2:00 P.M. with Irene Choi, Lucas Iverson and Lyn Paolo

Summary

The Pitt Podcast: Episode “2:00 P.M.” with Irene Choi, Lucas Iverson, and Lynn Paolo

Date: February 27, 2026
Hosts: Dr. Alok Patel & Hunter Harris
Guests: Irene Choi (plays Joy Kwon), Lucas Iverson (plays James Ogilvy), Lynn Paolo (Costume Designer)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into episode eight (“2:00 P.M.”) of The Pitt, focusing on chaos when the ER suffers a computer outage, the emotional and ethical layers of medical cases, and the dynamics between medical students. Beyond show breakdowns, it features in-depth interviews with Irene Choi and Lucas Iverson about their characters and experiences, and a segment on costume design with Lynn Paolo, exploring details that shape character identity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ER Workflow Nightmare: Life Without Computers

Timestamps: 01:16 – 06:46

• Event Recap: The ER’s computer system goes down, forcing staff to revert to paper charting, disrupting communication, orders, and record-keeping.
• Realism: Dr. Patel emphasizes how much modern hospital workflow depends on computerization, pointing out the logistical avalanche when systems fail.
  • “Any healthcare professional... knows that this situation is a workflow and logistical nightmare because we rely on the computer to basically do almost everything…” — Dr. Patel (02:18)
• Personal Anecdotes & Relativity:
  • Hunter Harris laughs at the idea of functioning tech-free: “I don’t know what I would do even, like, for an hour without having access to the Internet. Like, just sit with my own thoughts. Absolutely not.” (05:04)
  • Dr. Patel notes the contrast with less-resourced clinics worldwide, where manual processes are the norm. (05:14)

2. Medical Moments: Nasotracheal Intubation & Sensitivity in Patient Care

Timestamps: 06:13 – 12:18

• Clinical Challenge:
  • The team faces an emergency with a heavier-set patient needing immediate airway management, choosing nasotracheal intubation.
• Staff Dynamics: The insensitivity of Ogilvy’s “zoo CT scan” comment is highlighted.
  • “The moment of him saying, why don’t we try the zoo if we need to get a CT? I was like, oh, first of all that’s so rude. Second of all, they can. He can hear you.” — Hunter Harris (06:58)
• Empathy Thread: Despite humiliation, the patient maintains humor, showing the episode’s theme of finding humanity amid crisis.
• Medical Explanation & Visualization: Dr. Patel explains the carina and intubation landmarks, appreciating the prop detail used in filming. (09:38)
• Joy’s Savant Moment: Joy Kwon’s photographic memory shines, as she’s able to recall all patient and room numbers by heart.
  • “I kind of have a photographic memory.” — Irene Choi as Joy (10:57)
• Diagnosis Mic Drop: Joy identifies “phytophotodermatitis” as the cause of a patient’s rash based on small details, impressing staff (12:05).

3. Ethical & Emotional Weight: Rape Kit Chain of Evidence

Timestamps: 12:53 – 14:13

• Procedural Frustration: Nurse Dana confronts police system failures after finding uncollected rape kits from weeks earlier, highlighting systemic lapses and their impact on victims.
  • “Her opening the refrigerator and like, that the police wouldn’t even care enough to come pick up... was so sad.” — Hunter Harris (13:38)
• Scene Impact: The hosts reflect on the emotional and legal burden placed on staff during and after sexual assault exams.

4. Malpractice, Law, and the Stress of Deposition

Timestamps: 14:13 – 15:56

• Courtroom Drama: The recurring lawsuit from season one (spinal tap case) returns, showing how even perfect care can lead to legal challenges.
  • “The amount of times that parents or families have threatened to sue us because we’re like, your child needs this treatment... I can’t wait to hear from the lawyers about this scene.” — Dr. Patel (15:11)

5. Character Arcs & Empathy: Addiction, Sobriety, and Loneliness

Timestamps: 16:07 – 17:24

• Langdon’s Solitude: Dr. McKay shares her nine years of sobriety with Langdon, creating a rare connection amid general ostracization.
  • “The first year of sobriety is the hardest. And I know because I’m nine years sober.” — Dr. McKay (16:52)

6. Actor Deep Dive: Irene Choi & Lucas Iverson

Timestamps: 17:24 – 36:13

Audition Stories & Authenticity

• Irene Choi: Auditioned while getting married, believed her tape was subpar, but was called back. Emphasizes how rare authentic roles for Asian women are. (18:19)
  • “For me personally, being an Asian woman in this industry... it’s really rare for me to get a part that’s so genuine and authentic.” — Irene Choi (19:03)
• Lucas Iverson: Theater-trained; self-confessed imposter syndrome; retaped his audition at midnight with a friend (20:21). Reflects on the learning curve from theater to camera.

Characterization & Backstory

• Joy’s Layers: Choi explores Joy’s duality—her critical, defensive front versus a deep desire to belong and be understood, shaped by being a Korean immigrant's child and health access advocate.
  • “She knows that she’s smart, she doesn’t know she belongs here, but at the same time... maybe she doesn’t want to be there because she doesn’t feel like she belongs there.” — Irene Choi (27:04)
• Ogilvy the Gunner: Iverson describes learning to embody the classic “gunner med student” after direct notes from production and on-set physicians—actively encouraged to ramp up Ogilvy’s abrasiveness.
  • “Your job is to be the biggest fucking asshole.” — Lucas Iverson relaying instruction from director (29:44)
  • Ogilvy represents the worldview that personal circumstances are self-caused, a stance challenged throughout his arc.
• On-Set Realities: Iverson praises his costar who played Howard and the nuance of acting through complex medical scenes.

Reception & Impact

• Family Pride: Choi’s family gauges success by celebrity recognition (“George Clooney knows about the Pitt!” - 33:55), while Iverson’s parents champion him on The Pitt’s Facebook fan page (34:36).
• Patient Perspective: Iverson, having been hospitalized as a child, feels pressure to do justice by medical professionals who watched him grow up (35:11).

7. The Secret Language of Scrubs: Costume Design with Lynn Paolo

Timestamps: 37:54 – 51:08

• Intentional Design: Each character’s attire is meticulously planned for silent storytelling—differences in shoe brands, scrub cuts, “old guard” doctors eschewing standard uniforms (39:29).
  • “For Dr. Robbie, he never wears a full set of scrubs... maybe a pair of Carhartt pants, long sleeve T-shirt... He’s just never head to toe in scrubs.” — Lynn Paolo (39:47)
• Customization: Actors choose from a curated wardrobe to find their individual expression; even minor patients are dressed in ways that fit their backstory and ailment.
• Hospital Lore: Nods to local culture (Beers of the Berg sweatshirt, Penguins caps) are deliberate; Paolo’s team researches Pittsburgh’s scene and works with brands (43:18).
• Blood Continuity: Realism in repeated trauma scenes is achieved with custom stencils and dyed fabrics, ensuring blood patterns match every take (45:53).
• Fandom Attention: Paolo is thrilled that eagle-eyed fans spot “micro-details” like earrings, bracelets, and holiday pins—indicative of character and episode timing (41:57, 50:42).
  • “You feel a little bit like an unsung hero sometimes on these kinds of shows... The fans notice that they’re not just in scrubs, that these tiny details tell you who the person is...” — Lynn Paolo (50:42)

8. Fan Culture and Feedback

Timestamps: 53:34 – 54:59

• Hosts read and respond to fan comments, highlighting relatable and astute observations, calls for more representation of different hospital roles (pharmacists, custodial staff), and enthusiasm for character development.
  • “Give me some custodial staff... I want to see custodial staff, janitors, environmental services, whatever you call them. I need them involved ASAP.” — Dr. Patel (54:35)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Joy is, like, the goat of the season for me.” — Hunter Harris (11:08)
• “I love how humble she is about it, too. She’s like, oh, I remember my patients. And also everyone else’s, because, yeah, I kind of have a photographic memory.” — Hunter Harris (11:21)
• “Imposter syndrome through the whole thing... If someone gave me this amazing painting... and they were like, here, you add something.” — Irene Choi (22:54)
• “I really hated that guy for a really long time. He is somebody who I think is representative of an ideology that is kind of prominent in today’s world, which is... people are largely directly responsible for the state of their lives.” — Lucas Iverson (30:51)
• “I feel like having done a hospital show before, it was important to me that we delved deep into each character… so for instance, for Dr. Robbie, he never wears a full set of scrubs.” — Lynn Paolo (39:29)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:16 – Shift begins, computers go down
• 06:13 – Airway emergency and empathy issues
• 10:57 – Joy’s memory and diagnostic brilliance
• 12:53 – Rape kit chain of evidence problem
• 14:13 – Malpractice deposition
• 16:07 – Langdon and Dr. McKay’s sobriety moment
• 17:24 – Interview with Irene Choi & Lucas Iverson
• 25:48 – Joy’s character and immigrant background
• 28:57 – Ogilvy as “gunner” revealed
• 37:54 – Costume design deep dive with Lynn Paolo
• 43:18 – Local hospital fashion and real-life Easter eggs
• 45:53 – Blood splatter and practical details
• 53:34 – Fan comments and community shoutouts

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Podcast Tone & Style

The episode blends medical realism, humor, and emotional insight. The hosts’ banter (“This is my nightmare!” — Hunter; “Memes matter too.” — Alok) keeps complex topics accessible. Guests speak candidly, sharing industry struggles, representation, self-doubt, and growth, reflecting the heart of both the show and the fan community.

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Conclusion

This Pitt Podcast episode provides a thorough, layered dissection of episode eight’s biggest moments: technical chaos, nuanced medicine, empathy crises, character growth, and behind-the-scenes creativity. The conversations with cast and costume designer reveal the care and intention poured into every detail—both on and off camera—deepening what the audience experiences onscreen and what fans appreciate behind it.

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Transcript

[Hunter Harris]

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[Lucas Iverson]

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[Dr. Alok Patel]

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[Hunter Harris]

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[Irene Choi]

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[Lynn Paolo]

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[Hunter Harris]

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[Dr. Alok Patel]

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[Lucas Iverson]

the OG it kicked off this whole zero sugar energy drink thing, but Ultra is a whole lineup now. You've got Strawberry Dreams, Blue Hawaiian Sunrise, and Vice Guava. And they all bring the Monster Energy punch. So if you've been living in the white can branch out. Ultra's got a flavor for every vibe, and every single one is Zero Sugar.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

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[Irene Choi]

Pebican Central 12.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Wrong spot, Dr. Santos. And you need a sticker. Put it in the nursing orders rack and meet me over at pds.

[Hunter Harris]

How much does this suck?

[Dr. Alok Patel]

You didn't think today could get any worse?

[Lucas Iverson]

This is how we rolled when I was a resident.

[Irene Choi]

Was that in the 1900s?

[Lucas Iverson]

Yeah, when charts were written by candlelight.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Welcome to the Pitt Podcast, the official official companion to The Pit from HBO Max. I'm Dr. Alok Patel.

[Hunter Harris]

And I'm Hunter Harris. This week it was two o' clock on the Pit, which means it's episode eight. And today we're going to get to hear from Irene Choi, who plays Joy Kwon, and Lucas Iverson, who plays James Ogilvy.

[Lucas Iverson]

I showed up for the fitting and people were like, hey, you're a gunner. And I was like, a what? And they're like telling. They're tell as I'm like trying 60 T shirts on. They're like, yeah, I hear you have so much beef with Giovanni. And I was like, wait, who the is this guy?

[Dr. Alok Patel]

And then we'll go outside the pit to talk about that hospital fashion and drip with Lynn Paulo, the show's costume designer.

[Lynn Paolo]

Go through the whole thing with deep descriptions from the doctors of how much blood that would be research on blood splatter. I feel like I'm working on Dexter, you know.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Today's shift starts now. Hunter. This episode starts out with yet another reminder that Our pit crew cannot catch a break because now they're working in the already crazy ER and the computers are down. Any healthcare professional, basically anyone who's worked in a hospital in some capacity, knows that this situation is a workflow and logistical nightmare because we rely on the computer to basically do almost everything when it comes to patient care, labs, imaging, orders, communicating with one another.

[Hunter Harris]

All of it, honestly, sounds like my nightmare. And I just use my phone to see memes.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Memes matter too. That's the thing. So even in between patients, they can't look at memes. Let's relive this catastrophic workflow moment.

[Lynn Paolo]

Okay.

[Irene Choi]

Let's say, for example, Dr. Alashemia is

[Lucas Iverson]

a new patient with belly pain.

[Irene Choi]

For the history, circle the positives, like vomiting and diarrhea. Backslash the negatives, such as recent travel, sick contact, fever.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

For physical exam check, mark normals on

[Hunter Harris]

the left and circle any abnormal findings on the right.

[Irene Choi]

Questions? Is your generative AI program still going to be working?

[Hunter Harris]

Not for a while.

[Irene Choi]

And ditch your spectral link phones. There's a voiceover Internet.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Santos had to slip that in. Well, she had to slip that in.

[Hunter Harris]

No, the charting is going to be double duty now. No, she's do it all by hand. Is that how that would work?

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Yeah. I have so many thoughts here. So this scene really elaborates just how much hospitals and physicians, nurses, all of us rely on the computer system. And if there is scheduled downtime, we call it, there usually is a plan in place and people have some type of organized structure. We see Dr. Rabi kind of saying charts go here for bug bites. They go here for anything that's above the belt that needs to be in the er. But there's all these other little things that people don't think about. Dr. Al Hashmi mentioned the phones are going to be down because there are in hospital phones you can no longer use. There's a part towards the end of the episode when you notice that people aren't using ballpoint pens to write on the forms to make sure they go through all the bottom layers. I will tell you, literally last night in the hospital, we had a transferred patient and I signed this form with a felt tip pen just like somebody did in this episode. And the nurse was like, hey, idiot, you've done this before. It doesn't go to the bottom layer. And so it seems like that. It seems like making lab orders aren't going to X around accident. Like there's so many little things. It's like a set of dominoes.

[Hunter Harris]

Yeah. So I would call that my nightmare, I think, is this how they, is this how stuff happened? Like, I don't know, what does Joy say in the olden times? Like in the 1900s, this really felt like, it was very triggering to me as someone who I, I don't, I don't know what I would do even like for an hour without having access to the Internet. Like just set with my own thoughts. Absolutely not.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I, I will say it's like a little moment for us to, to check our privilege a little bit. So, like, yes, back in the day here, you know, there was a lot of medical care that was done without computers. But when people go and work in resource poor areas, when they work overseas, like, they're doing this by hand. Like, they don't, they don't have the same medical charts we do. They're not, they don't have electronic medical records, computers. Like, things are, things are pretty old school. I know someone who worked in a, in a, in a clinic in an underserved area, and they were still using old school X ray film. Like, you know, from like the shows or they're holding the film up to a light. Like, I haven't done that in my entire medical career in the United States. Once overseas.

[Hunter Harris]

Wow, that's incredible. I'm. Yeah, I guess I do. I have a new appreciation, I suppose, for how things used to be done. But as a resident young person, I'm like, how are they gonna get through this day? Everyone's already like, stressed enough and now like having to learn new. I guess workflow is going to just, I think, ratchet up the tension in a really interesting way.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Oh, it just sets the episode up for some more drama. And we get Santos just getting that little, that little one liner. Be like, where's your LLM now? So moving on, another interesting medical moment. We have this patient coming in who's heavier set. They need to establish an airway immediately. Based on what we've seen in the show, people are thinking intubation because all pit viewers are basically, you know, screen experts at intubating, but they do a nasotracheal intubation hunter. Have you ever seen this? Have you heard of this before? Did this surprise you?

[Hunter Harris]

Okay, so again, why would I see this? I was interested to see how everyone, you know, kind of responded with different levels of sensitivity. Most of the staff with a lot of sensitivity, Ogilvy with absolutely none.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Shocker.

[Hunter Harris]

The moment of him saying, why don't we try the zoo if we need to get a ct? I was like, oh, first of all that's so rude. Second of all, they can. He can hear you.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

So believe it or not, and I have not personally been involved in one of these situations. I have heard stories about people calling zoos asking to use their CT scans because of the weight or size limits in hospitals. Now, again, I'm not sure how this has evolved over time. We've heard these stories. You can, like, anyone can go and, like, look up on the Internet and you'll see case reports about it. There are even case reports of zoos refusing patients, which is interesting. I've even heard stories about animals from the zoo going to hospitals to use their CT scans. I have a friend who's a radiologist, and they once got a mongoose that they had to take an image of. So, hey, listen, we're all animals. At the end of the day, we got to help each other. But you're right, you know, Ogilvy, wow. Is not dishing any empathy right now. He's asking about, you know, we govy ozempic water aerobics. People are like, hey, can we please take care of this man? But I think, you know, what we're starting to see in this episode, in this season is stories of empathy and relatability because this gentleman, he's got his weight issues, but he acknowledges it. He talks about how he lost his job and he got injured. And he's got a little bit of a sense of humor, too, which makes him likable.

[Hunter Harris]

I really relate to him feeling the awkwardness but still needing attention, I guess. And I can't imagine how it feels to be coming in, you know, basically afraid for your life and then not even being treated with, like, dignity as a human by, you know, someone who's, like, supposed to be taking care of you on your medical team, who's basically asking you, like, how did you even get like this? What's wrong with you? I. It just really made me sad to watch.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

There is a lot of underlying empathy and stories of human connection in this episode. But let's go back to the fun procedure that captivates Hunter Harris. The nasal tracheal intubation. Let's see it in action.

[Lynn Paolo]

Okay, Howard, hold still.

[Lucas Iverson]

I am now going in past your

[Lynn Paolo]

vocal cords until we see the Carina

[Lucas Iverson]

Ogilvy there. Right and left mainstream. And the tube slides in.

[Lynn Paolo]

And the scope comes out.

[Irene Choi]

Great.

[Hunter Harris]

Okay, so I become viscerally uncomfortable watching something. A cord being pulled out of a nose. But that was very cool to watch.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

It's kind of beautiful, right? It's like it's kind of beautiful.

[Hunter Harris]

I do like the word Kalina. What is that?

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Carina? Yeah. We have to give a shout out to the prop master with that. That image in the video and the model that was used, because I'm pretty sure they didn't actually nasotrachealing intubate a patient. That would be probably be violating some standards. But there's landmarks that they're looking for. The first one is a vocal cord when that looks like the little window. And they see that, so they know they're heading down the windpipe and not accidentally into the esophagus and the stomach past that. And then the carina is right where your lungs split off. And that's where Ogilvy is like, hey, there's the carina. And that's a good spot to leave the tube. I can't wait to hear from my colleagues who work in anesthesia who have done this procedure and understand it to kind of get a comparison about how smooth it is in this episode versus real life. But honestly, if you got to get an airway in a patient, plan A oftentimes is through the mouth. But guess what? Sometimes there's issues with the jaw. There's facial trauma. There's mechanical problems. If somebody's heavier set, it might be harder to get that airway. So plan B. Through the nose. Nasal, Tracheal. It means nose. Then windpipe. Then you're getting them that secure airway. And our pit crew does it masterfully.

[Lucas Iverson]

Sorry.

[Hunter Harris]

Oh, my God.

[Irene Choi]

I remember.

[Lynn Paolo]

Great.

[Lucas Iverson]

If everybody else can remember their patient names and their room numbers, that would be awesome.

[Irene Choi]

No, I mean, I can remember all of it.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

All of what?

[Irene Choi]

Names, doctors, room numbers. I kind of have a photographic memory.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Another victory. And, like, a secret victory for Joy. It's kind of a badass kind of.

[Hunter Harris]

I'm obsessed with Joy. Joy is, like, the goat of the season for me.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I know. Like, first of all, she's got this. This savant photographic memory that comes out of nowhere, has the entire board memorized.

[Hunter Harris]

I love how humble she is about it, too. She's like, oh, I remember my patients. And also everyone else's, because, yeah, I kind of have a photographic memory.

[Irene Choi]

Sorry.

[Hunter Harris]

And also poor Whitaker, who tried to snap a photo of the board, and it was just completely out of focus. I'm like, you know, I know he's not an Instagram boyfriend. That's why he's a farm boyfriend.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

She comes in and drops the diagnosis on this patient with a rash that Giovanni and Ogilvy are having their gunner

[Hunter Harris]

Battle about a rash is an understatement, I'll say that.

[Lucas Iverson]

Dr. Robbie, we picked up a patient together.

[Lynn Paolo]

Teamwork.

[Irene Choi]

It's a concerning bolus rash.

[Lucas Iverson]

We might need a biopsy for pemphigus vulgarity.

[Irene Choi]

Spinophododermatitis. What? I asked. He was making three gallons of margaritas for a party, squeezing fresh limes out in the sun.

[Lucas Iverson]

Let's go take a peek.

[Irene Choi]

I don't need to see it again.

[Hunter Harris]

That was kind of a mic drop moment from Joy. No, I love the way she says, I don't need to see it again. Like, I. I've handled it. Don't worry.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

So Joy was right, you know, according. Obviously, according to Dr. Robbie, but she's describing phytophotodermatitis. This is a condition in which you get these chemicals from certain plants, these photosensitive chemicals. Limes and lemons have them. They get on your skin, then there's a chemical reaction from UVA radiation from the sun, and you get this. This rash.

[Hunter Harris]

I do like that. At the very end of that scene, Dr. Ravi reminds this patient to wear sunscreen because, I don't know if, you know, no one wears sunscreen enough. And that is, like, maybe one of my favorite causes to remind people.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Are you wearing sunscreen right now?

[Hunter Harris]

Absolutely I am.

[Irene Choi]

So the nurse examiner is supposed to lock up the rape kit in this fridge, where it stays until it gets turned over to law enforcement. It's called preserving the chain of evidence.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Are you fucking kidding me?

[Lynn Paolo]

Is there a problem?

[Irene Choi]

Jesus Christ. Police are supposed to pick up the rape kits within 72 hours.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

This one I did two weeks ago.

[Hunter Harris]

So the computers aren't working, the system has been shut down, everything's going back to paper, and Nurse Dina is still in a private room collecting the exam for the woman who was sexually assaulted. Meaning Princess has to step in and step up as charge nurse because Nurse Dana can't leave the room legally as she's collecting all this evidence.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Oh, Charge Nurse Dana is mad. Rightfully so.

[Hunter Harris]

That was, like, the most maybe despicable part of this entire episode. Her opening the refrigerator and like, that the police wouldn't even care enough to come pick up after. We've just seen how exhausting emotionally and physically that type of examination is. Was so sad.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Yeah, I'm with you.

[Hunter Harris]

Yeah. Especially when. I mean, she. She as she said, I think, to Nurse Emma in the very beginning that, like, sometimes you might have to be called upon to testify or to, you know, appear in court as you're. Because you're literally Collecting evidence.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Speaking of appearing in court, we gotta

[Hunter Harris]

talk about that, too. Incredible transition. I'm gonna give you your tens for that one. Finally, it is time. Well, almost for Mel to go upstairs and be deposed. And I'm so happ. Dr. Ellis, the night resident who had just come down from her deposition, says, we're not. We can't talk about the case. But I'm just giving you a monologue that you are allowed to overhear. And we learn that the patient that's involved in this malpractice suit is the spinal tap from season one.

[Lucas Iverson]

The malpractice case is frivolous.

[Hunter Harris]

The mother of the measles kid claims we cause intellectual decline by performing a spinal tap.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

But the tap was. Was perfect with no complications.

[Hunter Harris]

Her son presented with altered mental status

[Lucas Iverson]

due to low oxygen from measles pneumonia.

[Hunter Harris]

Any change in intellect was due to hypoxic brain injury.

[Lucas Iverson]

It had nothing to do with your spinal tap.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

End of monologue.

[Irene Choi]

We never discussed the case.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I gotta get some sleep. The amount of times that parents or families have threatened to sue us because we're like, your child needs this treatment. It's life or death. And they're like, fine, but if anything goes wrong, I'm gonna sue you. I can't wait to hear from the lawyers about this scene. Like, I'm just curious to hear what they're gonna say. Like, how illegal is that? And what Dr. Ellis did was this. And that would never happen. I just can't wait to hear their. Their commentary.

[Hunter Harris]

Well, I. I ride for Dr. King. She needed it.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I'm with you.

[Hunter Harris]

It's fine to me.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I'm not on the side of malpractice lawyers unless it's on team King, Team Ella's team, not you people.

[Irene Choi]

Right.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Unless there's an actual issue that warrants an investigation, because they do happen. But we know that in this situation,

[Hunter Harris]

it wasn't Dr. Langdon. This episode is giving Lonely boy Gossip Girl, Dan Humphrey. Like, everyone is either avoiding him or ignoring him.

[Lynn Paolo]

So specific.

[Hunter Harris]

Well, I'm. It's the truth. I. I do kind of feel. Not to sound like a boy mom, but I do kind of feel bad for him. This episode, um, Santos is kind of, if not actively ignoring him, really trying to, like, stay out of his way. Obviously, Robbie's not speaking to him. And a real nice moment of connection is that Dr. McKay says, you know, the first year of sobriety is the hardest. And I know because I'm nine years sober. And that was, I think, a very sweet, small moment between the two of them I thought was. Was really nice. Especially Dr. McKay is having a hard day on her own. But that she's kind of taking a moment to extend an olive branch, I thought was very sweet.

[Lynn Paolo]

How's your first shift back going?

[Lucas Iverson]

One day at a time.

[Hunter Harris]

First year of sober's the hardest. That's what they keep telling me.

[Irene Choi]

I'm nine years and counting. Oh, special delivery for my guy. If you.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

If you need anything, call me.

[Irene Choi]

Thanks.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

It was great visual acting, too, because the minute she said that, Langdon had this look of relatability, connection, recognition, recognition, recognition. And finally, like, oh, my gosh, somebody here gets it.

[Hunter Harris]

This is a really good episode for the medical students this week. We got a lot of stuff from Joy, from Ogilvy, from Giovanni. So I was impressed. And actually, this week on Inside the Pit, we have Irene Choi, who plays Joy Kwon, and Lucas Iverson, who plays James Ogilvy. Let's check it out.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Differential for syncope in an adolescent.

[Lucas Iverson]

Cardiac arrhythmia from drugs, long qt, WPW or brugada.

[Irene Choi]

Brugada is more common in Asian males,

[Lucas Iverson]

but still should be considered long.

[Irene Choi]

Odds are Brugada prevalence as 1 in 20,000 in North America, as high as 1 in 300 in Asia and the Middle East.

[Hunter Harris]

Irene, Lucas, thank you so much for being with us today because I'm sorry, like, Joy is one of my favorite characters.

[Lynn Paolo]

Oh, thank you.

[Hunter Harris]

And Ogilvy. Ogilvy, I love to hate a little bit, I guess, but I want to start how, like, how did you guys come onto the show? What were your auditions like? And what did you. What was, like, the whole process?

[Irene Choi]

I remember, like, submitting my tape and thinking I didn't do well. Like, it was a really chaotic week. Like, literally, I was actually getting married that week. Like, the audition was, like, due, like, the day before. My in laws, now in laws were coming into town, and I remember messaging my reps back and just saying, like, I had no time to prepare for this. I did such an awful job. Can I just retape for this? And then they were like, oh, actually, they. They want to bring you back for it. And I was like, oh, okay, all right. And it was like, honestly, I know people say this a lot, but it was a really, really organic process. Like, I cried when I first got this role. Not because it was, like, such an emotional scene or really anything, but for me, for me personally, being an Asian woman in this industry, I had. I had never. It'd been so rare. It's really rare for me to get A part that's so genuine and authentic.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

A slow clap to that.

[Hunter Harris]

Lucas, what was your audition like?

[Lucas Iverson]

I had already seen the show. I overlapped with Patrick in grad school. So in support of him, I watched the first episode. I was like, damn, this is pretty good. Let me keep watching. And by the time this rolled around, this was my fifth audition and I had finished the season, and I was so in love with the show. Similarly, I was like, well, there's absolutely no way I remember that. It was also a crazy week. I had four other auditions that week on top of, you know, my New York day job schedule. So I woke up, I went and I coached debate, and then I, like, went to a restaurant. No, I taped the audition, and then I had to go and coach debate and then work at a restaurant. And as I was getting on the subway, I, like, stopped and called my manager, and I was like, I think that's wrong. I think I did the wrong thing. Can you hold the tape? And can we get an extension? And then he was like, okay, yes.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Let me ask.

[Lucas Iverson]

We got the extension approved for one day. I was like, great. I worked that first job. I worked that second job. I come home at midnight. My best friend, I'm lucky enough, lives the floor below me in this building in New York. And so I knock on her door and I'm like, can you help me retape this? We go up, we start taping at midnight. We finish at 1am I send it off at 1:30, pass out, wake up and repeat the next day. And that re taping was sort of. I don't know what it was, but I just, like, understood the scene in a very different way than what I had originally done. And it just clicked all the way through.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Oh, nice. I love the hustle from both of you. So, Lucas, you were in grad school. What were you studying or specializing in in grad school?

[Lucas Iverson]

Acting.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

This little birdie told me that you have theater experience. And I think this is fascinating because we also. Hunter and I have heard from some of the show creators about how they. They wanted to inject some theater into the character. So I was wondering if you could elaborate a little bit on what Lucas brings to Ogilvy in terms of theater and that background.

[Lucas Iverson]

For sure. Yes, I love theater. Theater is my first love. I'm just working on prepping another play right now. And this actually, I did, like, four lines on the Gilded Age a year, like just after I left. A little co star.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Larry, there you are.

[Lucas Iverson]

Here, right this way. Two more for my Friends, have a seat.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

This is my partner, Jack Trotter.

[Lucas Iverson]

We heard about the clock. Well, I do hope you'll have a good evening. Char and I had no other real camera experience than this, so, like, the theater muscle is sort of the only thing I had to bring. But it really is similar. I see why they want people who do a lot of theater. When we started shooting, I immediately was aware of the pace of how we work, how we'll finish one take and immediately launch into another. And it's so funny. The camera operators are crawling all around. They're, like, so hands on. I remember we were doing our first scene with the dummy, and Amy on B cam is, like, hiding somewhere behind me. I'm not really sure. And then we're, like, doing the scene, doing the scene. And then I look over, and she's right here next to my face. And I was like, oh, fuck. You know? But, like, the muscle is stay in it no matter what. You don't know if it's on you. So every take, be all the way in. No freebies, no light, work, commit, commit, commit. And I think that's something tangible that theater would translate to here.

[Hunter Harris]

Wow. What is it like to join such a big ensemble, especially a show, in its second season?

[Irene Choi]

I was imposter syndrome through the whole thing. I had never been on a show with so many people classically, professionally trained. It's like, you watch this show, it's so good. You watch season one, it's so good. And for me, it's like, if someone gave me this, like, painting, and it was like, an amazing painting, and they gave me a paintbrush, you know, and then they were like, here, you add something. Or if someone gave me this amazing, like, dish at a restaurant, and the chef was like, you add something, and I'm like, ooh, I. I don't want to fuck this up. So I. I didn't want to be the person that was gonna, you know, like, f up the formula. And so to me, like, that's kind of how I felt. It was just an amazing experience to be on a set where you see that sort of. You see a lot of people just fostering each other, you know, despite your experiences or where you're coming from.

[Lucas Iverson]

Similarly, I also had unreal imposter syndrome, but for the exact opposite reason. I was, like, looking at Irene, and I was like, oh, that is someone who knows how to work a camera. You. And I did not know that. And I felt like I was learning how to do the job on the job, in a Lot of ways. And how do you scale things down? And all of these questions? And so my anxieties were all like, oh, you're deeply learning how to do this, and you're going to be learning how to do this. And so many millions of people now. My therapist was like, think about it this way. It's you and 10 million of your best friends learning how to do this together. And I was like, yeah, for sure, for sure, for sure, for sure. That's right. That's right. But everybody was so lovely and so welcoming, and it made it really fun to learn, and it made it fun to just show up every day and try again and again and again. And everybody was so giving, such grace. It's like it was an actor's paradise, you know, simultaneously a gym and a stage and a moment of reflection all in one. It was lovely.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Irene at the premiere, I was honored to meet you, and I was talking about how much I appreciated that Joy kind of has this humility, but then she, like, rolls in like a homing missile with these pearls of wisdom and these huge moments, and one of them is, like, as a physician, I can empathize with the chaos of the code black and the computers being down. And then Joy just rolls in with this, like, savant photographic memory and gets the chart down. There's also this really powerful moment where Joy talks about healthcare, pricing and her own experience. And so there's these little elements where you get a little bit more of the layers of the onion peeled back, if you will. So I wanted to ask you, how does Joy actually feel about the emergency department? And how do you play that duality of kind of chill, mellow resident, but also, I am kind of a boss.

[Irene Choi]

You're right. There is, like, an evolution of kind of my attitude change. I come in kind of hostile. And contextually speaking, I mean, I love Lucas as a person, but Joy does not like Ogilvy. And I had to think about that in terms of myself. And I. Myself, personally, I do not thrive in competitive environments. And Ogilvy coming on so strong, I think she sort of just checks out, you know, and it's not really the environment for her to shine when she's paired with this. This louder. This louder character.

[Lynn Paolo]

Essentially, you could say.

[Lucas Iverson]

You could say it, you know, And.

[Irene Choi]

And it's just like she gets these sort of, like. I think she's sort of triggered by these sort of, like, white mansplaining vibes that she's probably dealt with her entire life. This is just sort of one of those things. It's like, I can't. I don't want to deal with this anymore. And. And Scott Gemmell, he. He gave me this breakdown. The story that Joy is the daughter of immigrants, Korean immigrants, and that she goes into this field because she had. Her family members, didn't have health care, you know, and that was. That actually is when it really hit for me because I grew up in a family where my parents strongly pushed me toward medicine. And there's this struggle of she knows that she's smart, she doesn't know she belongs here, but at the same time, I don't know if she wants to be there, but maybe she doesn't want to be there because she doesn't feel like she belongs there. It's like the sort of chicken or the egg thing, you know. So I think she comes off as really defensive as like, you know, it's kind of. She's sort of self sabotaging. Right. It means that if she doesn't get to move forward, she can say, I never wanted this in the first place. But at the same time, Joy is someone that is, I think, very used to being misunderstood with a secret wish for being more understood, yet at the same time does not let anyone in.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

You just explain so much complexity of Joy.

[Irene Choi]

I'm happy for her to be. I'm fine with her being misunderstood because I think that's kind of, in some ways, that's her, like, defense mechanism.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I appreciate your transparency with that. Lucas, I want to ask you about. About Ogilvy and specifically two part question number one. Did you get any type of briefing on what a gunner medical student was and what they were supposed to embody? Because Ogilvy, like, nails it. I. I know like seven Ogilvies. I was like, oh, my gosh, Lucas nailed this character.

[Irene Choi]

What do you got?

[Dr. Alok Patel]

10 foot fall, altered.

[Irene Choi]

That's a long way down.

[Lucas Iverson]

10ft is the threshold for trauma center activation. 10ft, 10% mortality, 0%. Anything over 0% is a concern.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

So I wanted to ask you that two part question. Did you do some preparation how to be a gunner? And how do you think Ogilvy feels in these moments when he's like, oh, my gosh, wait a minute, I'm not perfect.

[Lucas Iverson]

I sort of didn't know much about Ogilvy other than, like, the sides that. That's sort of all we got at first, is we had our sides that we auditioned with. And then I showed up for the fitting and people were like, hey, you're a gunner. And I was like, a what? And they're, like, telling. As I'm, like, trying 60 T shirts on, they're like, yeah, I hear you have so much beef with Javati. And I was like, wait, who the is this guy? You know, when we were shooting episode one, we're filming the scene where Ethan Bostic dies, and we're looking at his dead body. And Irene, you said something like, we should all be so lucky or whatever. And we have this little moment where we're staring at him, and John comes in and he's like, yeah, Lucas, you're looking too sympathetic. You really don't give a sh. You don't give a shit. And I was like, really? Okay, I'll look meaner. And then on a little break that we had when we were setting up another shot, I mustered my courage because I was so afraid to talk to him. And I went up to John and I was like, hey, am I being too much of an asshole? And John was like, you are not being nearly enough of an asshole. Your job is to be the biggest fucking asshole. And he gave me this whole breakdown about what a gunner really is and what this gunner really is. And then Dr. Lizzie was also there, who's one of our incredible doctors that we have on set. Real life emergency room physician, amazing human being. And she contributed with these stories about what gunners are and what they've been. And we probably spent eight or nine minutes, and I was just, like, soaking it up like a sponge. And we ended up going back and shooting a scene again so that I could be even worse. That sort of began my hate relationship with Ogilvy. I really hated that guy for a really long time. He is somebody who I think is representative of an ideology that is kind of prominent in today's world, which is. I believe you could summarize him by saying he believes that people are largely directly responsible for the state of their lives. And he's so certain of it, even though it's really flimsy. And over the course of the shift, it chips away. And he slowly learns that that world view is not exactly compatible with reality. And I think that that has a cost for him, not only in terms of his ego, but also, I think, what he values in medicine. So, like, a big moment for him that just happened is when he's watching Robbie give the eulogy for Louis, and he's sort of thinking about, oh, is this what it is to be a doctor? Look at all of this care and this tenderness. How a doctor is in many ways a guide and not just a book. You Know, filled with answers, which I think is a much more comfortable way for him to view medicine. And the stuff with Howard, who. Craig, by the way, who played Howard. Amazing actor. Love him. Showed up at a 10 and carried it all the way through an ultrasound.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Check for a nappy. He's a little too large for ultrasound.

[Irene Choi]

Mr. CT can only handle 450 pounds.

[Lucas Iverson]

And so if he's over that, we send him to the zoo.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

He's right there.

[Lucas Iverson]

I think he is faulting Howard for what's happened to him. And when Howard tells him what's going on with his life, it's sort of this moment of, oh, shit, I think I messed up. And the shift becomes a series of oh, shits for Ogilvy. And, well, I mean, we'll have to see where it goes. But, yeah, something cracks each time it happens.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Wow, that was a philosophical take on that. But I gotta ask one quick question, Irene. What was it like working with that patient and the tongue and retracting it?

[Irene Choi]

I have to say, like, I do feel. No, I'm not gonna jinx myself. The really psychopathic part of me is, like, I really feel like if someone got a cut, a huge cut around me, I would be able to sew

[Hunter Harris]

them up really well.

[Lucas Iverson]

You could sue.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Ch. Feel that way.

[Irene Choi]

I really. And I can prove myself, but I also, like, don't want it to happen because in case I fail and it's really embarrassing.

[Lucas Iverson]

Yeah.

[Irene Choi]

But I actually really do feel that way. Like, I've been really good at this. That's not funny. That's me thinking that because I play a doctor that I can all of a sudden be one. And that is not true. 100% not true.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Listen, we're here for it. This is called method acting now turns into real life. I'm here for it. I have one last question. This is out of sheer curiosity, huge show you both landed on. What has the reception been like from your friends and family? What has that been like?

[Irene Choi]

I come from a family that is not familiar with the industry at all. And when I got the show, there was some article that was floating around out there where George Clooney had said, yeah, like, I think the pit is a great show. And I think my dad texted me and he says, george Clooney knows about the pits. And so to them, the fact that I'm on a show that George Clooney's heard of was, like, a big deal. Like, that's all.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

That's the metric.

[Irene Choi]

It means it's a real show.

[Lucas Iverson]

The reception's Been insane. It's been really humbling and gratifying and surreal. And my parents are really big on Facebook and they love talking to the Pit fan page people on Facebook in particular. He's just like, messaging them sometimes.

[Irene Choi]

Wait, that is the cutest thing I've ever heard.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

That's amazing.

[Lucas Iverson]

It's really sweet.

[Irene Choi]

Does he say that his son is on it?

[Hunter Harris]

Yeah.

[Lucas Iverson]

He comments like, that's my son. And it gets like 45 likes and he's like, look what happened today.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I am so going and joining. Joining this community on Facebook.

[Lucas Iverson]

You'll see him. You'll interact with my father there. But it's been great. Everybody and their mother, it feels like, has reached out and voiced that they're really proud. Most moving to me, I was sick a lot as a kid. I had a condition. I was a frequent flier in and out of the hospital. So the doctors who took care of me and I've been their lifelong patient, for them to reach out and be like, hey, I see you and I'm proud of you. That means the world. And it's also so much pressure. And I just really hope I'm doing him justice with this awful man.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Not awful.

[Lucas Iverson]

There's a lot to learn.

[Hunter Harris]

Irene and Lucas, thank you guys so much. This was, like the best time.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

You both are crushing it, as you can tell by ratings and by all the comments and all the praise. And I cannot echo my sentiments enough as a physician and a fan for everything you add to it. So thank you both. Thank you both for your wonderful portrayals, but for also just being kick ass humans and actors.

[Irene Choi]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Lucas Iverson]

Thank you for having us.

[Hunter Harris]

There's one person who has, like, kind of shaken up the Pit more than anyone else for me this season, and it's Joy. The first couple episodes, I was like, I don't really know what's going on. I'm not really like, she's just kind of there and Ogilvy is, like, taking up so much oxygen in the room, but I'm like a Joy defender now.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

And Lucas is nothing like Ogilvy. I know they're actors. I know they're actors, but it's just. It's still like. It's. You know, when we talked about the premiere, and he is nothing like Ogilvy. Just kind of speaks to the skills they both have. And it's funny how they both thought that they didn't do well in their auditions. Well, clearly they both did.

[Lucas Iverson]

Yeah.

[Hunter Harris]

But also, I cannot imagine honestly joining, joining this show as A new actor with a cast this big with so much acclaim, obviously, but also like working with people who've been working together for a year already. I mean, I, I say kudos to them.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

You know, a recurring theme that I keep getting fascinated by is how much theater influenced the show, how it's filmed, the blocking, the movement, and in some of the casting. We've heard this now multiple times from people who talk about wanting actors who have theater experience. And I'm glad that Joy and Lucas kind of brought that up and in fact, that Lucas stays in character as Ogilvy regardless of what happens. Because if you go see a play, something happens. The show must continue. And speaking of theater, another big component when you go see a play is the costumes. At first glance, somebody might say, hey, on the Pit, they're just dressed like normal individuals and they're just wearing scrubs. But there's so much more to it. So I'm glad that we get to talk to the costume designer Lynn Paolo about everything that goes into the fit and the look of everyone on the Pit.

[Hunter Harris]

The fit of the Pit. The fits of the pit. I like it.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

The fits of the Pit.

[Irene Choi]

This podcast is sponsored by Chase Sapphire. Reserved for business businesses built big worlds.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I'm Angus. My design studio created the game of main title. We wanted it to feel like it was handmade, like it was a physical object. The whole process was a series of questions and solutions. The aha moment was to turn the globe inside out. This thing starts to emerge. That's just incredible. We put everything we had into it and it's given so much back to us.

[Hunter Harris]

For business world builders everywhere. The business card that gives back all you put in Chase Sapphire reserved for

[Lynn Paolo]

business cards issued by JP Morgan Chase

[Hunter Harris]

bank and a member FDIC subject credit approval terms apply. Get in the game with the college branded Venmo debit card. Wreck your team with every tap and earn up to 5% cash back with Venmo Stash, a new rewards program from Venmo. No monthly fee, no minimum balance, just school pride and spending power. Get in the game and sign up for the Venmo debit [e-mail] collegecard. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. select schools available. Venmo Stash terms and exclusions apply at venmo me stashterm max $100 cash back per month. So, Lynn, you wrote on Instagram something that I have so many questions about. You said every costume in the Pit is created in detail to create the character's unspoken story before the actor even utters their first word. So some, those details matter, even though everyone, most people are all in hospital scrubs. But can you give us an example of how you thought about the details for any one of these really unique characters?

[Lynn Paolo]

I feel like having done a hospital show before, it was important to me that that was a true statement and that we delved deep into each character. And before I even met any of the actors, Scott Gemmill and John Wells and Noah and I had long conversations about who each person was before they, you know, before I met the actors. And so for instance, for Dr. Robbie, he never wears a full set of scrubs. He's always in some version of his kind of uniform, which is maybe a pair of Carhartt pants, a long sleeve T shirt, maybe a Patagonia jacket. He's just never head to toe in scrubs. And neither is Sean Hadassey's character, so. Cause they're the old guard of the hospital, you know, of the emergency department, so they don't have to stick to the rules as much as maybe our young students who are just starting out, who were head to toe in scrubs. However, with each of them, every single one of them is in a different version of the scrub. There'll be a difference in the neck, there'll be a different pant, there'll be a subtle difference in what they're wearing underneath. And every single person on the show has their own shoe brand, which we change up every year. But you know, these actors wear the same shoes for seven months. And we buy 10 to 12 pairs of those shoes for each person. So we make sure that their feet are, you know, not suffering too much in their shoes over the time.

[Hunter Harris]

Wow. How do you decide who gets what shoe brand?

[Lynn Paolo]

It's first come, first served. And we pull to character thinking, okay, I think this person is a Nike person. And we'll have, when an actor comes in, we'll have 20 or 30 pairs of shoes in the room. And then once that brand is gone, it's gone. We really do try to make sure that each person is distinctly different from anyone else. And I will say that on the Reddit feeds and the fan databases, people notice those tiny little itsy bitsy things. You know, they notice that the earrings. This year, some of our characters have fourth of July earrings, some don't. Our fourth of July pins, all the tiny little touches that we give to tell the story of where we are in the year they love. And I get tons of comments on Instagram and little DMs on Instagram from People. It's sort of fun.

[Hunter Harris]

Yes. I love Giovanni's Fourth of July little earring stack. It was so cute.

[Lynn Paolo]

Yeah, it was adorable. I mean, they're all. Now that our actors are learning who their characters are after two seasons, they have a lot of input, which I appreciate. You know, we talk it back and forth. For instance, this show with Katherine, she had called me and I'd said, you know, it's the 4th of July. We're gonna have a bunch of 4th of July paraphernalia and everyone's fittings, and, you know, we're gonna figure out what everyone's gonna have. And she said, I'd love something vintage. And I said, well, great. You know, we have tons of vintage options. And we found that little Liberty Bell pin for her for this season. And of course, there was only one of it, so we ended up having to send it out to an artist friend of mine, and they. They made five more of the vintage pin. We figured it could have been her grandmother's pin or her granddad's pin. You know, it was a family heirloom that had been passed down.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

The details, they definitely matter. They add complexity. And speaking of details, like, show is set in Pittsburgh, and, you know, the beginning of the season, we see Patrick Ball, we see Langdon wearing a Pittsburgh Penguins hat. But in season one, Noah Wylie's wearing that Beers of the Berg sweatshirt, which is such a cool nod. I'm just curious how you pick which local businesses or which local event to highlight in the costume.

[Lynn Paolo]

Well, we do a lot of research every season, and last year, we read a lot about the Beers of the Burgundy, and we thought it was a fun idea to add that element to somebody's costume. We didn't know who at the beginning, and there was a lot of debate about should a doctor wear, you know, something that is about a beer festival? And I was like, I think doctors drink beer too.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

We do. We do.

[Lynn Paolo]

I know. So Noah came in for his fitting, and we had the navy blue hoodie. We had tons of hoodies for him, but we ended up on that color. And I said to him in the fitting, I think we're gonna put this logo on here. I think we're gonna add it for your character. How do you feel about that? And he goes, I love it. So that didn't actually come from the brand. We created it. And it's funny because now they sell it, so it's sort of become a thing for them. And they gave us Permission to use their logo, which is, you know, they deserve to sell as many as they would like. I think they've been such a great brand for us and so much fun.

[Hunter Harris]

I want to talk about, obviously, this show takes place over a day. Does the stakes of choosing a costume for a character feel heightened? Because you're kind of sentencing someone to live in this outfit for about seven months.

[Lynn Paolo]

Yeah, for me, it does feel heightened. And I was talking to Noah, and he had given an interview about it, saying, for him, he decided to make it easier for him in the fitting room with me. He wasn't going to obsess about the costume too much. I think he felt in safe hands. We've worked together before, but then other members of the cast come in, and they're very sort of. It takes a minute for them to really think it through, as it should. They're gonna wear it all year. And I always say, now, I want you to be certain before you leave the room. Are you happy? Is this something you can see in your face? Fit in your room every morning for seven months? And they. You know, we go back and forth, back and forth, and then. And I have to say, every single one of them, they're just amazing as a cast. They're stunning. They're so talented. And not one of them ever goes back and says, I wish I hadn't done that. And I hope that's because we. We make them feel comfortable and we make them feel heard in the fitting room. You know, if they say, oh, I really dislike that, I go, then it's gone. You know, that's not gonna happen.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I have to ask about blood on the clothes. I'm so curious about how you make that blood. Do you paint it on? Do you splatter it on? Does it affect the type of costume the person's wearing? Just spill it to me.

[Lynn Paolo]

Yeah, literally spill it. We have this amazing aged eye on our team. Gina and her detail work. I'll talk to her and say, okay, this is happening. I don't know. Like, bullet wound, left chest. You know, we go through the whole thing with deep descriptions from the doctors of how much blood. That would be research on blood splatter. I feel like I'm working on Dexter. You know, the blood. How much blood is there? Where would the blood go? And then she either hand paints, depending on the fabric. Cause the fabric really sort of teaches you what the blood should be do, because fabrics react differently. She'll create a stencil, then she'll paint over the stencil. So that each garment, because she has to make 15 or 16 of something, she can't hand paint that the stencil work is she lays it on each garment and each garment matches exactly to the stencil. So it's a quite a. It's a process to make sure it's always the same every single time the camera comes across. Because every time they cut that shirt off, the next shirt has to look exactly like the last shirt.

[Hunter Harris]

We've talked a lot about, like, outfitting the medical staff on the show, but tell us a little bit about outfitting the patients.

[Lynn Paolo]

Yeah, you know, our doctors are amazing. So especially when we look into the chairs area in the show, you know, when you walk, when Robbie walks in in the morning and the chairs area is full, you know, the ER is packed, the emergency department is packed. Our amazing doctors on the show, which we did on another show I worked on, they give me a list, 17 year old, drunk at a bar and a fall. And they give me a giant list of like 200 people and their ailments and what happened to them and where they were and, you know, who they are. And then we in the costume department interpret that in our own way and we create those looks. And I will say Shanna, who's here today, who I mentioned previously, she is my guru for the, for the chairs department when we do those big giant scenes and she and her team, I'll give them a rough, I'd like this. And I look at the clothes, you know, before we do the fittings, and I go, yes to this, no to that. And they do the hard work down in the cages fitting them. And then I look at all the pictures and say, yes, no, yes, no, change this. It's basically sort of two departments. Like, I'm upstairs in fittings with principals and days players, and my team is downstairs doing the two to 300 extras, you know, who change constantly through the year, which is a really big job.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

It's amazing because you're so right. And it's not something that people may notice, but it works, which speaks to your brilliance, I guess. My last question is, how many pairs of scrubs do you now own, Lynn?

[Lynn Paolo]

I don't own any, but Warner Brothers has an awful lot and thousands. I would say we have thousands, because even if you only meet one person, let's say we meet one nurse from the OB department. I always like to be ready for the fact that next season we might go to the OB department and I've already assigned, establish what that looks like. So we end up buying the whole department, even though we only see one person. Because these fans, our fans who we love, they watch this show. They are, they have eagle eyes. And I am telling you, if the, if the nurse from OB this season is in, I don't know, orange, I'm making it up. And then next season we go to OB and everyone's not in orange, I'm gonna get a letter. So we're just very conscious of being certain that our amazing viewers, you know, feel like they. And I think that adds to the reality, you know, the reality and the continuity and each department has its own color and everybody knows who everyone is and the audience knows. And I think that immerses the audience in the show and they feel like they're really in it. And I think it's those, the details. And staying true to what a hospital would really be like is what people love. So I'd like to, you know, take care to ensure that we continue to do the hard work to make this show look real.

[Hunter Harris]

Do you feel like a special little bit of satisfaction when you, when fans notice the, like, the care that you put into creating all of these costumes or like eagle eyed fans notice this bracelet or those earrings or something like that?

[Lynn Paolo]

You know, we love it in the costume department. We absolutely love it. Because you feel a little bit like an unsung hero sometimes on these kinds of shows. A lot of the time I feel like people say, well, they're just in scrubs, but the fans notice that they're not just in scrubs, that these tiny details that tell you who the person is and they notice that. And that's kind of amazing. And we are thrilled when that happens.

[Hunter Harris]

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being with us. Like, wonderful work and congratulations on the show.

[Lynn Paolo]

Oh, thank you for making time for us and for coming to our department and look at everything. We're so grateful. Thank you.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

And you're the reason why all the eagle eyes. Everyone on Reddit loves the costume design on the pit. Just saying.

[Lynn Paolo]

Yes, they do. I'm so grateful for that. Thank you.

[Hunter Harris]

That was so interesting.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

In my mind, I was like, I thought maybe I had a little bit of an idea, but the level of detail is so rad. And you know, the fact that they made that Beers and Berg shirt or sweatshirt and now they actually sell it, it's so cool.

[Hunter Harris]

No, that's incredible. But I will say, the blood details, I was not expecting because in my head it's like, oh, it's just, you just kind of splatter it on but the continuity between scenes, between episodes of certain articles of clothing and how much blood they have or don't have on them was really fascinating. And honestly, very expert.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Didn't even think about that. I literally. I'm with you. I thought it was like, oh, cornstarch and, like, Kool Aid or whatever, and they just painted on. And it's interesting when she mentioned the old guard not wearing traditional scrubs, because that's so true. The old guard of dudes in the hospital, like, oftentimes are wearing, like, hiking boots or cargo pants, like, random things, because they just don't care and they just want to be comfortable and functional.

[Hunter Harris]

Yeah, no, I. I noticed that in season one that Dr. Robbie isn't wearing sneakers, that he's wearing hiking boots. And this season, it's. The trend continues.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

And she caught it all. She got every single detail. Also, why am I not surprised that there is a huge community online that spots all these details? Like, that is. That is the fun of doing this podcast and interacting with the audience, because they just. They spot things I don't even think about.

[Hunter Harris]

Totally. And I think when you're seeing an actor in the costume, the exact same costume in every single episode, you do get to notice, like, this little bracelet or those earrings or, like, the shirt that someone's wearing under their scrubs. And that is kind of all you can. All you can use to kind of see what is her life like outside of the pit and outside of the emergency department.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I wonder how much, because this show is having such a cultural moment. I wonder how much the show is going to influence hospital fashion. I'm super curious.

[Hunter Harris]

Well, you tell me. I want you reporting on the front lines.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

All right, so I'm going to wear cargo pants and a brown hoodie and hiking boots to the hospital. I will wear a helmet on my motorcycle, though.

[Hunter Harris]

And thank God.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Let's read some comments. I'm actually excited about this.

[Hunter Harris]

Oh, God.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Hope it's all positive and there's no haters, but let's. Let's dive into this. Okay, here's one. I really like the story with the new hire rn. I really feel for her. I've once exploded a lab vial. I overfilled it because I got such a good draw and didn't want to waste it. The top popped right off in front of the patient and her family. I felt that in my bones. Relatability to Nurse Emma. I like it.

[Hunter Harris]

Oh. Oh, okay. I have one about Dr. J. It's not a surprise that Dr. J is an influencer, because Last season she was questioning the influencer patient who she follows with great interest. It seemed like that was leading her to become an influencer herself. That is. I like that. I like that. Like astute watching.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

That's like his next comment. Post some Dr. J shorts. Like, I guess you have to find her tick tock and and see what's up.

[Hunter Harris]

There should really be a Dr. J tick tock.

[Lynn Paolo]

I would love.

[Hunter Harris]

I would love to see her in her influencer era. Okay, I have a question for you. Fans have been calling out roles and jobs in the hospital that we haven't seen yet. So let's throw the pot. Who are we missing and what unseen roles do you think deserve their moment?

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Whoa. Must say pharmacists. Okay, need to roll in, have a moment, say the day with like a dosing error or something. Also, give me some custodial staff. Like they're flipping patient rooms and everything like that. Somebody is making sure that these rooms are clean. They play a huge role in the hospital. I want to see custodial staffs, janitors, environmental services, whatever you call them. I need them. I need them involved asap.

[Hunter Harris]

That's it for today's episode of the Pitt Podcast. We'll be here every Thursday right after our new episode drops. And please hang out in the comments. Leave us a message. We would love to hear from you.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

Watch us on HBO Max or listen wherever you get your podcasts. See you next week.

[Hunter Harris]

The Pitt Podcast is a production of HBO Max in collaboration with prx. The executive producer of PRX is Jocelyn Gonzalez. Our managing producer is Courtney Florentine. Our editor is Lucy Perkins. Our production managers are Edwin Ochoa and Tony Carlson. Our video producer and editor is Anthony Q. Artis with assistant editor Damon Durrell Hinson. This show is engineered by Tommy Bazarian. Special thanks to Joe Carlito.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

The executive producer of HBO Podcasts is Michael Gluckstadt. The senior producer is Allison Cohen, sirocac and the associate producer is Aaron Kelly. Technical director is Insung Kwong. I'm Alok Patel.

[Hunter Harris]

And I'm Hunter Harris. We'll see you next week in the pit.

[Irene Choi]

This podcast is sponsored by Chase Sapphire. Reserved for business. Businesses build big worlds.

[Dr. Alok Patel]

I'm Angus. My design studio created the Game of Thrones main title. We wanted it to feel like it was handmade, like it was a physical object. The whole process was a series of questions and solutions. The aha moment was to turn the globe inside out. This thing starts to emerge. That's just incredible. We put everything we had into it and it's given so much back to us.

[Hunter Harris]

For business world builders everywhere. The business card that gives back all you put in Chase Sapphire Reserve for

[Lynn Paolo]

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[Hunter Harris]

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