“My absence provides the writers with a really useful device”: Patrick Ball finally reveals if Dr. Langdon will appear in The Pitt Season 2

The Pitt Season 1 left Dr. Frank Langdon’s fate in the hospital open-ended. Played by Patrick Ball, the doctor had a dependency on prescription painkillers. When Dr. Robby found stolen drugs in his locker, he asked him to go home.

In the first season’s finale, Langdon requested Robby for another chance, but the conversation ended without any conclusion. As audiences were wondering if Langdon would be back to his duty in The Pitt Season 2, Patrick Ball has finally given a definitive answer.

In a recent interview with Variety, the actor revealed that Langdon is very much a part of the medical drama’s second season. Since the next season will begin with a time jump, the doctor will be back from rehab, and the impact of his long absence will only make the story more interesting:

“When Langdon walks back in the door, people are different and things have changed, and I don’t quite know what has happened while I was gone.”

"That presents a fun new game for the writers, that the audience gets to learn about what has changed and transpired in the time away through Langdon. So my absence provides the writers with a really useful device, and it’ll be subjectively from Langdon’s point of view.”

Patrick Ball confirms Dr. Langdon will return in The Pitt Season 2

Patrick Ball added that not only will Dr. Langdon appear in The Pitt Season 2, but his return will mark an inciting incident in the narrative, which sets the stage for the complete 15-hour shift. He said:

“The precipitating event of season 2 is Langdon coming out of rehab. And so if I’m a bit out of sorts, I think that’s gonna be a feature, not a flaw. I think that’s gonna work in my favor.”

It has been confirmed that the story of The Pitt Season 2 will take place during the Independence Day weekend. While the country celebrities, the doctors at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital will still be working their 15-hour shift and dealing with some high-stakes medical cases. Talking about how setting the premise over the 4th of July weekend will drive the narrative, Ball said:

“Well, I think coming back 10 months later (in the series’ timeline) and coming back on the 4th of July weekend is going to present the writers and the show a lot of opportunities to talk about a lot of things that are going on in this country, and that are going on with the healthcare system.”

“There’s gonna be a lot of opportunities that pop up on July 4th weekend, which I think is exciting. And I think also having Langdon be away in rehab for this period of time and then reenter this workspace also presents the writers with a lot of opportunities.”

Apart from Ball, the Max series also stars Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, Tracy Ifeachor as Dr. Heather Collins, Fiona Dourif as Dr. Cassie McKay, and Supriya Ganesh as Dr. Samira Mohan.

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The cast also includes Katherine LaNasa as Dana Evans, Gerran Howell as Dennis Whitaker, Isa Briones as Dr. Trinity Santos, Taylor Dearden as Dr. Melissa "Mel" King, and Shabana Azeez as Victoria Javadi.

The Pitt Season 2 will premiere on Max in January 2026.

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