Which Character From ‘The Pitt’ Would Make The Best Drinking Buddy

By Ryan O'Connell on 01/23/2026 • ( 0 )

I can’t pick a favorite scene from the first season of The Pitt. It’s impossible. The whole first season was damn near perfect, and it would almost be doing the show a disservice by picking a favorite scene. I could probably do a top five, but just one is a non-starter.

Now, if I were to pick my five or so favorite scenes from the first season, definitely one of them would be towards the end of the season finale, when Dr. Robby and Dr. Abbot run into some of The Pitt crew having a few post-shift beers in the park across the street from the hospital. It’s a wonderfully light and humanizing scene at the end of a season that had those characters going through so much. And we’ve all been there (well, probably to a lesser degree unless you also work in an ER), sharing a couple of beers with some coworkers after a long ass day. There aren’t many beers that taste better than those beers.

The scene also aligns nicely with an exercise I’ve done before: ranking which characters from a certain show would make the best drinking buddy. This isn’t about picking favorites; it’s about picking which character would be the best one to have a drink with, or in this case, which character from The Pitt would you most want to saddle up with on a park bench in Pittsburgh and have a few beers with.

But first, a few notes on character ommissions…

Now the show’s second season has just started, and I’m not familiar with the new characters yet, so we’ll be focusing on the main characters from season one, with the main exception being Dr. Collins, as she’s no longer part of the show. That would mean characters like Dr. Moafi and a couple of the new student doctors, most notably the annoying know-it-all doctor who is currently beefing with Dr. Azeez, are out. Also not included are some of the overnight doctors because we just don’t know them that well.

Oh, Dr. McKay and Dr. Langdon are out because both are addicts, and you know, it doesn’t feel right including them. Although for a minute there, McKay was second on this list. And then with Langdon, if this were a list ranking who I’d want to watch a Penguins game with, it’d be a different story. He’d be in the top 3. But I’m a Bruins fan and this list ain’t that, kid, so let’s get into it.

11. Dr. Javadi

Is Crash even 21? We need to be law-abiding here, right? Well, I guess she did have a beer with the park crew, so maybe she is. Or not. I don’t know, but while she seems delightful, I’m not sure about her as a drinking buddy. I’m old and feel like I’d need to explain things like The Wire to her, and I just don’t know if I have it in me.

10. Dr. Mel King

I love Mel, and I’m really worried about this deposition she’s facing in season two. It’s wild how often doctors get sued. Ugh, come on. They’re trying their best. And Mel is always trying her best, and that’s incredible. Now, if this list were about sipping some Lemonade and talking about something heard on NPR, Mel would be a no-brainer. But, much like with our friend Dr. Langford, this isn’t that list.

9. Whitaker

Yo, Huckleberry. I’ve been to Nebraska. Even went to a University of Nebraska football game where they got shellacked by Michigan. But it was nice. I can’t say I’m itching to get back to Lincoln anytime soon, but that’s more about my love for the ocean than it is about Nebraska. And yeah, I’m sure Whitaker might be a good hang, and I’ll talk Huskers. I feel like he really digs funk and Motown, too, and I’ll talk funk and Motown. I mean, a night spent talking about Huskers’ football, funk, and Motown actually sounds pretty sweet. Sorry, dude, maybe you should have been ranked higher.

8. Dr. Mohan

Dr. Mohan was running pretty hot as season 1 ended, all jacked up from the adrenaline brought on by the Pitt Fest shooting. Before that, though, she seemed really nice, and so far this season, she has still seemed pretty nice and also a bit more confident and in control. I like Dr. Mohan. Seems like she’s got some family drama though with her mom, and well, I don’t know if I want to get into that over a few beers. I’d need to think about it.

7. Dr. Garcia

Full disclosure: Dr. Garcia is one of my favorite characters. She’s all business, and I love how she enters a room, completely in control and in boss mode. Now, initially, you might not think she’d be a good hang. Perhaps she’s a little steeled off for you; a little too in control and in boss mode. I could see that, but as a surgeon, I could see her having some killer surgeon stories, and I’m here for them.

6. Dr. Robby

Ok, so I struggled with this one. Dr. Robby is obviously a beast on the show and a fascinating character. I have little doubt he could be cool to hang out with and would bring a lot to the table. However, my man is a bit haunted, and people who are a bit haunted have great potential to go dark. Would he just start staring off into space at one point, or just like, not talk for an hour? If I mentioned how my back hurts, would he start into a story about a nice old woman who came into the ER one day with back trouble and a few hours later was dead, leaving behind a husband, kids, etc? See? It could get dark fast with Dr. Robby, so I’m not sure about this one.

5. Perlah & Princess

We talking shit? Little gossip? I’m down. Ideally, we can do it in English, but if not, I can adapt. Or figure something out. Whatever. I just want to hang out with these two.

4. Dr. Abbot

Okay, I had said that no one from the night shift would be included, but Dr. Abbot is the one exception. My man has some stories, has seen some shit, probably loves football, and maybe even Led Zeppelin. It also feels like he’s a bit more balanced than Dr. Robby and wouldn’t possibly veer off into darkness. Maybe. I think that’s in play for everyone on this list, but I don’t know, I think a few beers with Abbot would be fun.

3. Dr. Santos

I’m sure I’m not the only one who had or has mixed feelings about Dr. Santos, but I’m sure I’m also not the only one who eventually came around and became a fan. I think she comes on a little too strong at times, but I like her and am anxious to learn more about her. As far as a drinking buddy goes, she’d be fun to talk some shit with, and I like talking shit. I also think she’d be fun to people-watch with, and I also like people watching. No nicknames, though, Santos. At this point in my life, I have a couple and don’t really need anymore.

2. Donnie Donahue

Donnie is my dude. I’m the president of the Donnie Donahue Fan Club. Meetings are on Tuesday; food is provided. Donnie is solid. He gives great fist bumps and seems like the kind of dude who could talk about anything. The world needs more people like him.

1. Dana

I love Dana so much. I love her so much that I’d be fine with her smoking while we hung out because she’s Dana, and she can definitely do whatever the hell she wants. I feel like after hanging out with her, I’d have my life all figured out and any problems resolved. She has that way about her in that she’s a good listener, but then can talk about what she’s listening to, make sense of it, and dole out some helpful advice. Of course, she probably has some fun stories, would be great people-watching with and talking shit with. She really does check nearly all the boxes. Can we have a Chardonnay drinking contest? I bet Dana loves Chardonnay, and while I don’t, I’ll gladly drink it because she is.