Season 2 of The Pitt is throwing some major curveballs Langdon’s way — but what can fans expect when it comes to his relationship with Mel?
During the Warner Bros. Television Group’s Emmy Party on Saturday, September 13, Patrick Ball spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about Langdon’s first day back in the ER.
“Mel came in on her first day and I immediately saw her as someone who had a lot to offer and a lot of talent and had the right stuff,” he noted about the season 1 parallel. “[She] might have needed a little bit of encouragement to step into her power.”
Langdon and Mel (Taylor Dearden) will now see a shift in the work place.
“I think the tables have turned a little bit,” Ball, 35, teased. “Coming out of rehab and doing some soul searching, I might need a little encouragement.”
Season 1 of the hit HBO Max series introduced Us to Mel, Langdon and the staff of a Pittsburgh hospital’s emergency department. While working a grueling 15-hour shift, Mel found a mentor in Langdon, which inspired some viewers to question whether their connection could turn into something more.
Ball, however, previously shut down the concept of a romance.
“I think that has to do with the fact that audiences have been trained by most medical dramas for love affairs more than it has to do with me and Mel,” he shared in April, adding that he finds it “so funny” to learn about fans who are supporting the chemistry between his and Dearden’s characters. “I think what Langdon sees in Mel is that she’s got the right stuff. She sees the world the right way. She understands what this job is. She’s really smart and she’s really competent and she’s also a caregiver.”
He continued: “Langdon is a caregiver. He’s learning what it means to be a father and the responsibility of that, the complexity of that and the scariness of that. There’s no playbook on how to be a good dad and he’s really trying to figure that out. Then he sees somebody else who is a caregiver and can see them carrying that responsibility. I think he understands that and is drawn to that. I don’t think there’s anything romantic about it. It’s just a ‘real recognizes real’ [type of] great, positive and platonic relationship.”
Things later took a turn for Langdon on the show when he was caught stealing drugs from the hospital. Season 2, which premieres in January 2026, will pick up months later, during Langdon’s first days back after attending rehab.
After the first look at the new episodes led to viewers questioning how the time jump affected Langdon’s personal life, Ball weighed in on the state of his character’s marriage, telling Us on Saturday, “Everything’s really great and I’m really happy.”
Ball went on to play coy about the overwhelming support for Langdon to find love — with Mel. “I have no idea what you all are on about,” he joked. “I have no idea. That is my sister.”
The Pitt has been renewed for a second season, which premieres on HBO in January 2026.
With reporting by Ty Cole
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