Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Pitt season 2, episode 13, “7:00 P.M.”

New details about the The Pitt reveals that a spinoff is inevitable. The dynamic between Robby and Abbott created an immediate intimacy and emotional investment in the after-dark team, despite their considerably less screen time on the show. Introducing Abbott in such a memorable way in The Pitt‘s pilot episode ensured that the audience remained aware of the night shift throughout their absence.

The night shift’s other attending, Dr. Shen, also made a strong impression in season 1 with the stark aloofness he brought to the carnage of the PittFest shooting that stood out against the day shift’s wired energy. Given how intentionally the show has always utilized its night shift staff, a spinoff has always felt in the realm of possibility, but The Pitt season 2, episode 13, “7:00 P.M.,” just made it a lot more likely.

The Pitt Season 2, Episode 13 Just Introduced A New Intern And Senior Resident On The Night Shift

“7:00 P.M.” marked the changing of the guard between The Pitt‘s day and night shifts. While many day shift doctors are sticking around to deal with the aftermath of the cyberattack shutdown, season 2 depicted a more standard patient handoff compared to the chaos of season 1. The night shift’s arrival also brought two fresh faces: new intern Nazely Toomarian and senior resident Dr. Crus Henderson.

In keeping with The Pitt‘s rapid pace and on-the-fly character development, Toomarian and Henderson hit the ground running. Henderson made a strong first impression, demonstrating a smooth, charming confidence with his patients. Toomarian, meanwhile, immediately mingled with several main characters. After a brief exchange in Armenian with Al-Hashimi, she enlisted Whitaker’s help with a patient.

“7:00 P.M.” also made the interesting choice to send night shift fan favorite, Abbott, upstairs for much of the episode, citing a corporate meeting to “get things back on track” after the cyberattack scare. This ensured that Toomarian and Henderson didn’t get lost in the shuffle, allowing Henderson to feel like a leader right out of the gate and forcing Toomarian to seek out day shift doctors for help.

The Night Shift Doesn’t Get Enough Screen Time To Justify So Many Characters

“7:00 P.M.” familiarized the audience with Toomarian and Henderson, suggesting that they are intended to be more than background characters simply filling out the night shift’s numbers. Yet “7:00 P.M.” is the 13th episode of season 2’s planned 15. It’s quite late in the game to be introducing new important characters.

This hardly seems necessary in the show’s current structure, especially considering there are already enough familiar faces on the night shift to ground viewers through the transition. Beyond attendings Abbott and Shen, season 1 regular nurse Mateo has moved to the night shift. He even came in an hour early, in “6:00 P.M.,” to ease the story into night shift territory.

Given that they have so far only appeared on the fringes of The Pitt‘s story, the night shift simply doesn’t warrant a staff as robust as the day shift, especially considering the show’s already expansive cast. That is, unless The Pitt is priming viewers for the night shift to play a much larger role in the show’s future.

The Increased Presence Of The Night Shift Suggests That The Pitt May Have Bigger Plans For Them

While the night shift brings a distinct energy — a chiller, somewhat edgy after-hours vibe — The Pitt meshed the two teams as much as possible, ensuring that their presence doesn’t feel jarring or out of place. Even before the start of their shift, The Pitt season 2 went out of its way to remind audiences of the night shift’s existence.

After unexpectedly showing up with a patient in the middle of the day in “1:00 P.M.,” it was revealed that Abbott moonlights as a SWAT physician. He was around long enough to have meaningful interactions with Robby and Dr. Mohan and get viewers excited about his return later in the day.

Another night shift doctor, senior resident Dr. Parker Ellis, appeared earlier in the day as well. She is a part of the same deposition that has been weighing heavily on Dr. King all season, a plot line that hasn’t yet been resolved. It was also recently announced that Ellis’ Ayesha Harris has been promoted to a series regular cast member ahead of The Pitt season 3, a first for any of the show’s night shift doctors.

With all the work The Pitt has done to weave the night shift into its already jam-packed episodes, it seems clear that the show has plans to take those characters somewhere. Fans have long been clamoring for a spinoff following the night shift, which, after its staff was fleshed out in “7:00 P.M.,” is looking more likely than ever.

However, this episode’s seamless transition into the night shift three episodes before the season finale solidifies that there is no real “stopping point” in the ER. The show could just as likely be gearing up for a super-sized season 3 that takes viewers through an uninterrupted 24 hours. Or, The Pitt could switch things up down the line with an inverted season devoted primarily to the night shift.