Patrick Ball has so many questions about why The Pitt fans are shipping Mel and Langdon romantically.
“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,” Ball exclusively told Us Weekly, adding that he finds it “so funny” to learn about fans who are rooting for the chemistry between his and Taylor Dearden’s characters.
In fact, Ball told Us fans hoping to watch a romance bloom between the two was “really interesting,” considering Dearden, 32, reminds him “so much” of his sister.
“That’s the relationship that I thought we were having. So it was really strange to have people trying to ship us off like that,” he noted. “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.”
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While reflecting on the onscreen friendship, Ball explained why Mel caught Langdon’s attention, adding, “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.”
Ball continued: “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.”
The Pitt, which premiered in January, 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.
Dearden had a similar take on the subject, telling Us in February, “I didn’t know people were thinking that. That’s really funny. The funny thing is Patrick is always like, ‘God, you remind me of my sister.’”
The actress didn’t see Mel bringing romance into the workplace. “I think Mel is asexual,” she said. “I don’t think that’s part of how Mel would think — especially at work. She’s a hyper professional.”
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Dearden’s portrayal of Mel has also sparked conversation about the importance of representation, as viewers who identify as autistic have felt seen by the character. (The Pitt hasn’t confirmed yet whether Mel is autistic.)
“I have ADHD and they’re on the same spectrum now, so it was kind of me playing a less masked version of the things I already have to go through and just pumping up the anxiety for Mel,” Dearden explained of her portrayal. “But they’ve never really shown the range of the spectrum [on screen] and what every area could look like or what every part of it could look like.”
She added: “I’m really glad it’s landing well. But I also am really glad I get to do something that’s close to my heart — or more technically to my brain.”
New episodes of The Pitt premiere on Max every Thursday.
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