The Pitt‘s Noah Wyle broke down Dr. Robby’s ending in season 2 after concerns of suicidal ideation.
During the finale on Thursday, April 16, Robby had separate goodbyes with most of the people at the hospital. His comments about how he didn’t know if he was coming back from his sabbatical concerned Dana (Katherine LaNasa), Abbot (Shawn Hatosy) and Duke (Jeff Kober) but Robby was determined to go.
Robby then had an argument with Langdon (Patrick Ball) before going to check on Baby Jane Doe. In an emotional final moment, Robby told the infant that she had a lot to look forward to because of how loved she was. It served as a direct parallel to Robby, who couldn’t seem to see the support he had from his loved ones.
“Emotionally, it was the culmination of a lot of goodbyes. We’d seen him say goodbye to Abbot, Duke and Dana — and then he has the exchange with Langdon. It removes all of his resistance to going,” Wyle, 54, exclusively told Us Weekly while examining Robby’s mental state. “Then he sits there and he looks at this innocent [baby] — who is also an abandoned soul and who is also helpless in the world. He just connects.”
It was important to have Robby end this chapter of his story with the baby.
“He spills a secret to the only person that can’t answer back or can’t repeat what he has to say in the room where all of his secrets are,” Wyle continued. “So it just seemed like very nice and poetic symmetry to bring him back into that room and to have him deal with that baby at the end of it all.”
Wyle recalled the biggest challenge of bringing the scene to life, adding, “Any time you’re working with babies on set, you’re working very quickly. We had three babies that day and they were being totally uncooperative with what we needed them to do. That baby finally stopped crying — or started crying — and we just started shooting.”
He continued: “We shot all that in 16 minutes. It was technically very quick and efficient work.”
According to creator R. Scott Gemmill, the show’s conclusion never changed.
“That was decided right before we even put pen to paper. It was a bit crazy because it meant we’re going to have that baby for the whole season, which is challenging,” he explained to Us. “But to me, it was about Robby finding solace in the one person that has no connections to him and it’s safe. He can tell that baby anything he wants. In some cases, he does say things that he wouldn’t tell to anyone else because he knows it’s safe.”
Gemmill hoped the emotion came across, saying, “There’s comfort there. I think he sees a kindred spirit in somebody that’s got a tough life ahead of them and he is reflective in that moment of what he’s been through to get to this point.”
Looking ahead, the screenwriter teased the changes planned in season 3. “We’re not going to do a holiday next year. We’re just going to do a time of year,” Gemmill shared. “It will be a little colder. Close to [winter]. Because nobody wants to be in Pittsburgh in the middle of winter.”
Wyle, meanwhile, suggested other possibilities for future seasons.
“ER’s pilot was St. Patrick’s Day, and we’ve now done Fourth of July on The Pitt. Christmas is too many clothes and bulkiness — and we’d all get sick of the decor by the time we were finished shooting,” Wyle said about possible holidays to cover on the show. “Halloween is a little gimmicky. New Year’s Eve is a very busy ER night. So maybe New Year’s Eve.”
The Pitt has been renewed on HBO Max and is returning for season 3.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
