WARNING: spoilers for The Pitt season 2 episode 7 ahead.
I knew it was only a matter of time until the Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) and Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi's (Sepideh Moafi) tentative rivalry spilled out into the rest of the ER. Although The Pitt season 2 has softened the bond between them, the decision to rush in procedural changes has backfired.
In The Pitt season 2 episode 2, Al-Hashimi wants to implement an automated patient processing system. Everything from note taking and organizing to diagnosis and treatment plans will be taken care of through the cloud-based system, leaving doctors more time to improve patient relations, as she puts it.
Of course, by the end of The Pitt season 2 episode 7, the entire hospital system has been shut down to prevent being targeted by a cyber attack. What this means practically remains to be seen, but as it stands, nobody has access to patient records... or even where they are in the building.
Not only is this slightly disappointing because it was so obviously set up — the hit HBO Max show is historically good at blindsiding us — but because the episode's final moments took the impact out of an integral earlier scene that was easily the most delicate, emotional and vulnerable in The Pitt's history.
The Pitt season 2 episode 7's cyber attack scare detracted attention from Dana's sexual assault patient
Last week, episode 6 put the nurses' humanity and undying empathy in the spotlight, with the team spearheaded by dream woman Dana (Katherine LaNasa). This week, she's responsible for the welfare of a sexual assault victim, walking her through the process from the moment the patient steps foot in the door.
It's rare that we get to see something rarely spoken about portrayed so accurately on a public scale. The girl in question is terrified, trying to put on a brave face and whistle through the process as fast as she can. Dana is exactly the comforting face you want in this scenario, keeping her voice calm while talking through every movement she makes.
Even when the girl suddenly panics, claiming she doesn't want to go through with the assault kit because the suspect is "just a friend," Dana remains unfazed. For those of us watching who have never been in that situation but constantly have the fear of it at the back of their mind, it was a valuable education.
Instead of letting us sit in the moment, The Pitt immediately introduced the threat of a cyber attack, quashing any emotional introspection that the prior scene let build up. It's something that easily could have been left until episode 8, but it's clearly too tempting to create a soap-opera worthy cliffhanger.
I hope Dana, her team and her patients get as much airtime in The Pitt season 2 episode 8 – not just as an appreciation for their work, but generally for being the best people in this godforsaken hellhole. Hopefully the show doesn't sensationalize something else instead...
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