One Of The Pitt's Best Scenes Is A Secret Homage To A Real-Life Event
Max's "The Pitt" is the best medical drama in years, with the series being praised for its tension and authenticity. The R. Scott Gemmill-created show is set in a fictional Pittsburgh hospital, but professionals within real-life medical communities have praised the drama for being realistic — especially when it comes to its portrayal of hospital staff and the challenges they face. "The Pitt" also cast real-life nurses and its creatives consulted with professionals to bring the story to life, so its bona fides cannot be disputed.
The medical accuracy of "The Pitt" is admirable, but the show also turned to real life for one of its best — and most emotional — scenes. Toward the end of season 1's "10 A.M" episode, Noah Wyle's Dr. Robby consoles an elderly father's adult son and daughter during his passing. In the scene, he tells the siblings to stay close, as they are the final witnesses to each other's lives and hold all of the memories now.
It's a somber and devastating scene, yet Dr. Robby's words inspire some warmth and a newfound closeness between the grievers. What's more, Wyle — who also wrote the episode — got the idea for his character's speech from his own mother.
How Noah Lyle's mother gave The Pitt its most emotional scene
Noah Wyle's mother, Marjorie Speer, is a former orthopedic nurse, so she knows a thing or two about the medical world. That said, her experience that inspired the aforementioned scene in "The Pitt" wasn't based on any exchanges she had with patients or their loved ones during her career. In an interview with USA Today, Wyle revealed that the emotional moment was actually inspired by one of his mom's upsetting personal experiences:
"A very similar event had played out with my mother and her brother when saying goodbye to my grandfather. After she shared this with me, I just said 'Thank you,' went right back to my typewriter and wrote the scene. It's an homage to my mother, my uncle, and my grandfather."
Wyle's conversations with his mom weren't the only inspirations behind "10 A.M." During the interview with USA Today, he said that he turned to Ira Byock's book "The Four Things That Matter Most" to learn more about end-of-life conversations, which play a big part in this episode. "The Pitt" deals with death, mourning, and grief in a profoundly human way at times, and scenes like this are why the medical drama has become such a critically acclaimed hit on Max.
"The Pitt" is now streaming on Max.