What Fans Get Wrong About Dr. Trinity Santos

With the release of The Pitt on Max, many fans have clung onto their favorite main characters while others have come to appreciate the team at the center of this medical drama as a whole. However, after simmering tension between two medical professionals reached a boiling point, some fans have taken to the internet to discuss the fallout as well as previous indiscretions they may have had about Dr. Trinity Santos.

Portrayed by Isa Briones, Santos is introduced as a former athlete and fourth-year medical school student who has no issue with voicing her opinion, especially when it comes at the expense of others. Throughout the series, she frequently mimics fellow newcomers Victoria Javadi (Shabana Azeez) and Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell). However, she has shown signs of remorse while also being a generally caring professional to patients, willing to violate certain codes of conduct to ensure further protection.

With her escalating feud with Dr. Langdon (Patrick Ball) and the subsequent fallout, some fans believe that Dr. Santos has proven to be reckless and manipulative, willing to throw anyone under the bus for the chance of upward mobility. However, others have acknowledged her shortcomings while also offering her grace and the benefit of the doubt. Alongside her darkly humorous quips and vast knowledge of treatment, there is more to be said about the curious case of Dr. Santos.

Introducing Trinity Santos

Within the first few minutes of the series, Dr. Santos makes her first appearance, eager for both her newfound opportunity at the Pittsburgh Medical Trauma Hospital but also to make light of her peers based on first impressions. Billed by showrunners as a fourth-year medical student and a former athlete, Santos appears just as one expects.

From her competitive nature in the field to her strategizing where to allocate her time and who to connect with, moving with her future in mind. Nevertheless, her earlier efforts have put a damper on her reputation among her peers and the viewers as well, with some believing her to be too arrogant and flippant to function as a key member of The Pitt.

A Polarizing First Impression

Over the course of the season, Dr. Santos goes out of her way to stand out, showing enthusiasm for the more morbid cases that the staff have to deal with and being quick on her toes while being instructed by senior residents and attendings alike. Earlier in the morning, Santos’ competitiveness peeks out after Victoria Javadi, a peer of hers, efficiently completes an intubation on a patient who was inadvertently impaled with a nail gun. Much to her dismay, this moment leaves everyone alerted about her behavior, with Santos slowly finding out that her dry sarcasm and overconfidence happen to be too overbearing for 9:00 AM. The first three episodes set Santos up for an unforgettable 15 hours.

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A Medical Emergency Unveiled

During a meeting with a patient who was found having a seizure in the waiting room, Santos and Langdon have a disagreement over the best course of action. While Langdon remains confident in his decision to prescribe the patient more lorazepam, Santos believes that it would be better to administer new medications as said patient has already received the intended dose.

One of many spats to come down the line, Dr. Langdon advises Dr. Santos it would be best if she trusted her senior residents and attendings, pointing to her previous interactions with the aforementioned Javadi and Whitaker as additional sources of contention. However, the discrepancies with the lorazepam and the difficulty she had opening the anti-seizure medication stirs suspicion in Santos.

Simmering Tensions Expose New Threats

As the shift continues, Dr. Langdon and Dr. Santos resume checking in on patients. In between breaks, however, Dr. Santos expresses her concerns about the medication to Dana (Katherine LaNasa), Dr. Garcia (Alexandra Metz), and Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle). While the former promises to follow up with her, Dr. Garcia rebuffs her plea. Much later in the day, Dr. Santos converses with Dr. Robby, and reluctantly, shares her discovery with him, much to the chagrin of Langdon, who witnesses the confrontation from afar. Tensions rise until a troubling secret is revealed and threatens to upend the stability of the staff.

Santos and Langdon, Reflections of One Another

Throughout the series, it is quite difficult to look past Santos’ and Langdon’s similarities. Both in their casual and professional lives, the two are both knowledgeable and talented doctors. Dr. Langdon, for instance, serves as a reliable source of encouragement for characters like Mel (Taylor Dearden) and Whitaker (Gerran Howell). Similarly, Dr. Santos also attempts to soften her approach to both Victoria and Whitaker, apologizing for her prior comments.

Speaking of said comments, both have a habit of shooting out dry, sarcastic jokes during and in between operations, much at the expense of their peers. Ultimately, a driving force behind their clash is their arrogance, an identical trait that opens up interesting discussions about seniority rights, gender, and ambition.

A Healthy Debate Ensues

Fans took to social media sites and shared their opinions on Santos’ demeanor and her adversarial relationship with Langdon. Easily the most polarizing character on the show, the only assertion fans agree on is the spectacular performance provided by Isa Briones. Serving as the basis of people’s arguments on both sides, some recognize her personality as nothing but incongruous with expectations as a staff member, hospital or otherwise. Others have picked up on subtle but present nuances to her character, such as her passionate reaction to news of one of her patients being an alleged abuser, to her willingness to lie to Dr. Robby in hopes of protecting Dr. Garcia from the fallout from Langdon’s betrayal.

Even when acknowledging their similarities, some have offered the rebuttal that Dr. Langdon is more experienced and familiar with this cohort of doctors, nurses, and staff, and thus Dr. Santos does not possess said familiarity one would find socially acceptable. Nevertheless, that argument also works in favor of viewers that are more sympathetic to Dr. Santos, seeing Langdon’s role as a reason why he should be more courteous.

Additionally, many have raised a fair point about misogynistic interpretations of Dr. Santos as being uniquely arrogant or reckless with her behavior. Outside of Langdon, many of the characters have conducted behavior that may be ethical but violates hospital protocol and vice versa. While characters like Dr. Robby and Dr. Abbott (Shawn Hotasy) seems more approachable than Santos; They have their fair share of questionable attitudes and decision-making that should be at the very least acknowledged.

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Trinity Santos, a Lighter Shade of Gray

It would be remiss of anyone to sanitize Santos. She has had her fair share of unprofessional and downright disgusting moments on the series. Despite her earnest attempt at handling a patient whose wife accused him of molesting their daughter, many viewers have used their personal or growing knowledge of abusive relationships and power dynamics in their assessment of Santos’ actions (“1:00 PM”). They have alerted other viewers to the possibility that her method of fear and humiliation could potentially exacerbate the abuse within said patient’s household, even if she was operating in good faith.

Never Beyond Reproach or Grace

Furthermore, as audience members, it is easy to reserve some grace or even find enjoyment in Santos’ dark humor, but her repeated ridiculing of Whitaker’s traumatic event is anything but innocent. With that being said, much like every other character in the series thus far, Santos might really benefit from a serious call-in from someone that both recognizes her talents and can really get her to change her behavior for the better.

While the show has been praised for its realism in its depiction of life in a trauma hospital, the show also excellently illustrates the success of conflict resolution, even if ugly blowouts or bottled-up emotions stand out as more frequent consequences of aggression. Much like the caveats that allowed Langdon to return, without having his experience with addiction thrown in his face, perhaps all Santos needs is a little more understanding to unlock her potential as a great doctor and a great person to be around, harsh or otherwise. Other than that, she fits perfectly well with the entertaining and admirable crew of well-meaning yet messy staff members of The Pitt.