The Pitt: Taylor Dearden and Patrick Ball Are As Anxious About Season 2 As You Are

This article contains spoilers for The Pitt season 1.

In the modern era of streaming giants, it’s refreshing when fans don’t have to beg or plead with the TV gods for more television. Fans of shows like Apple’s Severance or Paramount’s Yellowstone can relate, having to wait years in between seasons (or in Yellowstone’s case, almost a year to merely get the last half of a season).

Max knew it had something special with critically-acclaimed medical drama The Pitt and has already hinted that it intends the show to be a yearly experience, keeping the proverbial machine as well-oiled as any emergency room needs to be for a projected January 2026 season 2 release. For actors Taylor Dearden and Patrick Ball, that means very little rest between seasons, and not a whole lot of time to even reflect on the success of season one. 

Dearden, who plays Dr. Melissa King, might have created the internet’s newest favorite neurodivergent queen. Dearden is no stranger to witnessing the establishment of iconic characters (her father is Walter White, after all) but has barely had a chance to contemplate the show or the character’s importance. When asked if she feels King will resonate with audience members the way that show lead Noah Wyle has for generations of potential doctors through his work on ER, Dearden certainly sees the possibility. But when pressed further about the comparison to Wyle, Dearden gives a sheepish half-smile and simply utters “…not at all.”

Ball has a little bit of a different perspective. His parents, much like Dearden’s, undoubtedly influenced his role as the well-coiffed Dr. Frank Langdon, but not in terms of his craft. Arguably his parents could be technical advisors on the show as Ball’s mother was an ER nurse, and his father, a paramedic. So before Ball looks forward to season two, he’s often looked back at his own family history. 

“All my parents’ friends are all nurses, doctors, and paramedics.” Ball says. “My mom’s Facebook activity has never been higher. It is booming. Everybody’s super excited and super supportive, and the broader healthcare community has become really engaged in having conversations around the show, which is amazing. This is a community that really needs a space to talk.”

That discussion will undoubtedly continue in the months before season two debuts. And, according to Dearden, everything seems to be on schedule. 

“I think the writers are doing the same thing as they did before,” she says. “They wrote all 15 episodes at once, so we, as actors, came in with everything kind of set in stone. We go to bootcamp June 1, and then we shoot after that.”

As the finale wrapped, audiences were left to think about the proposed time gap between seasons. It’s yet another interesting layer to the storytelling, as audiences have no idea what to expect, or even if certain characters will return given the series’ real-time format. Some of the younger cast members might end up in a different department or a different hospital since their rotations would change. That anxious uncertainty is not simply reserved for the audience, either. The cast is most certainly feeling it, as well. 

“I’m getting really antsy because I’m thinking – can you just give us a hint? How, what, when? Is it a month later?” Dearden says with a nervous energy. “I remember reading somewhere, not hearing it, but reading somewhere that our showrunner and creator Scott Gimmel said it’s not going to be the next day, and it’s not going to be a year from then. Well… that leaves every other day. We legitimately have no idea what season two is.”

Which makes the offseason conversation even more interesting, especially with some of the cliffhanger endings fans were left with. Luckily for Dearden, her anxiety isn’t exacerbated as Dr. Mel is not necessarily in “cliffhanger” territory. Last we saw her, she was deciding to carbo-load with a well-deserved pizza and pasta night with her sister, Becca (Tal Anderson). The biggest offseason theory surrounding Mel is what toppings they might have got on the pizza. 

On the other side however, is Langdon. Ball was a part of one of the more explosive season 1 storylines, as Langdon was caught stealing and abusing controlled substances. That led to two of the series’ most combative scenes (which is truly saying something considering the nature of the show) between Langdon and Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Wyle). Robby, as the Chief Attending Physician, was tipped off to Langdon’s substance abuse, and one of the final scenes in the finale has the two facing off as to whether or not Robby is going to report Langdon’s activity.

Ball’s next project, which was just announced, is a Los Angeles production of Hamlet, where Ball will play the titular tragic prince. Any astute fan of the bard will recognize that Hamlet, like so many Shakespearean protagonists, often feels he is a victim of fate, rather than taking responsibility for his own actions. That is a strangely familiar trait that Langdon shows when confronted about his substance abuse.  

“Playing Hamlet has been an absolute dream for me, from the time that I decided to become an actor to whenever I realized Langdon was a dream role.” Ball says. “The fact that I’m getting to do both of these things back-to-back like this is just absolutely beyond. And I think [the two characters] do have some overlap. Langdon is much more decisive than Hamlet is, for sure. But they live in the same lineage of anxious young men – that kid who is still trying to figure out his place in the universe.”

Audiences won’t know Langdon’s fate until The Pitt season 2’s likely January debut. So what does Ball think Langdon is preoccupied with during this offseason? 

“I think he’s thinking about those questions of manhood. Do I have what it takes?” Most importantly, Ball is able to try and ignore those questions and is able to lean into the next project. 

“I’m really thankful for Hamlet to have something to do, because I’ve been thinking about season two since the beginning of season one. And as far as what happens – Scott Gimmell and the writers know what they’re doing, and I can’t wait to see what they’re cooking up.”

All 15 episodes of The Pitt season 1 are available to stream on Max now.

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