Max's New Medical Drama Protagonist Is Basically The Opposite Of Dr. House -

Those who love medical dramas are in for a treat with Max’s 2025 series, The Pitt, and not only that, but the show offers a great parallel to another beloved fictional physician, Dr. House. First released in January 2025, The Pitt takes place at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital, also known as The Pitt, where interns have just started their first shift and hospital veterans take on another day of traumas and disasters. With the first season now completed, The Pitt has received a flood of praise for its accuracy and emotional effect.

Medical dramas are a particularly popular genre among TV lovers, and it is often the case that those who love one medical series will probably like another. One show that gained a solid following during its eight-season run is House. In this drama, Dr. Gregory House takes on strange medical cases every week alongside his crew of young medical students. There are countless ways in which The Pitt is different from a series like House, but one of the most noticeable is the distinction between The Pitt’s Dr. Robby and House’s Dr. House.

Dr. Robby From The Pitt Is Caring, Empathetic, & Doesn’t Abuse His Employees

Robby Can Be Tough But Only When He Needs To Be

Arguably, one of the best parts of The Pitt is Dr. Robby. Portrayed by ER alum, Noah Wyle, Robby is a senior attending who assists in teaching the new interns and takes on some of the most difficult cases in the emergency department. Although Robby is as intelligent, skilled, and occasionally reckless as Dr. House, his personality is completely different. Robby has no sense of ego and never abuses his employees. On the contrary, he is empathetic, kind, and eager to teach them what he knows. Robby certainly has grievances, but they are almost never against his fellow doctors.

The 10 Worst Things Dr. House Did On House MD

House may be a genius doctor and diagnostician, but there are more than a few occasions where he displays his cruel, violent, and manipulative nature.

What makes this distinction between Robby and House so much better is that Robby isn’t a completely sweet character. He definitely has his moments of anger and frustration, and he will yell at an employee if necessary. Throughout The Pitt, he scolds Mohan for being too slow, gets into a heated disagreement with McKay over a potentially dangerous patient, and blows up on Langdon after discovering his drug addiction. However, unlike House, Robby’s intentions are always for the betterment of the hospital, not for his own amusement. The only character he really targets is hospital chief, Gloria.

Dr. Robby Is Emotionally Invested & Affected By His Patients’ Outcomes

Robby’s Emotional State Is Integral To The Pitt

David Saunders (Jackson Kelly) walking away from Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) in The Pitt episode 1

Robby is as caring to his patients as he is to his peers. Regardless of injury, background, or anything else, Robby treats all his patients with respect. The same cannot be said for House, who generally meets his patients with scorn and outright dislike. Generally, Robby makes no judgments about how a patient arrived at the hospital, and almost always gives them his attention, even when they are more of a distraction than anything, i.e. Myrna. Robby is even willing to break the rules to save a patient, regardless of how it may affect him.

In fact, Robby’s emotional attachment to his patients is part of what makes him such a compelling character (and the opposite can be said for House as well.)

In fact, Robby’s emotional attachment to his patients is part of what makes him such a compelling character (and the opposite can be said for House as well.) In other medical series, doctors often forget about their patients once the episode ends, no matter how positive or negative the outcome of the case. Yet, in The Pitt, Robby is clearly haunted by the people he couldn’t save. The emotional consequences of his work are not glossed over, but are integral to the plot. This is true for Robby and all the other employees at The Pitt.

Dr. Robby Always Puts The Patient Above His Own Agenda

Robby Is A Better Doctor But Not A Better Character

Dr. Robi (Noah Wyle) performing CPR on Leah to revive her in The Pitt Season 1 Ep 13 — Image via Max

Lastly, Robby always puts his patients above himself. The most obvious example of this is when he goes above and beyond trying to save Leah, despite knowing that she can’t be saved. He does this, not only for Leah, but also for Jake. In a different way, he puts his patients and their families over himself because he knows that their emotions are important and cannot be rushed. This is why he allows the parents of a brain-dead 18-year-old to remain at the hospital for hours so that they can grieve and make decisions in their own time.

The Pitt has already been renewed for a second season.

There is little doubt that Dr. Robby is a better doctor than House, if not medically, then in terms of bedside manner and mental state. Robby is able to tackle his feelings far better than House is. That being said, House is still just as captivating as Robby, because of his bad disposition. He intrigues viewers by pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable, and by being a talented physician, even if he’s a miserable person. All in all, The Pitt simply opens the door for a new kind of Dr. House.