawn Hatosy, who makes his own comeback as Dr. Jack Abbot. Abbot was first seen in The Pitt series premiere and has been referenced since -- but since he's on a different shift, this is the first time he's truly had something meaty to do. (It also helps that The Pitt makes much better use of Hatosy than Chicago PD, where he's playing the latest corrupt cop.) The expanded storyline provides new opportunities to explore both Langdon and Abbot.

However, one character doesn't turn up when they should. Dr. Heather Collins is completely missing from the episode, with Robby remarking at one point that he "told her to turn off her phone" when he encouraged her to leave in Episode 11. The absence of actor Tracy Ifeachor is definitely felt. Hopefully, The Pitt takes the Langdon approach with Collins and has her find out about the MCI so that Ifeachor can get back into the mix. She's a significant part of the show and deserves to be there to help close out the season.

The Pitt Leaves the Fate of Dr. Robby's Son Open-Ended

Is There a Theme Developing at Season's End?

There is room to criticize The Pitt Season 1, Episode 12, most notably because the show asked a question and then doesn't answer it by the end of the hour. Episode 11 reminded fans that Dr. Robby's son Jake was at PittFest, so part of the cliffhanger was that Robby didn't know if Jake was okay or not. Episode 12 brings that fact up a few times but just has Robby searching on and off for his son. One of the final moments is Robby trying and failing to text Jake. This is another example of the real-time conceit working against the plot. It's understandable that Robby doesn't get an answer, since it's only the first hour of the incident. On the other hand, fans want an answer to the question so The Pitt really can't drag this out any further.

One wonders if series creator R. Scott Gemmill (who co-wrote this episode) is setting up a parallel for the final few episodes. "6:00 P.M." all but confirms that David is the PittFest shooter, with a police officer telling Robby that David's cell phone pinged in the area of the shooting, and his mom Theresa about to be questioned by the FBI. If Jake does turn up wounded or dead -- wounded being more likely since it would give the writers more to play with -- then the story becomes about Dr. Robby and Theresa. He's spent all season trying to help her, and yet her son has injured or killed his son. It's a meaty plotline for sure, and The Pitt will be looking for one as it closes in on its season finale. The Pitt Season 1, Episode 12 may not be the most intense example of prime medical drama, but it drops viewers into a realistic crisis, and has enough character development to build toward a strong resolution.

The Pitt streams Thursdays on Max.

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The Pitt Season 1, Episode 12

TV-MA

Drama

8

10

10/10

Release Date

January 9, 2025

Network

Max

Showrunner

R. Scott Gemmill

Cast

See All

• 

  Noah Wyle

  Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch

• 

  Tracy Ifeachor

  Uncredited

• 
• 

Where to watch

Close

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming

• 
• 

As dozens of critical patients flood the ER, Robby and his team struggle to keep up amid quickly diminishing supplies. Later, Javadi's fast thinking impresses a key surgeon, and Mel keeps tabs on an injured mother and son.

Creator(s)

R. Scott Gemmill, John Wells, Noah Wyle

Seasons

1

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Pros & Cons

• The episode avoids becoming so chaotic that the viewer can't keep up.
• The returns of Dr. Frank Langdon and Dr. Jack Abbot are very welcome.
• There's still character development amongst the chaos.

• Some viewers may feel like the episode isn't moving fast enough.
• Leaving Jake's fate open-ended feels like a way to stretch out another cliffhanger.