Why Dr. Walsh Isn’t in the New Season, Explained

Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Pitt Season 1 and Season 2.Fans have a lot of big questions after The Pitt Season 2 premiere, including what happened to Dr. Emery Walsh (Tedra Millan). There’s the tragic cliffhanger featuring the baby who was abandoned in a hospital bathroom, and everyone is also concerned about how Dr. Robby Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) and the other doctors will make it through another anxiety-inducing and harrowing day in the emergency room of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. If The Pitt Season 1 had a lot going on, it’s safe to say that, even after just one episode, the second season is delivering the same emotional intensity.

The Pitt fans are spoiled with complicated characters, from single mother Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif) to charge nurse Dana Evans (Katherine LaNasa), who meditates on whether she even wants to continue working in the healthcare field at the end of the first season. Viewers are curious about what’s going to happen to every major and minor character, including Dr. Walsh.

Where Is Dr. Walsh on ‘The Pitt’ Season 2?

HBO Max

Dr. Emery Walsh, who is a surgeon who works the night shift, isn’t going to be in The Pitt Season 2. Although several doctors returned for The Pitt‘s second season, she won’t play a significant role in another dark, dramatic storyline (because you know something big is coming).

After watching The Pitt Season 2, Episode 1, “7:00 A.M.,” some fans realized Dr. Walsh wasn’t in the episode, and they discussed their disappointment on Reddit. Since Tedra Millan wrote on her Instagram account, “Dr. Walsh isn’t working this shift,” we know that she won’t appear in The Pitt Season 2’s 15 episodes. While she’s a fantastic character, and it would have been fun to see her again, it makes sense that she’s not part of the second season’s cast. As she’s a night shift doctor, she doesn’t work with Dr. Robby and his team, and she’s only part of the first season because the hospital needs as many doctors as possible during the disturbing, intense Pittfest shooting story arc.

If Dr. Walsh came back for The Pitt Season 2, there would need to be a logical reason why she’s working the day shift again. It wouldn’t be totally out of the question for her expertise to be needed again, considering the many alarming cases that the hospital staff sees every day. Still, it wouldn’t be that compelling to see this storyline repeated.

The HBO Max medical drama was one of the greatest 2025 shows because even minor characters like Dr. Walsh are fully formed and interesting. Since she has a surly personality, she adds some humor to some heavy scenes. She also has a problem with how Dr. Samira Mohan (Supriya Ganesh) is treating a patient who was shot, which allows the show to explore questions about ambition, teamwork, and knowing when to believe in yourself.

While the determined, tough, and conceited surgeon trope has been played time and time again on medical dramas, Dr. Walsh still felt like a fresh character. Several viewers shared their love for her in a Reddit thread a few months ago, and many agreed that she felt like a realistic surgeon. One fan wrote, “Really hoping she comes back with more screen time in season 2!” So, maybe Dr. Walsh can be there when The Pitt comes back for Season 3. As a fan wrote in another Reddit thread, “If she’s not in S2, I’ll be very happy to see her bickering with Abbott some more in a night shift season.” Fingers crossed. But first, let’s get through this day shift.