Season 1 Arriving for his shift at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, affectionately nicknamed "The Pitt", Robby deflects concerns from charge nurse
Dana Evans about working on the fourth anniversary of Dr. Adamson's death, something he has previously avoided doing. He also brushes off rumors that the department is going to be sold, gathering the staff, including new residents
Trinity Santos and Mel King, and students
Dennis Whitaker and Victoria Javadi, and instructing him to prioritise treating patients efficiently. As he begins seeing patients, hospital administrator Gloria Underwood chastises him for the department's low
patient satisfaction scores, while Robby tells her that systemic issues like staffing and overcrowding are to blame. Throughout the day, Robby is shown as a dedicated teacher, supporting Whitaker when he loses his first patient, encouraging Dr. Cassie McKay's concerns of elder abuse in one of her cases, and working alongside Dr. Frank Langdon and Dr. Heather Collins. He has a contentious relationship with resident
Samira Mohan, with whom he becomes frustrated due to her cautious and slow pace when treating patients, instructing her to act more decisively and balance her empathy with efficient treatment. He is challenged by McKay over the treatment of a troubled teenager, David Saunders, who was brought to The Pitt by his mother Theresa, who faked an illness to get him psychiatric help after finding a list of girls in his journal along with the phase "all should be eliminated." McKay fears that David may pose a violent threat to these girls, and she pushes Robby to contact the police. Robby is resistant to this idea due to concerns about the impact such an allegation could have on David if it proved to be false. McKay defies Robby and calls the police anyway, leading David to flee. Robby also clashes with Langdon after Santos proves he has been stealing
librium from the department, and sends him home without informing of their colleagues about the true reason why. Early in the shift, he is visited by Jake, the son of his former girlfriend Janey, whom he sees as a surrogate son, and is later distraught when Dana informs him there has been a mass shooting at the local music festival Jake was attending. As patients begin streaming in, Robby and night shift attending Dr. Jack Abbot lead on the critical cases, and he reluctantly permits Langdon to join them. Robby is unable to save Jake's girlfriend, Leah, who was shot in the chest, and Jake refuses to forgive him. This, alongside the memories of Adamson's death, overwhelm Robby, and he has a panic attack and emotional breakdown in the makeshift mortuary. He is found by Whitaker, who is able to reassure him and convince him to return to the ER by imparting some advice that Robby had told him earlier that morning. At the end of the shift, Robby delivers a speech condemning the mass shooting and praising his colleagues for their work through the day. Dana consoles Robby when he stares at a memorial, explaining that Adamson's death could not be prevented in any way. On the roof of the hospital, Robby and Abbott have a conversation, in which Robby confesses to his panic attack, and Abbott reassures him that he did a great job. They then leave for the day, planning to go for a drink with a few colleagues at the park.
Season 2 Ten months later, on the
Fourth of July, Robby arrives at The Pitt on a motorcycle, riding helmetless. After the shift ends, he plans to go on a three-month
sabbatical, with Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi acting as the interim senior attending physician, though the two immediately clash over her advocacy for
artificial intelligence in healthcare and her ideas for reforms to the ED that Robby feels undermines him. Robby avoids and dismisses Langdon, who returns for his first shift after a period in rehab, and continues mentoring the other staff, particularly Whitaker, who has usurped Langdon as his protegé. He also reassures Mel about her impending malpractice deposition, saying that he has been sued multiple times. Robby is also casually dating nurse and
case manager Noelle Hastings. Robby is especially impacted by one of his patients, a Jewish woman named Yana Kovalenko, who survived the
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and challenges his lack of commitment to his faith. He is also challenged by psychiatrist Caleb Jefferson, but ignores his advice to consider seeking therapy for his
PTSD and insists that his sabbatical is what he needs. As the shift progresses, several others in the ED—including Dana, Abbot, McKay, and patient Duke Ekins (a motorcycle engineer and friend of Robby's)—notice Robby's erratic behavior and worry he may be suicidal, and Robby responds evasively to their concerns. He is also critical of Mohan when she experiences a panic attack, and admonishes her for being weak and unable to cope with the pressure of the department, and gives Whitaker the keys to his apartment while giving vague answers around if and when he will return. After speaking with Santos, Robby challenges Whitaker's relationship with a former patient and espouses the importance of maintaining boundaries. Robby feels increasingly tormented by whether the ED can survive in his absence, but Dana criticizes him for having a martyr complex, and urges him to forgive Langdon, though he rebukes her comments and accuses her of being on edge ever since she was assaulted by a patient on the day of the shooting. Robby later encourages Langdon to perform a risky procedure to save a patient, which ultimately succeeds. He also admits to Duke that he is suicidal and the hospital distracts him from his thoughts. == Development ==