February 27, 2025 @ 6:45 PM

Note: This story contains spoilers from “The Pitt” Episode 9.

“The Pitt” prides itself in being an authentic portrayal of the everyday lives of American healthcare workers — even in one of its most dramatic moments yet.

Episode 9 of the Max medical drama puts the spotlight on ER charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa), who shines in a standout scene where she breaks up a physical fight between two women and also tempers the mood of unruly patient Doug Driscoll (Drew Powell) who is waiting for his test results. The episode, which was written by series star Noah Wyle, ends as Dana heads outside for a smoke break, when Doug comes out of nowhere and punches her in the face, before leaving the hospital against medical advice.

“The rest of the storyline she really goes through an existential crisis,” LaNasa told TheWrap of the dramatic cliffhanger. “She tries to keep it together but she is really struggling for the rest of the season. And I think that’s a device to illustrate what these healthcare workers go through, what they’re up against, how badass and resilient they are.”

LaNasa said she shadowed medical professionals as she prepared to play Dana. In her research, she heard that “nurses often get hit” while at work. She also teased that the next two episodes see Dana’s journey truly take off as she processes the impact of the attack.

“Working at the hospital was a great source of meaning and pride for Dana … to have someone violate her in that way, in one punch, he really takes everything away from her,” LaNasa said. “It was a very degrading experience.”

Before the punch, viewers saw Dana in full force as she broke up that fight with two women in the waiting room who ended up in a physical altercation over face masks. Dana steps in with an impressive monologue asking for decency and composure as people wait to be treated by the overworked medical team. LaNasa said that she went into the big scene “at 100” with her performance, and producers never told her to tone it down.

Noah Wyle and Katherine LaNasa in “The Pitt.” (Warrick Page/Max)

She praised Wyle for wanting to use Episode 9 to show the wide range of issues charge nurses have to take care of in even just one hour of a shift, which is also how she approached her performance.

“[The show is] a love letter to these people,” LaNasa said. “I’m really trying to approach the role in the sense of doing these nurses right, to show what they’re up against, to really lay them out as strong and deeply compassionate as they are.”

“The Pitt” releases new episodes Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT on Max.