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The Pitt Season 2, Episode 5 Recap: What Happened To Louie?

Emma (Laëtitia Hollard) in The Pitt season 2, episode 3via MovieStillsDB

By Sean Morrison Published Feb 5, 2026, 9:01 PM EST Sean is a senior writer for ScreenRant and has been writing about new TV releases since December 2023. He has received multiple advance screenings of popular shows and ideated his own coverage read by hundreds of thousands of readers. Sean is a self-published author of a Western novel. Sean has also written award-winning opinion pieces related to local politics while getting his Bachelor's degree in journalism. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Add Us On Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Pitt season 2, episode 5.The first third of The Pitt season 2 ended with a bang this week, and a favorite patient at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center's life hangs in the balance. Louie, one of the most beloved patients at PTMC, had a massive health problem at the end of this week's episode. As his life hangs in the balance, we won't know what happens to him until episode 6, but we can determine what caused his heart to stop.

Louie wasn't the only interesting part of The Pitt season 2, episode 5, however. We learned more about Joy's backstory, Ogilvie had some mishaps, new patients arrived due to Westbridge's code black, and Dr. Robby made some very brash medical decisions that could get him in trouble. It's all worth taking a closer look at and discussing in detail after one of The Pitt season 2's most hectic episodes to date.

What Happened To Louie At The End Of The Pitt Season 2, Episode 5

Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) in The Pitt season 2

At the end of The Pitt season 2, episode 5, Dr. Langdon thought that Louie had taken his pulse oximetry device off his finger, only to discover that it was still on and his heart had actually stopped. Louie has seemingly been getting worse all season, but he assured the doctors it was just withdrawal from his alcoholism. As such, his major cardiac event came as a shock, and it wasn't entirely clear what caused it.

Louie's heart stopped because he's a lifelong alcoholic, and he was suffering from liver failure. The entire cast of The Pitt has mentioned that Louie is a "frequent flier" at PTMC, and he regularly comes in for alcoholism-related treatment. After years of suffering from the disease, Louie's liver gave out. Now, Langdon and Dr. Robby, as the first doctors to enter his room, are going to have to work together to save Louie's life.

Louie's ongoing medical emergency should also reopen a new wound his treatment caused between Langdon and Dr. Whitaker. Earlier in the episode, Langdon prescribed Louie librium, the same drug he was stealing from Louie in The Pitt season 1. Whitaker then said he would prescribe it as Louie's primary physician, though Langdon clearly took offense and believed Whitaker was concerned that he would steal the librium again.

Dr. Langdon's Rash Patient Had Necrotizing Fasciitis

Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch in The Pitt season 2, episode 3

The subject of The Pitt season 2, episode 4's cliffhanger ending, Debbie Cohen, was one of the episode's most stressful patients. Debbie was readmitted to the hospital after the rash on her foot grew. Langdon and Robby briefly considered if she had Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, but they ultimately realized she was actually suffering from necrotizing fasciitis.

Necrotizing fasciitis is better known as flesh-eating bacteria. It's a rare infection that damages the organs under the skin, it spreads quickly, and in severe cases, it can require amputation. Given the time-sensitive nature of necrotizing fasciitis, Robby went a bit gung ho when Dr. Garcia suggested Debbie get a CT scan with contrast. Robby ended up slicing Debbie's leg open, revealing the damage fascia, and possibly saving her life.

Debbie's case also touched on Langdon and Robby's ongoing tiff. Robby has been icy to Langdon all season long, as he's still upset with Langdon for stealing medication under his watch. That continued this episode, as Robby criticized Langdon's initial treatment of Debbie and eventually boxed him out of her treatment. Dana, however, pointed out that Langdon did exactly what Robbie would have done, which may be the type of logical argument to win him over.

Joy Solved Orlando’s Financing Problem Because Of Her Late Grandmother

Joy Kwon (Irene Choi) and Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif) in The Pitt season 2, episode 4

One of The Pitt season 2's new interns, Joy, got a moment to shine this week as well. Dr. Mohan had been treating Orlando, a man who fainted due to his diabetes. Orlando, however, couldn't afford his medical bills, as he made too much money to get financial aid but not enough to afford healthcare. While trying to figure out a solution, Joy put forth the right choice: staying in medical-surgical nursing instead of the emergency room.

Santos, Whittaker, Emma, and James in The Pitt season 2

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Medical-surgical nursing cut Orlando's bill by tens of thousands of dollars, and with a bit of help from PTMC covering 40% of his bill and using a payment plan for the rest, Orlando was able to afford the life-saving care he needed. Joy later told Mohan that her family had used the same trick when her grandmother was dying of leukemia and uninsured. Evidently, her grandmother's death was a major reason Joy decided to become a doctor.

PTMC Got A Prisoner As A Patient Who Was Malnourished

Dr. Trinity Santos (Isa Briones) in The Pitt season 2, episode 4

Another notable patient in The Pitt season 2, episode 5 was Gus Varney, a prisoner who got a nasty cut during a fight. While treating him, Dr. King and Whitaker discovered that he was malnourished due to the weakness of his skin. Dr. Al-Hashimi then made it clear: Gus was malnourished because the food served at prison wasn't nutritionally rich enough to keep him healthy.

Clearly, The Pitt is making a social commentary about the United States penal system through Gus. In one corner, Robby is concerned that Gus poses a security threat to the hospital, and wants to keep him out in the open. In the other, Al-Hashimi is advocating for his dignity and respect, even though he's a convicted criminal. She wants to keep Gus in the hospital to make sure he gets the proper nutrition that the US prison system won't give him.

Ogilvie Was Exposed To Tuberculosis & Defecated On

Whitaker and James in The Pitt season 2

The Pitt season 2's other intern, Ogilvie, had a much worse day than Joy. While being supervised by Dr. Santos, Ogilvie was exposed to a patient with tuberculosis, a serious lung disease. Santos then explained that 70% of urban medical interns are exposed to tuberculosis at some point, and that Ogilvie will simply take some antibiotics if he tests positive. While not life-threatening, a TB exposure is not optimal.

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The hits kept coming for Ogilvie, however, as he was later defecated on by another of Santos' patients. An older woman came in with impacted stool, and after Whitaker showed Ogilvie how to do a disimpaction. While performing the procedure, however, Ogilvie didn't get out of the way in time, and he ended up with a smock full of feces. It now seems that Ogilvie is this season's version of Whitaker last season: an intern who gets covered in bodily fluids and gets into gross scenarios.

Dr. McKay's Patient & "Death Doula" Explained

Fiona Dourif as Cassie McKay in The Pitt season 1.MovieStillsDB

Another new patient this week, Roxie, introduced an unusual concept to The Pitt. Dr. McKay treated Roxie, a woman with terminal cancer, who had fallen and broken her leg. While treating her, Roxie's "death doula" arrived, but some viewers may not be familiar with the profession. A death (or end of life) doula is nonmedical companion who assists a dying person in the last stages of their lives (via INELDA).

The Pitt Season 2 Release Schedule

Title

Release Date (Thursdays @ 9 p.m. ET)

7 AM

January 8

8 AM

January 15

9 AM

January 22

10 AM

January 29

11 AM

February 5

12 PM

February 12

1 PM

February 19

2 PM

February 26

3 PM

March 5

4 PM

March 12

5 PM

March 19

6 PM

March 26

7 PM

April 2

8 PM

April 9

9 PM

April 16

Death doulas perform a variety of functions. Those functions range from spiritual and psychological support for the patient and their families to helping the patient die with "dignity." Roxie's death doula, Lena, clearly helps her family navigate the logistics and bureaucracy of medical care and outfitting their home with equipment to care for Roxie. If Roxie continues to get worse in The Pitt season 2, Lena may advocate on her behalf medically.

287 9.6/10

8/10

The Pitt

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Release Date January 9, 2025 Network Max Showrunner R. Scott Gemmill Directors Amanda Marsalis Writers Joe Sachs, Cynthia Adarkwa Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch looking at someone in The Pitt