'The Pitt' Just Completely Changed My Mind About Its Most Unlikeable Character

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Pitt Season 1 Episode 7.So far, on Max’s new hit medical drama, The Pitt, there hasn’t been a lot of time to get to know all of the doctors’ backstories. We’ve gotten snippets here and there — Dr. McKay (Fiona Dourif) committed some type of crime that warrants her wearing an ankle monitor, and Dr. Melissa King (Taylor Dearden) has a sister who’s on the autism spectrum. But in keeping with the fast-paced, intense action of the emergency room, the doctors just aren’t able to sit around sharing stories about themselves. Even without a lot of background, I thought I had at least figured out Dr. Trinity Santos (Isa Briones). In the first six episodes, she has shown herself to be an abrasive, try-hard, who will do anything to get ahead. However, in The Pitt‘s latest episode, I’ve now had a complete change of heart about this character.

Santos Has Been a Pretty Unlikable Character So Far on ‘The Pitt’

Santos is a fourth-year medical student who has arrived at The Pitt for some hands-on training in the ER. She’s joined by her fellow medical students, Dr. Whitaker (Gerran Howell) and Dr. Javadi (Shabana Azeez). Santos is extremely tough, and it takes a lot to fluster her (unlike Whitaker and Javadi, who tend to be pretty skittish). Santos pushes to be taken seriously by the attending physicians, which includes volunteering for every medical task (especially the ones that are a bit challenging to carry out). Santos is driven and ambitious, but she mostly comes across as pushy.

It has been difficult for me to feel any kind of sympathy for Santos because she hasn’t afforded much to her fellow med students. She teases them mercilessly (even nicknaming Javadi “Crash” after the girl faints during a particularly alarming bone-setting procedure). Santos is one of those people who pushes her jokes too far, even after the person is clearly uncomfortable or upset. We all know people that say super harsh things and then try to soften them by shrugging it off with a “I was just joking.” It’s clear to Santos that she gets under the skin of her colleagues, but it doesn’t seem to bother her one way or another. Santos does seem to be a bit blind to how she’s coming across in front of patients though; she volunteers to do procedures with an eagerness that’s pretty off-putting if you’re the patient. It feels like she has a hard time remembering that she’s treating actual people in front of her (not medical experiment opportunities). Even though Santos is clearly very skilled at what she does, it has been sort of difficult for me to watch someone with such abrasive cockiness.

Gerran Howell wearing messy scrubs and holding up gloved hands in The Pitt Episode 4

I Hope ‘The Pitt’ Never Ditches Its Funniest Running Gag

This med student really can’t catch a break in the ER.

‘The Pitt’s Latest Episode Has Shown a More Vulnerable Side To Santos

In Episode 6, Santos begins treating a patient who has fallen off a ladder at his home. A chest tube has to be inserted, but Santos makes the grievous error of accidentally dropping the scalpel right into the foot of Dr. Garcia (Alexandra Metz). This is the first time that Santos’ confidence gets truly shaken. But she’s pushed even further out of her comfort zone in this case. Later, while examining the patient, she notices some unusual breast growth. When she starts to question his wife, the woman confesses that she’s been putting progesterone in her husband’s coffee. She confides in Santos that she believes her husband is sexually abusing their teenage daughter (and she was trying to use the hormone to cut down his libido). Santos is understandably disturbed and goes to her superior, Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle), who says their hands are tied if it’s not the daughter herself who’s asking for help. Santos is frustrated that she can’t take any action; she wants to help but is bound by confidentiality and legal restrictions.

So, she makes a decision to have a little (unethical) discussion with the father. He’s conscious but is completely incapacitated by medical equipment. As he’s prone on the table, Santos tells him in a gripping monologue that she knows what he’s done and says she’s familiar with these actions by men in authority positions. She notes how it all starts with a kiss on the forehead and then progresses to inappropriate touching — all of which turns into wounds that take entire lifetimes to heal. In a spitting fury, she threatens that if he ever touches his daughter again (or even thinks about doing so), she’ll have him arrested, or she’ll just let him die. She suggests the man blink twice if he agrees to her terms. After he does so, Santos leaves with obvious relief on her face. She has taken matters into her own hands and has at least tried to prevent any more harm from coming to the young girl.

‘The Pitt’ Humanizes Santos’ Character

Isa Briones as Dr. Santos standing over a patient lying on a stretcher in The Pitt — Image via HBO

Although we don’t get 100 percent confirmation that Santos herself has been abused, it’s clear that she has some personal experience with authority figures taking advantage of her or someone she cares about. In an interview with TVLine, Briones notes that the scene is “a moment where her emotions are getting the better of her because of how strongly she feels about this, and how hard it hits home, and I was very honored to be a part of telling that story.” I loved that this is the first time that we actually get to see a more vulnerable side to Santos. In this scene, she is overcome with emotion, and all of her bravado disappears. What’s left in its place is a righteous anger at men who take advantage of the innocence and purity of young girls. There’s also a possibility that if Santos herself is a victim, her own insecurities or efforts to heal from abuse could inform how she shows up at work (with a bullying attitude and a lack of empathy for others).

Before this episode, I felt like Santos was just a cold-hearted doctor who was only focused on her own ascension. But now, I get that she just projects a hard exterior. The scars from whatever Santos has been through have forced her to act harshly and sometimes be sort of irritating. But The Pitt has now given us a window to what might be behind her caustic personality; in her life experiences, she has learned that she has to hide her vulnerability in order to stay safe in the world. It’s a heartbreaking but also relatable consequence of having a complicated past. The series can go in a lot of different directions when it comes to developing Santos’ character even further in future episodes. But I’m grateful that The Pitt has decided to provide some development for her character, which makes her so much more human.

The Pitt is available to stream on Max in the U.S. New episodes drop every Thursday.