After Taylor Dearden’s Comments About ‘The Pitt’s Return, I Need More Moments Between These Two Doctors in Season 2

Medical dramas have been a TV staple for a very long time, and for good reason. They have an episodic format that is entertaining to watch every week, and they also leave room to explore the doctors’ personal lives. HBO Max’s The Pitt is certainly an excellent addition to this subgenre, but it also stands out as something new and remarkable. There is a lot about The Pitt that makes it feel so exciting and refreshing, including its unique structure, in which each season takes place during a single shift in the Emergency Room of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. The show also has very nuanced and complex characters, and its structure allows viewers to see these characters in really vulnerable and significant moments over the course of the shift.

One of The Pitt‘s breakout characters is Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden), a second-year resident who starts at PTMC in the show’s pilot episode after previously working at the VA. In a recent interview with Collider‘s own Perri Nemiroff for an episode of Collider Ladies Night, Dearden spoke about her experience of playing Mel, and some of the things that she’s hoping to see for this character in The Pitt‘s second season. Dearden also touched on Mel’s relationships with the other doctors at PTMC, including why Mel’s dynamic with Langdon (Patrick Ball) works so well, and what other dynamics she’d like to see for Mel in Season 2.

Taylor Dearden Wants to See More of Mel’s Dynamics with the Other Doctors in Future Seasons of ‘The Pitt’

Because Season 1 of The Pitt takes place during Mel’s first day at PTMC, it was a true delight to see Mel connect with the other doctors so quickly into that shift. My favorite dynamic of hers is that with Langdon, who mentors Mel throughout the season, and who encourages her to embrace her sensitivity as a strength instead of feeling ashamed of it. At this point, Mel’s closest connection at work is with Langdon, which is why it was so hard for her when he was absent for Episode 11, “5:00 P.M.” It would be great to see Mel develop additional close bonds in Season 2, and Dearden gave some ideas as to with whom these could be. When asked, “If you could see her have more scenes with anyone else in the main ensemble, who do you think she would have the most to gain from at this point?” Dearden answered:

“It’s a good question. I think Robby, probably. She, Mel needs, Mel needs to relax more. And not even relax, but just, it’s okay to advocate for your patients even if it doesn’t follow the rules. So maybe a little Santos then, too. I do think they’re hilarious together, Santos and Mel, because they’re so opposing. But it’s still Mel, so she loves everyone at all times.”

Mel and Robby have a really lovely conversation in the penultimate episode of The Pitt Season 1, when she is shaken up after treating the victims of the PittFest shooting. Mel feels like she’s failed by being too emotional and letting this affect her job, but Robby instead praises her for having so much empathy for her patients. This dynamic has a lot of potential, in which Robby could act as a mentor to Mel in future seasons of The Pitt. After hearing Dearden’s interview answers, though, I am especially excited about the prospect of a close friendship between Mel and Santos in the future.

I Agree with Taylor Dearden – I Need to See More of Mel and Santos in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2

Dearden is right that Mel and Santos are so different on the surface, and that this makes them such a compelling duo to watch. Mel is first introduced as this kind and gentle soul who treads lightly on her first day at PTMC and just wants to learn. Santos, on the other hand, lets her ambition drive her. Immediately after starting at her new job, Santos is calling her coworkers names, pushing back against doctors who have been working there much longer, and asking for opportunities that she has not yet earned. As the season goes on, though, it becomes clearer that Santos and Mel have more in common than meets the eye. They both have such deep empathy for their patients, and that is at the heart of nearly everything they do in the ER.

As Dearden pointed out, Mel is still devoted to following the rules, whereas Santos will happily fight for her patients in unconventional ways. It would be really wonderful to see them learn from each other a bit in future seasons of The Pitt. Another underrated part of Mel and Santos’ dynamic is the fact that Santos already clearly has a soft spot for Mel. Whereas Santos continues to push and give grief to Whitaker (Gerran Howell) and Javadi (Shabana Azeez) even when they express frustration with her, she doesn’t mock Mel during their conversations. There are times when Mel takes what Santos is saying very literally, and Santos just lets it go, whereas she might have made a joke in those moments if it were someone else. Santos is particularly gentle with Mel, and seems to really respect her. Mel, for her part, doesn’t judge Santos in the way that many of her other coworkers do after her less than ideal first impressions. Both of these characters seem to understand each other on a deeper level, which could be the foundation of a really strong friendship in later seasons of The Pitt.

The Pitt Season 2 will release weekly starting January 2026. In the meantime, Season 1 is available to stream on HBO Max.