Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Kaleena Rivera | TV | March 19, 2026
Early in this season, I practically made a declaration of war against Ogilvie and that was even before he callously broke the news of Louie’s death to Whitaker. The guy’s deserved every bit of fecal matter and tuberculosis germs thrown his way. In fact, they may have done him some good, judging by how he’s started displaying the tiniest bit of empathy to his English teacher patient last week. Hubris, thy name is James Ogilvie. A whetstone is necessary to hone a blade, and July 4th at the Pitt is either gonna make these med students into some fine steel or shatter them completely.
Then there’s Emma (Laëtitia Hollard).
Emma started off the day the noobiest of noobs, a doe-eyed nursing student so far over her head that she hardly knew which way was up. Her ignorance emerged at times, like when she scoffed at the samovar burn patient (to her face, no less) over using honey as a topical agent, but never with any malice. Missteps aside, her first few hours in the ER were truly a trial by fire, from witnessing the ravages of homelessness—I hope Digby (Charles Baker) is enjoying all the sandwiches his heart desires—to holding a receptacle for, well, penis blood.
But something amazing started to happen right around when we lost Louie, starting with the humble but sacred act of washing his body for viewing. You can see the full weight of the responsibility for the living and the dead begin to settle into her, to the point that she’s moved to take the hand of a deceased stranger (to her) as a parting act of care and service.
Ever since then, Emma’s continued to shine as her professional self has gained a measure of confidence, with much of the credit going to the walking pillar of strength known as Dana. But there’s only so much that one can teach; aptitude plays a significant part as well. Emma’s capability for working with people became apparent when she was ultimately the one to say just the right thing to the sexual assault victim, Ilana (Tina Ivlev), to lend her the courage to finish the exam. Then last week, when one of the other water park victims was distraught over not knowing the whereabouts of his young son, it was Emma who came through:
Dana: “How’d you manage that?”
Emma: “I went outside, stalked the dad’s IG, found a pic of his son, sent it to the Pittsburgh PD. Now they’re on their way over.”
Dana, impressed: “Well, maybe Gen Z should be working for the FBI.”
I actually cheered at this scene. “Clever” doesn’t begin to cover that kind of quick thinking. Sure, Derek’s (David Fumero) injuries required immediate attention, but Emma got the ball rolling on something he needed just as badly. It’s the kind of above and beyond care that is the hallmark of so many wonderful healthcare workers, which they should absolutely be properly compensated for, both monetarily and with our collective gratitude.
It’s not likely we’ll get to see Emma again after this season (though who knows which way the casting winds will blow), but she’s among this season’s highlights. There’s a lot of Ogilvies in this world, so it feels like a miracle when an Emma comes along. Four more weeks left does mean that there’s still room for a grand mistake or two to be made, but she’s demonstrated strength in abundance; combined with her clear willingness to learn, she’ll manage to rise above any errors that may lie ahead. After all, she has the ringing endorsement of Dana, who confirms our suspicions after Ilana comments over what a good nurse Emma is: “She’s still learning, but she will be.”
Episode 11 of The Pitt airs tonight at 9 EST on HBO/HBO Max.
Kaleena Rivera is the TV Editor for Pajiba.
