Hear Me Out: Why Fans Of The Pitt Wanting Mel And Langdon To Get Together Are Totally Wrong

I’ll be the first to admit it, I love a workplace romance, and I love a ship. However, when it comes to Season 2 of The Pitt (which is currently airing weekly on the 2026 TV schedule), there’s one ship I simply cannot get on board with, and that’s Langdon (Patrick Ball) and Mel (Taylor Dearden).

If you are on PittTok or The Pitt Twitter, I’m sure you’ve seen the Mel and Langdon shippers. There are a lot of them, and they’re passionate. However, I am not one of them. In fact, I think the idea of these two characters pursuing a romantic relationship is a terrible idea, and I have multiple reasons why.

Langdon Is Married And In Recovery

Let’s get something straight right now: as far as we know, Langdon is married, he has two kids and a dog, and he’s also working really hard to make amends to his loved ones and colleagues.

When Season 2 of The Pitt starts, Langdon is back for the first time in months after being in rehab. He’s not in the confident place he was during Season 1; he’s been knocked down a few pegs, and it’s his job to earn back the trust of all the folks who were impacted by his choices last season.

So, he’s in no place to be starting a new relationship. Plus, in case you missed this fact earlier, he’s MARRIED TO ANOTHER PERSON. I’m sorry, but I simply cannot condone that behavior. Plus, that kind of messy situation could totally ruin the special friendship Mel and Langdon have.

Mel And Langdon Are Co-Workers

I get that it’s normal for workplace romances to happen, and it’s almost a requirement for a medical drama to have one. And yes, I’ve shipped co-workers, like Derek and Meredith from Grey’s Anatomy, on many occasions. However, we already have those on The Pitt (thanks, Santos and Garcia), and we don’t need more, especially if the two people in question are Langdon and Mel.

Firstly, Mel is a second-year resident, while Langdon is a senior resident, meaning he’s her superior. That makes for a messy power dynamic if you add romance to this mix, and quite frankly, I don’t want to see these two have to deal with that.

They've Only Known Each Other For 24 Hours

OK, this is something I think we all really need to remember: Mel and Langdon have known each other for one day. On her first day working in The Pitt, Langdon was asked to leave, and then he didn’t return for ten months.

They’ve known each other, in total, for a little over 15 hours. That’s nowhere near enough time to actually start a relationship. In fact, I’d go so far as to say they really don’t know each other at all. Yes, they have a nice bond, and yes, I want them to be friends. However, anything beyond that just seems logistically unreasonable.

Sometimes, It's Great To Just Let Two Characters Be Friends

Trust me, I get it. I love it when friends become lovers, and I do think When Harry Met Sally is one of the best rom-coms. So, sometimes I’m all for the notion that two people can/will be more than friends. However, in other cases (like this one), I just want to see two people be friends.

This happened when Ted Lasso was on, too. While many were shipping Ted and Rebecca, I thought it was significantly more meaningful to see the two of them in a healthy and platonic relationship.

In Mel and Langdon’s case, they have a deep bond that’s in its early days, and it’s so obvious how much they care for and support each other. It’s lovely to see them be there for one another, especially as they both struggle through the workday. I also love seeing how much they learn from each other. It’s a wholesome relationship; they make for unexpected, but great friends, and I want to see them continue to support each other as the show goes on (in a platonic and professional way).

Friendship is such a powerful thing to see represented on television, and that’s what Mel and Langdon are doing right now, and it's so special. So, no, I never, in a million years, want to see them end up in a romantic relationship.

Now, to see what happens next and to see how Mel and Langdon’s relationship evolves, you can watch The Pitt every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET with an HBO Max subscription.