Many The Pitt Fans Are Proving That Yes, It's Possible To Be Bad At Watching A TV Show

Over the course of two seasons, "The Pitt" has become wildly popular, and it's easy to see why: It's a damn good show. The ensemble cast is dynamic and talented, the writing is sharp, there's a sense of authenticity, and on top of all that, the series values competency and empathy at a time when those things seem to be in short supply in the real world. For all these reasons and more, "The Pitt" has developed a very vocal, very passionate online fanbase. And that's great! What's not so great, however, is the sneaking suspicion that some are watching the show incorrectly — or at the very least, demanding things that were never going to happen in first place.

Now, before we go any further, I want to be clear: If you love "The Pitt" and find happiness in your obsession, I can't fault you. "The Pitt" is pop culture entertainment, and we all deserve to be distracted from the horrors of the real world by such things. I'm also not going to delve into the concept of shipping the show's various characters, which has become prominent among the fandom, because, again, if that floats your boat, more power to you. I personally have no interest in that sort of thing (and I don't really think the show does, either).

What's troubling me, though, is that some viewers seem to be treating "The Pitt" like a puzzle to be solved. They approach the show the way fans used to obsessively approach "Lost," a mystery box series that became appointment viewing and seemingly broke everyone's TV-watching brains in the process. "Lost" was a series all about twists and shocking revelations, and it became such a cultural phenomenon that other shows rushed to copy its formula. Unfortunately, I think this programmed many viewers to assume all shows released in the wake of "Lost" were following this blueprint.

"The Pitt" is not a mystery box show. Sure, there are twists and turns, and the ticking clock nature of each season makes the end of almost every episode feel like a cliffhanger. But some fans view "The Pitt" as some sort of difficult problem they have to outsmart. I don't want to single any specific person out here so I'll try to be vague, but if you search Twitter/X, or Instagram, or social media platforms in general, you will come across "Pitt" fans undergoing what seems to be some sort of mass delusion.

"The Pitt" season 2 has a running narrative about how Noah Wyle's Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch has become suicidal. This has led to many fan theories about whether or not Robby will die by the time the season ends. I've seen the entire season, and while I don't want to give away any spoilers, I feel like that's a rather huge leap to make. Yes, people die on "The Pitt" (it's set in a hospital emergency room), but it's not really the type of show to bump main characters off like "The Sopranos," or, again, "Lost," which killed main characters left and right (although, no, they weren't dead the whole time).

The "will Robby die?" question has lead to even more questions and fan theories. The other day I was mindlessly scrolling Instagram, as one does, when I came across a video from a content creator I've never heard of claiming that they had actually solved a big "The Pitt" season 2 mystery. "The show has been faking us out!" this person said. "Robby isn't going to die in the season finale! Santos is!"

To quote another Pitt — Brad Pitt in "Moneyball" — what the f*** are you talking about, man? "The Pitt" is not that type of show! Does the show foreshadow things to come? Absolutely. That's the nature of TV drama. But is "The Pitt" dropping clues that it wants its audience to solve like the puzzle box from "Hellraiser"? No, it's not.

At the risk of poking the bear, I should also address the fandom's reaction to any slight, perceived or otherwise, of their favorite characters. At one point during season 2, Dr. Santos (Isa Briones) dozed off at a desk while trying to compose some charting notes. This led Dr. Robby to firmly — but not cruelly — wake her up by raising his voice. This action was seen as tantamount to homicide on Twitter, with some claiming Robby was abusing his staff. To be sure, Robby has problems — he's a complex character, and a running theme in the show is how he's falling apart emotionally. But seemingly every character on "The Pitt" is complex and flawed in some way; that's what makes them interesting! Even if you prefer Santos to Robby, an attending physician reprimanding one his doctors for being asleep on the job is not the war crime some people made it out to be.

Recently, it was revealed that Supriya Ganesh's Dr. Samira Mohan would not be returning for "The Pitt" season 3. This news has not gone over well, to say the least. While I can understand being disappointed in seeing Ganesh go, the reaction among fans has been borderline unhealthy, with many fans taking the ire out on Noah Wyle, who serves as a producer on the show as well as star. But Mohan's departure isn't completely out of left field: Her entire character arc has been based around the idea that working in fast-paced emergency medicine may not be the best fit for her. On top of that, she's also always been a supporting player in "The Pitt" saga. And yet some fans are acting like having Mohan leave the show is some sort of irredeemable mistake that will bring the series to its knees. I enjoy Ganesh's performance and will miss Mohan, but I also think the show can survive without her.

Noah Wyle and company also appear to be well-aware of certain fan backlash bubbling up around the edges of the show. In a recent junket interview, Wyle said, "I think audiences have become sophisticated in a whole new way when watching a show. They're watching the show that we're making, and they have another show that they're making. And when that show doesn't align with the show that you're making, they don't like it as much, because they thought you were taking it where they're taking it."

Credit where credit is due: This is a level-headed take. The actor isn't knocking fans, but he is correctly pointing out that they seem to be approaching the show in a way that the showrunners had not intended. "The Pitt" fandom didn't invent this concept, of course. Fandoms have long been, let's say ... passionate about certain shows they hold dear. But week after week, the online reaction to "The Pitt" seems to be a mixture of well-deserved praise and certain viewers complaining that the series isn't doing exactly what they want it to do. Without spoiling anything, I can say I'm almost positive the season 2 finale is going to leave some people disappointed. Not because it's bad (it's not!), but because so many viewers seem to be anticipating something that was never going to happen to begin with.