HBO Max's The Pitt was a word-of-mouth success earlier in 2025; a prestige procedural, The Pitt follows the staff across one 15-hour shift in the Emergency Room at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital, affectionately – to some – nicknamed The Pitt.
But for many viewers there were two characters in particular who – although on the surface had little in common and few scenes together – had an electric chemistry and became the center of the show.
© Warrick Page/MAXDr Mel King (Taylor Deardon) was a second year resident who, despite her social awkwardness, brought a unique perspective to the ER because of her guardianship over her autistic twin sister and experience with military veterans, while Dr Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) was a charismatic and cocky doctor.
Yet despite their differences, viewers saw a connection between the pair, with Dr King thriving under Dr Langdon's teachings, and Dr Langdon showing a softer side when needed for Dr King.
And showrunner R. Scott Gemmill has told HELLO! that he has "heard" the fan reactions, and promises more interactions in season two.
© Warrick Page/MAXHELLO! Exclusive
"I think that stuff always surprises me because a lot of times it's not intrinsic in the writing," he tells HELLO! at TheWrap's inaugural Showrunners & Creators Breakfast on May 21 of the audience reaction to Dr King and Langdon's relationship.
"The friendship and the mentorship and the relationships are there for the characters, but then the audience takes it to the nth degree sometimes."
Laughing, he added: "But as long as they are intrigued and happy and enjoying the project, it's okay."
© Warrick Page/MAXSeason two romance?
As for any future romantic entanglements for the pair, when The Pitt season one ended Dr Langdon had been caught stealing drugs from the hospital for his own use, and he was a married man with two children.
But R. Scott added: "I think we're definitely going to see some nice interactions [between King and Langdon]."
© Getty ImagesWhat is The Pitt?
The Pitt concluded its first season on April 10 and Max revealed that it has ranked among the "top three most watched Max series in platform history," and received an "unprecedented 13-week streak of week-over-week growth, with every single episode since its two-part premiere on January 9 outperforming the last".
The show premise follows Noah Wyle's Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch, a Jewish working-class emergency room doctor, and is set across one 15-hour shift, with each episode one hour.
© Warrick Page/MAXSeason two is expected to pick up nine or ten months later, and will be set around the Fourth of July weekend.
R. Scott has already promised that Dr Robby and Dr Langdon will return, with the show expected to cover his first day back after rehab. But it is unclear who else may return, as many of the junior doctors were only in the ED on rotation.
Who will be back?
R. Scott told HELLO! that he has told the cast he will "always find a way to bring you back".
"There are some people that might not be seen until later on in the season because of commitments," he said, adding: ""We're very encouraging for people to do whatever they can or want to do, so if they want to do something else or they have another opportunity, I always say, 'take this advantage of this moment and the open doors, and we can always find a way to bring you back'."
