In scenes where the doctors on The Pitt end up getting wrist-deep inside of a patient, it’s clear that they are operating with extreme care. After all, these are medical professionals manipulating vital organs, and that’s an activity that requires a certain amount of grace. It makes all of the sense in the world captured on camera, but the reality is that there is a major secondary reason why the performers are being very cautious: the special effects that the show uses are sometimes incredibly expensive creations.
During a recent roundtable with the cast of The Pitt, the New York Times asked the actors about the experience of handling various organs on set. While I can imagine the reporter was expecting commentary about how gross or cool the practical effects are, Gerran Howell – best known to fans of the show as Dr. Dennis Whitaker – explained that they are intimidating to work with because of how valuable they are. There is a scene in Season 2 that has the character affectionately known as “Huckleberry” working to save a patient by massaging their heart with his hands, and his performance was impacted by his awareness of the fake blood-pumpers' cost. Said Howell,
