The Pitt's 10 Most Emotional Moments, Ranked

The Pitthas been one of the biggest television surprises of the year, with this gripping medical drama taking the internet by storm over the past few weeks. The show takes place over the course of a single day at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital, following a group of student doctors as they deal with a constant stream of patients and grapple with the challenges of hospitals in a post-COVID world. The ending of The Pitt’s first season managed to wrap the show up perfectly, but it won’t be long before audiences can jump back into this story.

The Pitt was renewed for a second season in February 2025, which is set to take place over the Fourth of July weekend and will be released in January 2026. Given the show’s immense success, Max has already revealed their plans to keep new seasons of The Pitt coming every year.

10 Dr. Robby Discovers Dr. Langdon’s Drug Habit

Season 1, Episode 10

Throughout the first half of The Pitt’s first season, the conflict between Dr. Santos and Dr. Langdon has been one of the show’s most interesting subplots. While audiences were never quite sure whether Santos’ suspicions about Langdon stealing drugs were actually correct, Robby’s discovery at the end of episode 10 finally proved that she’d been right the whole time.

A composite image of Noah Wyle looking over his shoulder in front of two doctors in dressing gowns in The Pitt

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What makes the confrontation between Robby and Langdon so emotional is that it’s clear how difficult this is for Robby; he considered Langdon among his closest friends at the hospital, and he even put him forward for a prestigious award thanks to his medical skills. The way Robby immediately switches to anger in this moment is a clear indicator of how betrayed he feels, which is the last thing he needs in this stressful environment.

9 Whittaker Loses His First Patient

Season 1, Episode 3

Dr. Whittaker is one of The Pitt’s most likable characters, and much of his character arc in the first season focuses on the tendency to take patients’ deaths too personally. He’s wracked with guilt over the death of his first patient, an older man who suffers a heart attack while waiting on his cardiac test results.

While the scene doesn’t necessarily stand out among the chaos of the ER, Whittaker’s reaction to the death is very powerful - and it sticks with him for the rest of the season.

8 Dr. Collins’ Miscarriage

Season 1, Episode 7

Dr. Heather Collins (Tracy Ifeachor) looking incredulous in The Pitt Season 1 Ep 11

The cliffhanger ending of The Pitt’s seventh episode came with the dreadful realization that Dr. Collins had suffered a miscarriage during her stressful shift at the hospital. Although it’s not confirmed exactly what’s happened until the subsequent episode, Collins’ distraught expression and subsequent breakdown make it fairly clear that she’s lost her baby.

It’s an incredibly sad scene, and it’s one of the few moments in The Pitt that Collins has shown any kind of weakness

It’s an incredibly sad scene, and it’s one of the few moments in The Pitt that Collins has shown any kind of weakness. She’s arguably been the calmest and most collected character in the entire show, and this moment proves that she’s not indestructible after all.

7 Minu Reunites With Sam

Season 1, Episode 7

There are so many patients in The Pitt that it can sometimes be hard to keep track, but among the most memorable from the first few episodes is the case of Minu, a Nepali woman who is attacked and pushed onto train tracks.

When Sam, the man who rescued her from the tracks, finally wakes up from his coma, the first thing he requests is to meet Minu. The pair share a very emotional moment, in which Minu thanks Sam for saving her life and Sam promises to help her find justice for the attack. The patients don’t speak the same language, but their interaction is an extremely wholesome change of pace.

6 Santos Opens Up About Her Friend's Death

Season 1, Episode 15

Dr. Trinity Santos (Isa Briones) looking puzzled in The Pitt Season 1 Ep 13

Throughout The Pitt’s first season, it was teased that something dark was hiding in Dr. Santos’ past. From her inability to bond with the other young women in the ER to her burst of anger when a patient is accused of sexually assaulting his daughter, it was clear that something motivated her. The details of this trauma were finally explored in the show’s finale, when Santos delivers one of the show’s most powerful monologues.

The Pitt currently sits at 97% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

When dealing with a patient that she suspects has attempted suicide, Santos opens up about the abuse that pushed her friend to take her own life several years prior, and the guilt that she feels about the event. This revelation adds even more depth to Santos’ character, explaining much of her defensive personality.

5 Robby & Collins’ Conversation In The Ambulance

Season 1, Episode 11

Dr. Heather Collins (Tracy Ifeachor) resting her head on Dr. Robi's (Noah Wyle) shoulder in The Pitt Season 1 Ep 11

The romantic history between Dr. Robby and Dr. Collins is only hinted at throughout The Pitt’s first ten episodes, until this quiet moment in episode 11 finally confirms that the two doctors had a serious relationship many years ago. During this heart-to-heart, Collins reveals to Robby that she was pregnant with a child (which is strongly implied to be his) but terminated the pregnancy because she wasn’t ready to be a mother.

What’s most emotional about this scene is Robby’s reaction; he’s clearly hurt by the news that he could have been a father, but his compassion for Collins outweighs any anger he may have been feeling. He instantly forgives her, encouraging her to take the rest of the day off to recover from the miscarriage. It’s a moment that really solidifies the trust and care between Robby and Collins, which will undoubtedly play a large role in season 2.

4 Dr. Robby's End-of-Day Speech

Season 1, Episode 15

While it’s easy to forget that the entire first season of The Pitt is supposed to take place over a single day, Robby’s emotional turmoil in the final episode really pushes this idea home. Noah Wyle’s performance in this episode is arguably his best of the entire season, and it doesn’t get much more emotional than his end-of-day pep talk to the rest of the ER crew.

Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa) with a black eye, smoking in The Pitt Season 1 Ep 11

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In his speech, Robby talks about how their drive to save patients’ lives represents the best of humanity - a sentiment that Dr. Abbott later echoes during his own speech to Dr. Robby on the rooftop. This moment really encapsulates The Pitt’s central tenet of medical workers being a force for good who are often underappreciated.

3 Nick’s Honor Walk

Season 1, Episode 8

One of the most engaging aspects of The Pitt is the rotating cast of characters; just when one case has seemingly been resolved, there’s another patient coming through the doors. However, there are certain storylines that stick around for more than a single episode, giving the audience more time to connect with the characters and care about what happens to them. One of these characters is Nick, the brain-dead teenager who suffered a fentanyl overdose and whose parents struggle to accept the reality that he’s dead.

His subplot is finally resolved at the end of The Pitt’s eighth episode, when Dr. Robby and his colleagues hold an honor walk for the deceased teenager. It’s one of the very few quiet moments in the show, weighing on the grief and guilt that these doctors feel - even if the chaos of the workplace doesn’t always allow them to show it.

2 Mel Speaks With Amber’s Sister

Season 1, Episode 8

Dr. Melissa King (Taylor Dearden) speaking to an autistic patient with the lights off in The Pitt season 1, episode 7

The Pitt’s cast is undoubtedly its strongest feature, with each member of this fierce ensemble bringing a unique dynamic to their character and the way they interact with the others. Taylor Dearden’s Mel has quickly become a fan-favorite thanks to her emotional intelligence and honesty, which is clearly shown during this tender moment between herself and the younger sister of a young girl who died from drowning.

It’s such a touching moment that really emphasizes Mel’s compassion while reminding audiences that a doctor’s job isn’t just saving lives, but looking after everybody who’s affected.

Instead of breaking the news to the girl directly, Mel offers her a stuffed animal and suggests that she tell the teddy everything she wants to say to her sister. It’s such a touching moment that really emphasizes Mel’s compassion while reminding audiences that a doctor’s job isn’t just saving lives, but looking after everybody who’s affected.

1 Jake Blames Dr. Robby For Leah’s Death

Season 1, Episode 13

The dynamic between Jake and Dr. Robby is consistently one of The Pitt’s most endearing relationships, but things quickly turn south when the doctor fails to save the teenager’s girlfriend among the mass casualties of the Pitt Fest shooting. While Robby’s endless attempts to save Leah are extremely distressing to watch, it’s the moment when Jake blames his father figure for her death that really hits home.

This is a huge turning point for Dr. Robby, who finally breaks under the pressure of the day’s events and begins to cry in the corner of the room. This moment in The Pitt's thirteenth episode is made even more emotional by the interspersed flashbacks of Dr. Adamson’s death (for which Robby also partially blames himself), which happened in the same room.