‘Pitt’ Season 2 Finale Just Stopped Robby from Finding Baby Jane Doe in Season 3 – Spoilers ahead

The outline of Season 2 of ‘The Pitt’ was the rise of Dr. Robby’s suicide, which makes him admit that he is not sure that he wants to be “anywhere, again”. The conclusion revealed that his answer was right in front of him the whole time. The entire episode builds to Robby’s case for taking Baby Jane Doe himself as his way out of his depression and finding a second home.

And like everything about “The Pitt”, there are real-world examples from healthcare heroes to back it up.

Let’s start with the references within the episode first:

“Okay, big man. Are you ready for some fun?” -Whitaker

As Robby says goodbye to Whitaker at the house when he’s done, Amy gets up to take him home for the night, and we see for ourselves that she’s deeper than Santos thought.

The way Whitaker greets his son Theo in his car seat, takes his place behind the wheel, and listens as he fills him in on the babbling and chattering of the baby’s teeth, clearly shows how deeply he has entered the role of father and husband. Finally he turns on what appears to be a “family” favorite before heading out for the night.

But it’s Robby’s reaction to it all that tells the most. He doesn’t look concerned or worried about Whitaker. His eyes, which have been on the verge of tears more than once in the past hour, are wide awake, bright, as he gazes longingly and jealously at their happiness.

“It’s never too late.” — Mohan

Robby has been condescending to all of his residents and med students after his short fuse wreaked havoc on everyone during this last shift, and Mohan is no exception. In an attempt to bridge the gap, he opens up about his life, saying:

I know that life can be challenging, especially when it doesn’t turn out the way you expected. I thought I would be married with 2 kids in college by now. Maybe we have a place with a lake, we can play hockey in it in the winter. However, looking at me now, I have no wife, no children, no pool.

Although the anecdote is intended as a way to advise him about not deciding where to work, it’s time to give us a clearer explanation of what we just saw with Whitaker.

We have some insight into Robby’s dating history, his role as stepfather to his ex’s son Jake, the possibility that he was the ex Heather was referring to in her abortion story, but we’ve never really seen Robby express a clear desire for marriage and children before.

But like Heather’s miscarriage and struggle with IVF, Robby is given the same emotional toll to explore a range of disappointment, loneliness, and hope when Mohan tells him it’s not too late to make this dream come true for him. Some seeds of that thought are already planted at the beginning of the episode.

“Do you know anyone who might consider adoption? Doctors and nurses are eligible.” —Dana

This is not just a throwaway line. It is a reference to the legal process by which health care workers can claim “family” status, making them eligible for the same adoption process as extended family members.

The American Bar Association defines a “fictitious relative” as “a person who is not related by birth, adoption, or marriage to the child, but who has a significant emotional relationship with the child”.

Adoption laws vary from state to state, and may allow health workers, social workers, or therapists to qualify for adoption by birth with whom they have a genuine bond, but there are different ethical considerations when it comes to adopting a former patient.

There are different real-world examples of health workers welcoming children they meet in hospital.

Taylor and Drew Deras were both NICU nurses in Omaha when they found Ella. She was born at 23 weeks and weighed 1 ounce in May 2021. Taylor was one of her nurses, she told her husband she wanted to bring the baby home, and the couple became foster parents for nearly two years before finalizing the adoption. Ella’s biological mother specifically requested that Ella take care of the couple.

Olivia Peña was a longtime pediatric nurse and foster mother in New Mexico who was asked to care for a premature baby girl. Addison’s birth mother sent her an email requesting adoption, and after six months in the NICU, she went home to live with Peña.

Claire Mills was a 25-year-old single nurse in Houston who assisted in the C-section emergency ward during her second week in the hospital. She cried when the baby finally came out. The mother of the child who gave birth called him and asked him to take it.

But not all adoption stories go so smoothly. Miriam Simon was an Iowa obstetrician who gave birth to a former patient’s child in 2021, but was disbarred by the state Board of Nursing alleging that she violated state laws that prohibit starting an emotional, social or business relationship with a patient for her own benefit without the patient’s consent. He was also charged with violating patient confidentiality laws. Although the mother started contacting him, Simon’s contract was terminated after he discussed the adoption of the child with his colleagues.

What does this mean for season 3?

‘The Pitt’ has already raised various ethical and legal concerns this season, including Langdon’s return to work, Mel’s placement, Javadi’s TikToks needing to comply with HIPAA regulations, Robby’s concerns about disclosing Al-Hashimi’s medical issues, and data privacy through cyber attacks. Robby’s fight with the law to become the guardian of Baby Jane Doe will give the next season the kind of big conflict that Robby’s depression borrowed from Season 2.

Sure, he may have replied to Dana with, “don’t look at me”, but he said a lot of things that he didn’t mean in the last fifteen hours. The fact that he ends the episode, and the season, with his arms around Baby Jane, talking to her like her, repeating the phrase “many people would love in front of you” is as symbolic as it is literal. There is a child in front of him, a man who has been looking for a family, who needs a home.

After his heart-wrenching confession to Abbott, “I’m not sure that part of you doesn’t die every time you see someone else pass by, and I’ve seen so many people die that I feel like something is coming out of my soul”, it makes sense that Robby’s way out would be nothing but the circle of life, to bind his future until death, from his birth.