PTMC, in the wake of the cyberattack that diverted Westbridge’s patients to its ER, goes analog to get in front of any issues in the Thursday, February 26, episode of The Pitt.
As the Fourth of July shift continues, the staff gets a lesson in fax machines, charting, and the like from Robby (Noah Wyle), Abbot (Shawn Hatosy), and Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi) — she actually got the heads up before the announcement, something that rubs Robby the wrong way. (He also is quick to note to Jefferson, played by Christopher Thornton, that managing the chaos is “easy” when he’s a “short-timer” with only hours left before he goes on sabbatical.) And amidst that, Mohan (Supriya Ganesh) needs to start thinking about what to do next now that her plans for her life have changed. Warning: Spoilers for The Pitt Season 2 Episode 8 ahead!
Mohan had originally planned to move to New Jersey and be close to her mom — she even had a job lined up — but now her mom’s selling the house and traveling the world with her new boyfriend. And so now she’s thinking of staying in Pittsburgh, she tells Al-Hashimi. But she’s undecided about a choice for her fellowship. (Her study on racial disparities in healthcare was one of the ones cut when the White House slashed funding last year.) Robby’s replacement, with whom Mohan has worked in the past, suggests geriatrics, given her skills with the elderly and the fact that there are a lot of openings. That doesn’t exactly appeal to Mohan, Ganesh tells TV Insider as part of our latest Post-Op: The Pitt Aftershow.
“I remember playing that scene and just sort of feeling the air go out of my body a little whenever Dr. Al-Hashimi would say that to Samira because it just feels so not what she thought her job was ever going to be,” Ganesh admits. “I kind of made the decision that the [position] that she accepted in New Jersey was something that focused on things she was more interested in. I know her research project with racial inequities got canceled because of funding cuts, and that’s something that I know she was disappointed by. So I think she was able to find something else in that line of work or even something like ultrasound, which she definitely feels really excited about.”
She continues, “I think geriatrics just sort of like, ‘Is that what you think of me? Is that what you think I should be doing?’” That’s especially true after, in Season 1, we saw Mohan really step up during the mass casualty.
“I think the chaos is really good for her because it stops her from overthinking,” Ganesh explains. “Later on, Robby says something about geriatrics, and I think she just has this moment of, ‘What else do I need to do to prove that I belong here?’ or ‘What else do I need to do to have you validate me that I belong here?’ I think it’s a complicated dynamic, and I think it’s certainly interesting that so many people are pushing her towards this thing.”
But what’s also hard for Mohan is to hear this from Al-Hashimi, whom she respects.
“I would say in a lot of ways, Dr. Al-Hashimi is more of a mentor to her than Robby is. I think you see a lot of similarities in their characters,” Ganesh says. “For someone who’s that much of a mentor, for her to push her in that direction, I think she just kind of feels like, ‘Is this really what I should be doing?’”
Warrick Page/HBO Max
Elsewhere in the episode, Dana (Katherine LaNasa) continues to help Ilana (Tina Ivlev), the sexual assault survivor, which also means not leaving the exam room even when her patient needs a break. Ilana does return after talking to Emma (Laëtitia Hollard), on her first day as a nurse in the ER. And after, Ilana tells Dana she’s glad she was there that day. So is Dana.
Langdon’s (Patrick Ball) first shift back after rehab continues, and to his surprise, McKay (Fiona Dourif) shares she’s also sober (nine years and counting). The first year is the hardest, she tells him, and tells him to call her if he needs anything.
And with King’s (Taylor Dearden) deposition approaching (timing-wise, it should be in Episode 9), Ellis (Ayesha Harris) finds her after hers. While they’re not supposed to discuss the malpractice case, Ellis tells her it’s frivolous, the mother of the measles kid claims they caused intellectual decline with the spinal tap but the tap was done perfectly with no complications. The real cause is the hypoxic brain injury as a result of him being sick.
Watch the full The Pitt aftershow above for more from Supriya Ganesh.
The Pitt, Thursdays, 9/8c, HBO Max
