The Pitt ended its record-breaking first season last night, and fans are already speculating about how Season 2 will pick up from where we leave our favorite characters after the hectic shift. And while the fates of most workers are left quite clear, making for a satisfying finale, it is the head nurse that remains an unknown factor moving forward. Well, until now. The show’s co-creator has blown the lid on the character’s future in The Pitt.
Showrunner R. Scott Gemmill addressed the future of nurse Dana Evans, who is brilliantly played by Katherine LaNasa (Daredevil: Born Again). Earlier this season, the charge nurse of the ER was physically assaulted by a patient named Doug Driscoll, making her question her future at the hospital. And while the finale made it seem like Dana is gone for good (despite every other character saying otherwise), it seems she will indeed return to The Pitt. However, it may not be that simple: Gemmill explained:

“Yeah, I was even thinking we should have had her flip him off, but that was the bridge too far. But I think Dana — I think the thing about this show is you should never get too comfortable with any one character because the nature of the business and the world is that life throws things at you unexpectedly and things can change in a heartbeat. So I think when Dana leaves, she’s very intent on leaving for good. That’s why she takes her photos. That’s why she doesn’t admit to Robby whether she’ll be back Monday. And I think she has to take some time and think about things. And I would guarantee if next season took place the next day that she wouldn’t be there. So when we do come back, we’ll have to see. But she’s a trooper and that place is her home and she’s kind of like the den mother. So I think it would be hard for her, difficult for her to stay away as well. But when she does come back, I imagine she would be a little bit different.”

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As explained by Gemmill, Dana’s decision at the end of The Pitt Season 1 finale should not be taken lightly — she had no intention of returning to the ER on Monday. So, when she does return, presumably during Season 2, it will likely be for a specific reason. It would not be shocking if it took a few episodes for Dana to head back to her work family, especially since the next shift will take place over the Fourth of July weekend, prompting another all-hands-on-deck situation similar to the Pitt Fest mass shooting. Could someone take her place in the meantime? Possibly, but the possible candidates are a bit thin as of right now.
How ‘The Pitt’ Will Handle Trump Dismantling U.S. Healthcare

Max

One of the main reasons The Pitt hits close to home for many people is how relevant it is to the current state of healthcare in the United States. Unfortunately, under the new Trump administration, things are looking to get worse as Medicaid becomes the latest target of significant spending cuts (don’t worry, billionaires are getting more tax cuts). Executive producer John Wells talked about introducing these real-life topics to the upcoming season, which is currently in the works. If Medicaid, among other aspects of the healthcare system, gets further dismantled by the current admin, The Pitt will be quick to address it. However, it will be a tight rope to walk on.

“If there are significant changes to Medicaid, it’s going to have a major impact, and we will know that before we’re actually shooting. We deal with many, many people who are in the field who work as advisors. We’ll hear right away what those implications are. We’re not going to guess. I think there are going to be a lot of lawsuits and we don’t want to get too far in front of it and then find ourselves telling stories about things that don’t actually happen. It’s a fast-moving train, our political system right now, but it’s a real concern.”

The Pitt Season 2 is expected to release on Max early 2026, with January being the project release window.
Source: Entertainment Weekly

The Pitt

Release Date

January 9, 2025

Network

Max

Showrunner

R. Scott Gemmill

Directors

Amanda Marsalis

Writers

Joe Sachs, Cynthia Adarkwa

Noah Wyle

Dr. Michael ‘Robby’ Robinavitch

Tracy Ifeachor

Uncredited