The Pitt is quickly becoming our closest equivalent to appointment television in these iPhone-addled times (well, besides The White Lotus), and while the Max show’s notably gritty post-COVID medical reality doesn’t necessarily lend itself to a traditional standom, its star—one Mr. Noah Wyle, a.k.a. Dr. Michael “Robby” Rabinovitch—is basically impossible not to fall in love with.
Not only has Wyle aged quite beautifully since his ER days (he’s so tall and handsome and beard-y, and in a not-at-all-gross way!), but the character of Dr. Robby is also sensitive enough to catch things other doctors might miss, while also being commanding enough to discipline wayward underlings and run that Pittsburgh E.R. like the navy.
To be honest, I haven’t felt this insane about a fictional TV doctor since I fell head over heels for Cristina Yang from Grey’s Anatomy in sixth grade (and proceeded to spend a lot of time watching YouTube compilations of her making out with her various boyfriends, because I definitely had independent and very heterosexual crushes on all of said boyfriends in rapid succession and not on Yang herself). Unlike Grey’s, though, The Pitt doesn’t treat us to gratuitous shots of Dr. Robby answering doors shirtless or hooking up with interns. He’s too serious about his job for all that—and that sense of propriety is, paradoxically, quite hot to me!
As it turns out, I’m not the only The Pitt viewer who s been driven near-feral with Dr. Robby lust of late. For an explanation as to why his bearded, sleepy charms hit so hard, I spoke to seven people about their respective Dr. Robby crushes. Read their explanations below:
“There is something about the way he is both wildly competent under pressure, like he could literally fix me, and also so emotionally unraveled—I could literally fix him. He is somehow both baby and daddy at once, and the fact that you can go watch the ER pilot and see him as a child and imagine these two shows are in the same universe feels so weirdly poignant, despite both shows being formulaic procedurals. You know how in therapy, the confines of the hour and the space make possible deep exploration? LOL, that’s how I feel about my love of Dr. Robby in the safe confines of the episodic formula.” —Meaghan, 40
“I love that he is so grizzled and ran-through that my bare minimum would probably feel like 5-star luxury.” —V, 32
"I think there is something to the notion that seeing competent and compassionate healthcare providers in today’s climate feels erotic. However, I personally think it’s the soupcon of “dad bod”; he wears his age and the knowledge he’s accrued fairly proudly. He has the vibe of having emotional needs that aren’t being met, but without the trappings/arrogance/therapy-speak manipulation of a needy 30-something. You get the impression he’s a good partner—a surrogate father to his ex’s kid; maintains a seemingly healthy relationship with a coworker he could have had a baby with. The secret tattoos and the subtle humor and the sense of ownership he has over his job all add to it. He has a real “I could fix him” vibe, but it would be worth it and he wouldn’t go become a DJ.” —Kelsey, 32
“He’s a man who can handle a crisis without adding to it.” —Adam, 27
“I’m a doctor and I fell for him immediately. His complete calm in the face of chaos. His warmth and charisma with patients and kindness to residents. He is the mentor we all needed in residency. Plus, there’s his ability to take control when he needs to and gets the job done. Also, Noah Wyle’s still got it!” —Seema, early 40s
“He’s just so competent but also vulnerable, which is not something we see a lot with male characters. Also, the glasses! The glasses are really hot.” —Michaela, 22
“Look, I’m queer, so I say this with absolute awareness that I’m grading on a curve, but it’s pretty rare to see a man on TV who is extremely competent but does not tolerate arrogance or rudeness. Do I think that many of the people losing their minds about him might consider dating someone who is not a cishet dude, where that blend of compassion, competence, and willingness to teach people is the bare minimum? Of course.” —Mara, 36
