"portrayal isn’t endorsement !!"
it sums up the takes from a part of the fandom whenever robby’s treatment comes up. basically, it’s used to say that we’re delusional, or dumb, for pointing out that his narrative treatment is actually in his favor we, the other part of the fandom
and yes, technically, portrayal isn’t necessarily endorsement, but it’s simply not true to claim that the show is criticizing robby’s behavior, calling out his biases, his abuses, etc. the pitt s2 doesn’t do that work, not fully, or at least not in any effective way. and unfortunately, yes, the narrative is on his side.
michael robinavitch is a character who, by the end of season 2, is framed only as a victim. his behavior toward others is ultimately never really questioned. the way he handles his emotions and his trauma, yes — but not the consequences those things have on the people around him.
yes, some characters do call him out and tell him he’s acting like a jerk, but does it actually lead to anything ? no. worse, in those moments, he’s usually the one who gets the last word, who walks away, leaving the other person looking defeated... that doesn’t communicate any intention to hold robby accountable for his actions — it almost communicates that he’s justified in them. because he’s not doing well.
「let’s be clear : in the pitt, the real villain is the US political system, and robby is also one of its victims. But he’s still a white, seemingly straight man in a favorable hierarchical position (which does come with heavy responsibilities because of the job, but it’s still a position of power). the only box he doesn’t check is being christian. so yes, sorry, but in a patriarchal and racist world, robby is a privileged white man. that doesn’t diminish the antisemitism he can faces — it simply means that despite that, he remains more advantaged than dana, baran, mohan, javadi, santos, ... or any white woman, woc, poc」
dana, who already had to manage her own mental load because she was constantly taking care of everyone else, especially robby, ends up slipping back into the role of the worried mom ; mohan apologizes after being mistreated the entire season, reminding him that they need him ; al‑hashimi doesn’t go home, which basically proves robby right for never believing she was capable from the start ; abbot gives him a whole speech about how much they need him and even offers him a hug ; + duke repeats basically the same speeches as dana and abbot.
absolutely nothing in these conclusions reflects a meaningful critique of his behavior toward the people around him. absolutely nothing in these conclusions makes robby genuinely think "damn, I went too far, I messed up, need to do something about it".
the whole point of the season, and the final baby jane doe scene really drives this home, is basically : robby is hurting, he’s sad, so don’t be mad at him, let it slide.
the few scenes where he gets humbled (dana ; al-hashimi ; langdon) aren’t enough to counterbalance the overall impression the season gives. what ends up being shown on screen is that he needs to be nursed, that they should let things slide, that they have to be the bigger person because he’s not doing well.
obviously I’m not saying the show’s ending should’ve been "robby deserves to be mistreated, rejected, and left to die". what i’m saying is the series could’ve talked about the importance of self‑awareness and the compassion of the people around him as part of a healing process AND still delivered a real commentary on the impact a man in his position can have on his students or colleagues (and that impact can’t just be "trauma’s ugly, it’s accurate)
and why does all of this bother us so much, beyond the simple "yet another discriminatory piece of storytelling" which is already a legitimate grievance ?
they’d laid all the groundwork for it. they had all the elements, all the characters, the skills to write a rich and layered story about mental health. but they didn’t do it 🚮
i wanted to believe the pitt s2 was going to do something with those questions. i wanted to believe robby’s sexism and his favoritism would actually lead somewhere, genuinely. i believed it wholeheartedly. i wanted to believe we’d see mohan snap, i wanted to believe al‑hashimi would get a better scene where she finally drops the mask, i wanted to believe abbot would be a bit tougher before reaching out.
i wanted to believe the pitt was going to deal with something other and bigger than the poor white guy’s mental health, the one the staff has to reassure, or understand, or just grit their teeth and endure.. and you don’t have to grit your teeth in the face of abusive behavior, no matter the other person’s state.
alas… that’s what the show ultimately communicates.
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