The Pitt Season 2 Episode 1 has landed on HBO Max, introducing us to newcomer Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi. Although her professionalism is unrivalled, right at the end she freezes, and star Sepideh Moafi has teased what happened.
In Season 2 of the hit medical drama, Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) is preparing for a three-month sabbatical, but he’s got one more 15-hour shift at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center to get through – and it just so happens to be the Fourth of July.
Dr. Al-Hashimi is serving as the new attending physician. As we said in our five-star review, The Pitt Season 2 “doesn’t do ‘new boss vs old boss’ theatrics, but her presence changes the temperature of the room.”
The episode ends with a brief but telling moment that raises questions about Dr. Al-Hashimi’s past, setting up a subplot that will no doubt unfold over the course of Season 2. Warning: spoilers ahead!
Why did Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi freeze in The Pitt Season 2?
Although Moafi couldn’t give away too much as the moment is related to a spoiler, The Pitt Season 2 star did reveal to TVLine that Dr. Al-Hashimi’s response is tied to the character’s own past traumas.
For the uninitiated, in Episode 1, titled ‘7:00 A.M.’, the most dramatic case unfolds when a baby is discovered in the hospital’s restroom. Since the baby isn’t a newborn, they try to figure out how old she is.
Due to Safe Haven laws, if a parent anonymously surrenders an unharmed, unwanted newborn to designated safe locations (like hospitals), they won’t face prosecution for abandonment – but the baby has to be younger than 28 days old.
If they’re any older, then it turns into a criminal case. As they discuss the baby, Dr. Samira Mohan (Supriya Ganesh) hands Dr. Al-Hashimi a slip of paper noting that a Point of Care CBC has just been run.
At this point, the character disassociates, so what exactly happened? Moafi explained, “The answer to that question is rooted in a huge spoiler. So I can’t say much, but I will say that there is a story behind that moment. And we’ll learn more throughout the season.”
However, Moafi did tell TVLine that it’s the first sign of vulnerability beneath Al-Hashimi’s composed exterior, a reminder of how The Pitt folds character trauma seamlessly into its storytelling.
“Every physician, every person – but every physician in particular – carries their baggage. Trauma, experiences. And it weighs on them and affects them in different ways,” she continued.
The reason could be related to multiple events in Dr. Al-Hashimi’s past. Early on in the episode, we find out she’s a divorced single mother, so perhaps she had a traumatic experience with her own child.
But chances are it’s a combination of factors. She previously worked at Veteran’s Affairs Hospital, and as The Pitt demonstrates, not only are hospital staff exposed to scarring incidents every day, but the chaos of the job means they’re barely given any time to process their feelings.
What is a Point of Care CBC?
A Point of Care (POC) CBC, or Complete Blood Count, is a rapid blood test carried out at or near a patient’s bedside, rather than being sent off to a central laboratory. It allows doctors to quickly assess key indicators such as infection, anemia, and overall blood health, helping them make time-sensitive decisions in emergency situations.
In cases like the one shown in The Pitt Season 2 Episode 1, a POC CBC would be used to gather fast clinical information about a vulnerable patient – in this instance, to help determine whether the baby shows signs of illness, infection, or distress.
It’s one of many tests Dr. Mohan orders to get a better picture of the baby’s overall health. While the test itself is routine in trauma settings, its timing in the scene has led some viewers to assume it triggered Dr. Al-Hashimi’s reaction.
Dr. Al-Hashimi disassociates immediately after looking at the results, but what happens next suggests that her reaction is rooted in something more personal: Dr. Mohan takes back the slip and looks at it, asking, “Did I miss something?”
This implies that the results are unremarkable, reinforcing that Dr. Al-Hashimi’s response was down to something unrelated.
What happens to Derek Cecil’s Mr. Williams?
The ending of The Pitt Season 2 Episode 1 also teases that Dr. Cassie McKay’s (Fiona Dourif) prickly patient Mr. Williams may have a far more serious illness than a broken wrist.
Mr. Williams – played by Derek Cecil, best known for portraying Seth Grayson on Netflix’s House of Cards – comes into the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center after suffering a fall and injuring his wrist.
Immediately, he comes off as abrasive. When Dr. McKay explains she’ll carry out X-rays, he replies, “Let’s keep the bullsh*t extra charges to a minimum. My deductible is already a b*tch.”
Later, Dr. McKay returns and tells him to wear a splint for the next two weeks just in case there is a fracture, and then come back for another X-ray. In short, it’s a relatively straightforward injury.
However, she quickly realizes Mr. Williams is confused. “My knee hurts,” he says, but when Dr. McKay goes to check it, he pushes her away with a look of anger.
He then asks what the splint is for, before looking around the room. “Is this place new?” he asks. Dr. McKay gets backup in case things descend, before checking if he knows what day it is.
After taking a beat to think about it, Williams replies, “It’s Taco Tuesday.” She tries a few more follow-up questions, causing him to grow agitated.
Taken together, his confusion and sudden shifts in behavior strongly suggest something neurological may be at play, hinting that the fall – or what caused it – is only part of a much more serious problem.
This is the last we see of their interaction, so we’ll have to wait for The Pitt Season 2 Episode 2 to learn more about his condition.
Reality still matters