The advent of streaming has changed the television game.
The rules that have held the medium together have been bent, broken, and changed.
The Pitt is one of those shows that changes the game, setting the bar for others in the genre.
Sometimes, passing that bar becomes impossible, but when other shows catch on, a new style is born.
On the surface, the show is not doing anything new. Medical dramas have become increasingly popular, especially in the past decade and a half.
However, these dramas are almost exclusively made by broadcast networks, and the rules differ there.
The Pitt is the first medical procedural made with streaming in mind, and that becomes stark in the final product.
The Pitt Season 1 chronicles the events of one shift in a busy public hospital in Pittsburgh. Every episode covers one hour of the shift.
This format has not been done before in other medical shows, as they take place over months and years, elevating The Pitt above everyone else.
Every episode feels tight and urgent, which is what one would want to feel in a show like this.
It is elevated by near-perfect performances from cast members led by Noah Wyle.
Every cast member strives to be on the same level as their counterparts; thus, no one drags the episode down.
While it’s not shot Succession-style, the seamless transition from one character to another can make it feel like it is filmed in a single take, like Netflix’s current darling Adolescence.
The Pitt has a lot going for it, but that can be negated by how quickly everything ends.
Every Episode of The Pitt Feels Like It Ends After Ten Short Minutes
The show manages to hold viewers from the first scene to the last.
Max must be ecstatic about its analytics if things like “active engagement duration” are metrics they consider.
Everything melts into each other smoothly as storylines are organically picked up without feeling like they missed a beat.
It is so engaging that when the credits roll, I’m confident many viewers are left asking, “Is that it?“
Keeping up with how different the show feels, the way episodes end always leaves some begging for more.
The Pitt is not the first show by any means to master this, but while others go for a cliffhanger that makes you think, “I can’t wait for next week,” The Pitt makes you wish you could get it immediately!
And now comes the controversial part.
The Pitt Would Work Best As a Binge Release
The jury’s still out on binge versus weekly releases.
Both models have strengths and weaknesses, and arguments can be made for each. However, viewers can agree that it depends on how the show is made.
While I do love my 22-episode shows, I’m not spending 15 hours watching Maggie and OA run around New York doing more of the same.
However, I’ll gladly watch The Pitt for 15 hours because the format just works.
The fact that the season takes place in one shift should be the best indicator that it should be binged for maximum effect.
Taking these weekly breaks does it a disservice. If you’ve ever experienced the high of engaging with a good TV show, movie, or song, then you understand what I’m aiming for.
The Pitt feels like a show you think about for weeks because it is that stimulating.
On the other side are proponents of weekly releases. The biggest argument is that TV needs time to grow and find its audience. Weekly conversations around an episode draw more attention to it.
This is a great argument, and it has been proven accurate time and time again, but it doesn’t always hold true.
Nowadays, people watch what’s trending on their streaming homepage, which can also draw more attention to a TV show.
What’s the Happy Medium?
Many platforms have tried to find a perfect formula for releasing TV shows. Some go for multi-episode season premieres and then weekly releases.
Others release multiple episodes weekly, while some might do one episode per week and then a multi-episode season finale.
Clearly, there is no winning formula. Shows can fall off between weeks or soar. But since The Pitt takes place in one day, Max should try something new for Season 2.
It should capture viewers for three hours every week for three weeks and then overwhelm them with six hours in the final week.
That would allow storylines to be discussed for several weeks while not robbing viewers of an immersive viewing experience.
But that’s just a suggestion.
Over to you, The Pitt Fanatics. What do you love most about the show? Are you okay with weekly episodes or saving them for a binge?
Chime in in the comments.
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