2025 is almost halfway over, and few shows have left their stamp on the year as strongly as The Pitt. The series was Max’s first original medical drama, marking a risky departure from its usual model of prestige TV programs like The White Lotus, Succession, and The Last of Us. However, it didn’t matter. The show was an instant hit with both critics and audiences, and it dominated the TV conversation for the better part of four months at the start of the year.

One of The Pitt’s biggest stars is Patrick Ball, who portrays Dr. Langdon. Langdon is fired after Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) finds out he’s sneaking drugs from patients, but he ultimately comes back to help with the mass shooting sequence near the end of the season. While the end of Season 1 leaves his future in limbo, it was recently confirmed that Langdon would be back at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center in Season 2. During a recent interview with Variety to talk about his new Broadway project, Hamlet, Ball finally broke his silence on his return in Season 2, speaking about how his extra commitments might leave him “a bit out of sorts”:

“The precipitating event of season 2 is Langdon coming out of rehab. And so if I’m a bit out of sorts, I think that’s gonna be a feature, not a flaw. I think that’s gonna work in my favor.”

It’s certainly possible that this could work in the show’s favor if it helps him portray a more disheveled version of Langdon. He also spoke about the “exciting” opportunities that coming back over the Fourth of July weekend for Season 2 presents, and how it gives the writers a chance to “talk about a lot of things that are going on in this country”:​​​​​​​

“Well, I think coming back 10 months later (in the series’ timeline) and coming back on the 4th of July weekend is going to present the writers and the show a lot of opportunities to talk about a lot of things that are going on in this country, and that are going on with the healthcare system. There’s gonna be a lot of opportunities that pop up on July 4th weekend, which I think is exciting. “

He wrapped up the interview by speaking about how different things will be for Langdon, coming back 10 months later after going to rehab. He confirms that the audience will learn what happened to Langdon during his time away, and calls it a “useful device” for the writers:

“And I think also having Langdon be away in rehab for this period of time and then reenter this workspace also presents the writers with a lot of opportunities… When Langdon walks back in the door, people are different and things have changed, and I don’t quite know what has happened while I was gone. That presents a fun new game for the writers, that the audience gets to learn about what has changed and transpired in the time away through Langdon. So my absence provides the writers with a really useful device, and it’ll be subjectively from Langdon’s point of view.”

Source: Variety