We knew that Noah Wylie was going to lead The Pitt extremely well, and that we’d believe him as a skilled doctor. This wasn’t his first rodeo in this type of series. What we didn’t quite expect was how the supporting characters would take over our hearts. Katherine LaNasa plays Charge Nurse Dana Evans, and she quickly made it clear that she was there to take control and keep everything running smoothly.
The Pitt captured the hustle of a real ED. And through all of that, the personalities of the people working there shone through. It also brought some of the horrors that nurses have to face in real life, including angry patients who get violent.
What happened to Dana in The Pitt?
During a difficult shift, Dana was punched in the face by an angry person. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back for her, and she ended the season deciding that she was done. She was leaving the hospital, and nothing anyone could say would stop her.
Now there are questions about whether we’ll see LaNasa in The Pitt season 2, and right now, she told Variety that she can’t confirm or deny. However, she did go on to share that the character can’t really go back if she wants to prove to her daughters and granddaughters that it’s no okay for violence in the workplace.
How can she face her daughters and say that they have to go to a workplace where they can be beaten up? We tell our children and grandchildren that they don’t need to face that, and now she’s stuck in a moral dilemma, because at the same time, she wants to go back.
“The guy hitting her out of anger really put her between a rock and a hard place… It created this moral dilemma inside the character. How do you tell your daughters and your granddaughters, ‘I’m going back to a place where I get hit?’ How can she go back?”
We need more of Dana in The Pitt season 2
And while there is this dilemma, the series won’t be the same without LaNasa’s character in The Pitt season 2. In fact, it opens up a great storyline, showing that while violence happens, it’s not okay, and that the hospital has to take a stand to protect the people who work there. It could even lead to a storyline that sees someone getting out of hand, and the hospital showing that they are putting the staff first.
Showrunner R. Scott Gimmel has said that Dana will be back in The Pitt season 2, according to CBR. In fact, he shared that when she comes back, she will have changed a little, because that’s just natural after everything that she went through. It would make sense for her to have a few flashbacks here and there, or to be a little jumpy when there’s a loud bang.
“I think when she comes back, she’s going to have a bit of an attitude adjustment, though. She’ll be even less tolerant of bulls**t. She’s going to be much more protective of her flock.”
One thing that will be important with her coming back is showing that one angry patient doesn’t stop a person from living their dreams. Dana wants to be a nurse, and she wants to help people. Not going back sends a message that she’s going to just give up instead of putting steps in place to prevent it from happening again, which also sends a bad message to her daughters and granddaughters. So, we need Dana back in The Pitt season 2.
The Pitt is available to stream on HBO Max.