Another year, another new harrowing and turbulent shift for the medical staff of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, colloquially referred to as The Pitt. In a refreshing change of pace from the rest of television, the HBO Max medical drama created by R. Scott Gemmill is producing at an incredibly fast pace, with Season 2’s newly dropped teaser releasing before Season 1 has the chance to potentially take home Emmy Awards. Premiering exactly one year after the inaugural season, Season 2 features everyone’s favorite ER doctors back for another day of saving lives and performing life-or-death procedures.
The primary cast of The Pitt reprising their respective roles seemed to be up in the air following the nightmarish conclusion to Season 1, where the traumatic events pushed everyone’s breaking point. The hospital’s anchor and emotional rock, charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa), appeared to be reconsidering her line of work after the worst shift imaginable. The people of Pittsburgh within the show and fans of The Pitt can rejoice once and for all: Dana is back, because nothing could ever bring her down.
‘The Pitt’ Returns for Another Grueling Shift in Season 2
While so many shows these days have half-decade gaps between seasons, HBO Max recently dropped the first teaser for Season 2 of The Pitt, just over four months after Season 1 concluded. The simplistic and familiar makeup of the show is essential to its brilliance, and the 50-second teaser presents more of the same chaos in the same hospital with mostly the same staff members, including attending physician Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Noah Wyle), Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif), Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden), Dr. Trinity Santos (Isa Briones), and even Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Bell), who was caught stealing drugs from the hospital’s inventory. Best of all, audiences will get more of the Emmy-nominated Katherine LaNasa as Dana, the captain steering everyone in the right direction.
The teaser wisely doesn’t reveal any specific plotlines or character developments, and instead focuses solely on the hectic energy that captivated audiences in early 2025. “The prodigal son returns,” a nurse remarks when Robby walks onto the ER floor, followed by Dana giving him a look that suggests she’s saying, “Get ready for another long day.” A weary but determined Robby states, “And so it begins,” at the dawn of his upcoming shift. The teaser also shows brief flashes of electric medical saws, cops running down the hallway, and a newborn baby. “You guys do this every day?” a bewildered new doctor asks, with Santos, in her usual sardonic tone, replying, “If we’re lucky!”
Katherine LaNasa Will Return as Dana Evans in ‘The Pitt’ Season 2
With the plot circumstances of Season 1, fans wondered how many staff members could stomach another shift in this crowded, understaffed hospital. The only primary cast member absent from Season 2 is Tracy Ifeachor as Dr. Heather Collins, whose departure from the show still remains a mystery. Katherine LaNasa’s future on The Pitt also seemed in jeopardy due to Dana’s precarious state, who was pushed to the edge after being sucker-punched by an unruly patient enraged by his lack of treatment and grappling with the trauma of the influx of patients in critical care following the mass shooting at the local music festival, Pittfest.
Dana, the toughest of the bunch, who continues working despite having potentially serious injuries from her assault, contemplates an early retirement following this shift. We last see her in Season 1 removing photos from her desk, indicating her services are finished. This was one of the most upsetting character developments of the season, as Dana seemed truly invincible, even more so than the seasoned and poised Robby. Amid all the chaos, disorganization, and even systemic failures of the hospital, Dana remained unflappable, never breaking down and lifting the spirits of the down-on-his-luck medical student, Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell). Robby said it himself: without Dana, the titular trauma center would fall apart.
Dana Evans Is Essential to ‘The Pitt’
Away from the inner world of the series, Dana Evans is also irreplaceable on The Pitt, as she is the backbone of the critically acclaimed drama. It’s no surprise that the no-nonsense, resilient nurse, who serves as a watchful guardian to all the surrounding drama, became a fan-favorite. Dana’s candor, rejecting any disrespect thrown at her or her colleagues, as well as her pure dignity, gave her instant icon status. On the flip side, she is also incredibly affectionate, expressing sincere care for the well-being of the staff, something the stern and reticent Robby struggles to convey. Whether she’s busting Robby’s chops or defusing the drama between Langdon and Santos, Dana provides much-needed levity to the 45-minute stress factory that is each episode.
Because she’s not a physician performing impromptu surgeries, Dana’s work is bound to get overlooked, but she embodies the saintly spirit of medical professionals, something the show aspired to emphasize in a post-pandemic world. Controlling the board and directing incoming patients onto one of the countless operating tables, Dana ostensibly carries the Pitt on her shoulders, and she is a glowing representation of the medical field. She never tries to pretend that the job isn’t grueling and thankless, as she shares Robby’s frustrations with the lack of support from the hospital’s corporate offices.
The moment she gives herself a respite in the form of a cigarette break outside, she is smacked in the face. Even with her bruised and bloodied face, she resumes working. There’s no doubt that, while on the clock, Dana lives with constant stress and malaise, but she’s mastered the art of peacefully living with these punishing feelings. Without ever needing to explain it, Dana knows her responsibilities as the managing nurse are too vital to get distracted by her uneasiness, even if that means putting her health at risk. Her unyielding sacrifice makes her the most tragic character, as everyone else views her as a superhero, unfazed by death and the other hijinks on the floor, but deep down, she’s also on the verge of wearing down.
Writing out Dana Evans from Season 2 of The Pitt is a tempting decision for writers looking to amplify the drastic impact of the previous season, but in the long run, the series is far better served by her presence. The revelation of LaNasa’s return in Season 2 confirms something audiences already knew: nothing will ever keep Dana down for the count, even when she has doubted her own fortitude.
