Why Mateo’s Change To Night Shift Is Important For The Pitt Season 2 Explained By Jalen Thomas Brooks

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Be aware, this article contains minor spoilers for season 2 of The Pitt! A popular nurse character has switched to working the night shift, and the actor who plays them has explained why this change happened.

The latest season of the HBO Max medical drama, created by the team behind ER – R. Scott Gemmill, John Wells, and Noah Wyle – takes place on Independence Day. As Noah Wyle’s character, Dr. Robby, prepares for a three-month leave, he finds himself at odds with the new attending physician, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, played by Sepideh Moafi. Meanwhile, the rest of the hospital staff tackles challenging new cases and personal struggles.

Jalen Thomas Brooks returns as Mateo in the twelfth episode of The Pitt‘s second season, “6:00 P.M.,” after missing the first half of the season. Viewers previously saw Mateo working the day shift and developing a close relationship with Victoria Javadi. This season, he’s switched to the night shift and now works alongside Dr. Abbott and his team.

After releasing 12 out of 15 episodes, season 2 of The Pitt is proving to be even more popular than its first season. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes have given it a remarkable 99% “Certified Fresh” rating, and the number of viewers has more than doubled. This success has convinced HBO Max to renew the show for a third season, even before the current season finished airing.

To celebrate his return to the show, Grant Hermanns from ScreenRant spoke with Jalen Thomas Brooks about his character Mateo’s role in season 2 of The Pitt. Brooks discussed how Mateo’s move to the night shift enhances the overall medical drama and shared what he enjoyed most about returning to the role and immediately jumping back into filming.

Mateo Being On Night Shift Helps The Pitt’s Viewers Better Acclimate To The New Cast

In the latest episode of The Pitt season 2, Brooks is back as Mateo. As the day shift deals with patients the old-fashioned way—due to concerns about a cyberattack—he reconnects with Javadi and quickly gets a sense of the difficulties everyone faced.

Brooks has a smaller role in season 2 of The Pitt compared to the first season. He explains this is because he was busy filming the Off Campus adaptation for Prime Video, and the show’s creators also decided to shift his character’s storyline to focus on the night shift. Initially, the scheduling conflict seemed like a problem, but they quickly realized it would actually “work out perfectly,” as the night shift role provides a significant and natural development for his character and the audience.

It was helpful to have a familiar nurse character alongside Abbott during the night shift – they helped make that setting feel more comfortable for viewers. From a storytelling perspective, it worked really well. I’m glad everything came together, allowing me to work on two projects and move on from The Pitt while still being able to return. The timing was perfect, and I appreciate the casting and writing teams for making it possible.

I was really fascinated to hear Brooks talk about filming season two of The Pitt. He and Hatosy had great conversations about how playing the returning night shift characters let them create something relatable – that feeling of knowing those kinds of people. It felt like a perfect way to pull the audience into the craziness of that world. But what really struck me was Brooks mentioning how much he enjoyed exploring a different side of Mateo. He said the night shift demanded a more relaxed and grounded approach to the character, and it was fun for him to tap into that calm demeanor.

The actor described the opportunity to explore a different side of his character as “a lot of fun.” He also noted that it had been ten months since the events of the first season of The Pitt, specifically the traumatic PittFest shooting. This time allowed his character, Mateo, to find a sense of inner peace while still being able to return to work after experiencing such a tragedy.

Brooks remembered a “wild” experience stepping back into The Pitt season 2 and helping the new night shift cast members. He was initially nervous about returning, but quickly realized it mirrored Anthony Edwards’ experience on ER – watching a new generation of actors join the show and find their footing. Just like Edwards observed them “stumble with tools,” both as characters and actors, Brooks found it surprisingly easy to get back into character as Mateo. Helping the new cast felt natural, as everyone was immediately thrown into a challenging and immersive environment.

We were all dealing with intense situations throughout the shoot, and everyone just had to adapt and keep going, which was great to witness. I felt the same way – I was thrown into the mix quickly, but I enjoyed it. Because we were all facing similar challenges, a strong team spirit developed among the ‘Nightcrawlers’ cast, especially during the final four episodes. It was wonderful to build that camaraderie and get to know the new actors so well.

The Pitt’s Realistic Medical Actions Had Brooks On Edge

Mateo briefly connects with Javadi before starting his shift, and is immediately faced with a challenge in season 2 of The Pitt. Orlando Diaz, a patient who previously left due to medical bills after being treated for diabetic ketoacidosis, returns after collapsing at a construction site. Mateo must now work alongside both Javadi and Dr. Mohan, who initially cared for Orlando, to try and save his life.

Brooks described being immediately immersed in intense scenes – despite previously wanting a stable arc for his character – as “crazy,” but said it was a major reason he was excited to return. He explained that portraying the medical aspects of the role required a completely different skillset than he typically uses as an actor. He had to focus on everything from accurately using medical terminology and maintaining the correct speed of dialogue, to handling all the props and equipment. His co-stars and crew even joked that he didn’t have any time to prepare and was thrown directly into a particularly challenging and emotional scene for his character, Orlando.

I felt a mix of nerves and excitement. Noah reassured me it would be like getting back on a bike – a little rusty at first, but quickly enjoyable, and that I’d adjust. It was fun, and I appreciated being thrown right into a challenging situation. It was also rewarding to contribute to the complex storyline involving Mohan and Supriya Ganesh’s character, and to see the impact that storyline had.

Be sure to dive into some of our other Pitt season 2 coverage with:

  • Dr. David Shapiro on which character in The Pitt is “quintessentially the best representation” of any medical professional on TV
  • Dr. Shapiro on how a specific ER character made the show “major cringe” for him
  • Jalen Thomas Brooks on how The Pitt‘s night shift is different from the day shift
  • Brooks weighing in on fans shipping Mateo and Javadi
  • Taylor Dearden offering an encouraging update on The Pitt season 3’s release timeline

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2026-04-03 05:10