The Pitt Star Breaks Down Episode 9’s Cliffhanger: “It Breaks Her”

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for The Pitt episode 9!One star of The Pitt has unpacked episode 9's massive cliffhanger, explaining how the episode's final moment "breaks" her character in the process. The Pitt episode 9 saw one patient, Doug Driscoll (Drew Powell) becoming fed up with his nine-hour wait to see a doctor for his chest pain. He ends up departing in the episode's final moments, going up to Dana (Katherine LaNasa) while she's on a smoke break and punching her in the face. He comments about the doctors being "hard at work," disgruntled given how long he'd been waiting to see someone.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, LaNasa explained The Pitt episode 9's cliffhanger, which sees Dana still on the ground after getting punched by Doug. The actor explained how the former patient doesn't see all the hard work going on at the trauma hospital, leading to his lashing out. She teases Dana is going to experience "an existential crisis" because of what happened, questioning her position at the hospital as her shift continues. Check out what LaNasa had to say below:

He doesn't see what we see in this beautiful episode, where you see Dana handle so many things, breaking up fights, dealing with dogs, dying people. There's just so much going on, and she takes one break and that's all he sees.
I think we see Dana go through an existential crisis of sorts, and we see her grapple with how to process this violence. I don't think she wants to face what happened to her. She really struggles with whether or not she can continue to work there, and it is just a complete departure from the character. The hit just turns the character on its end. It's a character up until the hit, and then in a way it's kind of another character after that.
After all Dana has managed in today’s shift — not to mention in her two decades at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center — the punch might be the final straw. “I think it breaks her, it doesn't completely break her, but I think it really shatters her. I think it just brings up a lot of grief.

What LaNasa's Statement Means For Dana's Future Storyline

The Pitt Will Tackle What The Assault Did To Her

Every character in The Pittis going through some form of hardship on their shift, from Robby (Noah Wyle) grieving during the anniversary of his mentor, Dr. Adamson, dying, to Dr. Collins (Tracy Ifeachor) suffering a miscarriage. The residents, interns, and younger doctors are also still struggling with Dr. Santos (Isa Briones) and Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) constantly butting heads, while Victoria (Shabana Azeez) keeps trying to prove herself despite her young age. Through it all, Dana has been an anchor for the team, someone they can all rely on and confide in throughout the shift.

A composite image of Noah Wyle looking over his shoulder in front of two doctors in dressing gowns in The Pitt

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However, LaNasa's statement signals this won't be the case for long, as her violent encounter with Doug makes her start to question her role at the hospital. Given The Pitt's medical realism, the show will continue to show the doctors being busy as new patients come in. But, if Dana lacks confidence in her work for the rest of her shift, it could impact the morale of other doctors, signifying the slow unraveling of the hospital as the last six episodes play out.

Our Take On Dana's Evolution In The Pitt's Future Episodes

Can She Get Her Confidence Back?

Two doctors looking at a phone smiling in The Pitt

It's clear Doug punching Dana is going to cause a major turn of events at the hospital, especially as new problems also arise. Episode 9 ended with another cliffhanger as well, with Theresa (Joanna Going) getting approached by police, hinting that her son, David (Jackson Kelly) is about to enter the picture once again. Whether the two stories will clash is unclear, but Dana's lack of confidence as The Pitt continues could signify her absence when the team needs her the most.

New episodes of The Pitt arrive Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Max.

Source: EW