If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Max's The Pitt season 2 will take place during the Fourth of July weekend (even though its release date is January 2026)
The new season may also see the departure of some key figures, teases showrunner R. Scott Gemmill
Popverse's top stories of the day
- Livestream The Breakfast Club reunion panel with Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, & Ally Sheedy live from Chicago's C2E2
- MEMBERS ONLY: Livestream the Lord of the Rings movie reunion panel with Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, John Rhys-Davies, and Andy Serkis live from Chicago's C2E2 2025
- Max's The Pitt season 2 will take place during the Fourth of July weekend (even though its release date is January 2026)
The first season of Max’s ER drama The Pitt has just finished, but producers are already talking about what to expect from the show when it returns in 2026 — including when the show will take place, and whether or not the same cast will return for the series’ second outing.
A CNN report about the show’s sophomore season reveals that it will be set 10 months after the first, and take place during the Fourth of July weekend. As with the first season, the entire season will take place in real time, chronicling a single shift in the emergency room of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital… and, as with the first season, it’s not going to be a quiet shift.
Series co-creator and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill told the outlet that he thinks “we drop in on them on the crazy days. I think there are days where it’s probably not quite as crazy, but they don’t make for as good of television… So the days when they only get four patients, we’re not gonna show that episode.”
Gemmill also spoke to whether or not audiences can expect the full cast to return in the second season, given that the first ended with the futures of at least two — Dana and Langdon (Katherine LaNasa and Patrick Ball, respectively) — up in the air.
“We’re hoping to see several faces return,” he teased. “Some [of the characters] will have to go through their own process to determine whether they want to come back or not. And some have to jump through some other hoops before they’re allowed to come back.”
He continued, “I think we’re very much about authenticity and some characters are more likely to leave than others based on where they are in their medical profession. No one yet. But on the show, we may have to see people leave just to keep it authentic because they wouldn’t necessarily be sticking around.”
Co-creator and executive producer John Wells helpfully added, “People work different shifts. Not all the shifts are 7:00PM to 7:00AM. Just ‘cause you don’t see someone in the first episodes doesn’t mean they’re not working.” Could this be a clue that the new season will once again see a shift extended past its scheduled end because of extenuating circumstances…? (Will our nerves be able to stand it, if so? I'm not sure I can handle more emotionally distraught Noah Wyle...)
HBO and Max CEO of content Casey Bloys has already announced that The Pitt will return January 2026.
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.