After he became one of my favorite supporting characters inThe Pittseason 1, I was disappointed to realize we probably won’t see much of Dr. Jack Abbot in season 2. After seeing his character prominently featured inthe trailer forThe Pittseason 1, it was somewhat of a surprise that he exited the season so quickly before coming back for the final four episodes. Still, it was enough time to know we need more.
Jack Abbot was a great addition toThe Pittseason 1, even though he was only in a third of the episodes, and his part in episode 1 was more of a cameo than an actual supporting role. It’s a real shame, too:Chicago PDstar and Jack Abbot actor Shawn Hatosyis an excellent character actor, one of those guys who always quietly makes every scene he’s in better. He did the same in the season’s final four episodes, standing out amongThe Pitt’s already standout castof veterans and newcomers. It’s why he has to return for season 2.
Dr. Abbot Was One Of The Pitt Season 1’s Most Interesting Supporting Characters
He Came Into His Own In The Final Four Episodes
Dr. Abbot was the character for anyone who has a competency kink: capable, efficient, and a little bit of a rebel cowboy in his approach to treating the mass shooting trauma victims. We got to see a completely new side of him, learning he was a former combat medic, and he showed it, treating the ER like a combat zone triage forthe Pitt Fest casualties. When the camera panned down to reveal he was donating blood through his leg so he could keep working, an old trick picked up from his time in the military, it was a moment that cemented Abbot as a certified badass, a word that gets thrown around way too much in pop culture lexicon, but is more than earned in his case.
He continued to earn that label, with his self-assured line when Dr. Robby noted a critical patient would need two chest catheters and asked if Dr. Abbot needed a hand. “Hell no, I’ve got two hands,” Abbot retorted, in the groove. He and Robby worked great together as a two-headed monster, both showing why they’re respected leaders at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center’s ER. When one of the final scenes ofThe Pittseason 1 revealed that Dr. Abbot is an amputee, having lost his leg while fighting overseas and now wears a prosthetic. He’s earned every bit of that respect from his colleagues, both present and past.
But quietly, the best part about Dr. Jack Abbot was the role reversal between him and Dr. Robby from the first episode to the last few. Initially, it seemed as though Abbot was the one with the heavy mental health burden and suicidal ideation. Yet, in the thick of it, he showed a savviness when it came to reading Robby’s mood and identifying his colleague’s unraveling mental state. Throughout the last four episodes, he smoothly covered for Robby, who he could see was not mentally all there, and called him out when Robby slipped. He also provided the support and encouragement that Robby needed, quite literally talking his fellow doctor off the ledge in the finale, and establishing their dynamic as one of the best inThe Pitt.
It Will Be Hard To Get Dr. Abbot Into The Pitt Season 2
He Works The Night Shift & He And Robby Don’t Overlap
Unfortunately, it’s hard to see how Dr. Jack Abbot can be easily worked intoThe Pittseason 2. There likely won’t be another reason for Abbot to work together with Robby again. The only reason Abbot was even inThe Pittseason 1 so much was because of the mass shooting, necessitating an all-hands-on-deck approach. It’s unlikely that the second season will use another mass trauma storyline.
Hatosy is listed on IMDb under the cast list for season 2, episode 1, but it could simply be another handoff scene like the first episode of this season.
Considering that, it’s unclear if there’s an organic way to get Abbot into the show. He and Robby run their respective shifts, Robby the day, and Abbot the night shift, and they don’t have much crossover. InThe Pittseason 1 finale, Robby even asked Abbot if he’d gotten tired of working the night shift yet, but Abbot said he preferred it. “My therapist thinks I find comfort in the darkness,” he said drily. Hopefully, though, the writers will find a way to write him intoThe Pittseason 2, because we need more Jack Abbot.
