Southland was a gem of a series that ran in the early 2010s. With a stacked cast — Michael Cudlitz, Shawn Hatosy, Ben McKenzie, Tom Everett Scott, Lucy Liu, and Regina freakin’ King — it was the best cop show this side of Homicide. A no-frills, documentary-style standout, it shadowed LAPD cops through their shifts as they tackled one crisis after another. No melodrama, no clunky exposition dumps — just raw, fast-paced storytelling that revealed everything you needed to know about its characters through their actions on the job. It was electric television, and the cast turned in Emmy-worthy performances on the regular.
Max’s new series, The Pitt, feels like the spiritual heir to Southland. From the same mind of John Wells (who also worked on E.R., obvs.), it even brings Shawn Hatosy along for the ride. The show rockets forward at breakneck speed — the first ten episodes cover a single ten-hour shift in a fictional Pittsburgh trauma hospital. And like Southland, it skips the spoon-feeding. You learn about the characters while they’re in the trenches, saving lives, cracking under pressure, or pulling off small miracles.
The Pitt feels like a farce in fast-forward, with characters darting in and out of rooms like an Aaron Sorkin walk-and-talk on a steady diet of cocaine and chaos. The action doesn’t stop for introductions or pleasantries because gunshot wounds won’t wait, and neither will the clock. At the heart of it all is Dr. John Carter Michael Robinavitch (Noah Wyle), a veteran emergency room doctor who’s more mystery than man in the first two episodes (which span just two hours of his shift). We know this much: He walks to work, he’s goddamn good at his job, he doesn’t suffer fools in hospital admin, he’s got a sharp sense of humor, and he might have a thing for Dr. Collins (Tracy Ifeachor), a pregnant colleague. He’s the kind of no-nonsense, get-it-done doctor with a dash of compassion that everyone wants in an emergency room situation.
But the camera doesn’t just hover over Dr. Robby. It makes rounds, catching glimpses of residents and interns — some cocky, others riddled with self-doubt — and Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa), the charge nurse who keeps the circus running. Among the standout newbies: Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez), a 20-year-old resident trying to prove herself in spite of her age (though her mom’s VIP status doesn’t hurt); Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif), a 42-year-old second-year resident; and Dr. Mel King, a socially awkward genius of a medical resident whose brilliance outshines her quirks.
And of course, there are the patients. Some come and go, like Mackenzie Astin’s brief but impactful turn, while others figure to stick around a few episodes, like Brandon Keener (a.k.a. U of A’s finest) as the heartbroken father of a young overdose victim on life support.
But the real star of The Pitt is its relentless pace. The show moves moves moves. It’s so tightly wound that a 55-minute episode feels like 20, leaving you gasping at the credits like, “Nope! Nonono no! Not yet! Where’s the Next Episode button?” The first two episodes drop together, but after that, Max will cruelly force us to wait a week between fixes, each one leaving us desperate for more of Dr. Robby’s calm, unflappable heroics. He swoops in, saves lives, and he casually strides into the next crisis without a moment to dwell on the devastation or triumph left in his wake.
The Pitt is a goddamn triumph, and you need to watch it. It streams Thursday nights on Max and might be the appointment television of the winter.