Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Pitt season 1, episode 15.Dr. Dennis Whitaker (Gerran Howell) had a very confusing line in ending of The Pitt season 1 somehow made him even better. He had a lot of notable moments throughout his 15-hour shift, from catching and killing a rat to having to change his scrubs several times, and he handled them all with a lot of endearing qualities. One part of Whitaker's story, however, was a bit confusing.

In The Pitt episode 12, just before the PittFest shooting victims started to flood into PTMC, Whitaker said something mildly strange. Robby and Gloria (Michael Hyatt) were discussing what to do with all the patients they were about to receive, and Whitaker noted that an entire wing of the hospital was empty and ready for patients to be moved there. The conversation quickly moved on from there, so it was easy to miss, but it was still odd that Whitaker somehow knew about an empty wing of the hospital he was interning at. Luckily, The Pitt season 1's finale gave it a lot of context.

Whitaker Sleeping At The Hospital Explains How He Knew About The Empty Wing In Episode 12

Whitaker Had Firsthand Knowledge Of PTMC's Empty Wing

As Dr. Santos (Isa Briones) discovered at the end of The Pitt, Whitaker had been sleeping in the empty wing of PTMC for a considerable amount of time. The fact that Whitaker was basically living in the empty wing of PTMC explains exactly why he knew about it when the PittFest shooting started. When Santos discovered his secret, Whitaker also explained that he had done a different rotation at PTMC before going to the emergency room, which helps explain how he discovered it ahead of time.

Whitaker almost certainly knew that he was only able to live at the hospital because no one knew he was there, yet he was selfless enough to offer his home to people in need at the drop of a hat.

The Pitt's finale also made Whitaker's line in episode 12 even more remarkable. If the empty wing of PTMC had been used for the PittFest shooting victims, Whitaker's living space would have been found, and he would likely have to have lived on the street. Whitaker almost certainly knew that he was only able to live at the hospital because no one knew he was there, yet he was selfless enough to offer his home to people in need at the drop of a hat. It's yet another example of Whitaker's generosity, and of The Pitt's layered and heartfelt writing.

Why Whitaker Had Been Sleeping At The Hospital Before The Pitt Season 1

Whitaker Has Talked About His Money Problems In The Past & He Is Effectively Houseless

It was a bit surprising that Whitaker was sleeping in the empty wing of the hospital, and in that surprise, The Pitt didn't exactly explain why he was crashing there. Throughout their shift, Whitaker was very vocal about the money problems he was experiencing. He made reference to how he would never be able to pay off his medical school loans, and he was seen sneaking sandwiches into his pockets early on in the shift. Whitaker was sleeping in the empty wing of the hospital because he's poor and effectively unhoused. He didn't have rent money, so he slept in a place where no one would kick him out.

The revelation that Whitaker was effectively unhoused also clarifies a lot of his more interesting moments from earlier in The Pitt season 1. For example, Whitaker jumped at the chance to Kiara (Krystel Mcneil) and the hospital's street team delivering medication to unhoused people in Pittsburgh, likely because he realized he was very close to living on the street himself. It also makes all the wardrobe malfunctions he had even more bitter, as those were likely some of the only clothes he had. Somehow, The Pitt found a way to make Whitaker even more likable right at the final moment.

How Did Nobody Catch Onto Whitaker Sleeping In The Empty Wing For Over A Month?

Surely PTMC's Security Would Still Check An Abandoned Wing Every Once In A While

Whitaker's revelation in the finale of The Pitt season 1 didn't clear up everything, however, and it actually opened up a bit of a plot hole. It doesn't make much sense that Whitaker was able to live in the hospital's abandoned wing for a full month without being found. It may be an abandoned wing, but PTMC definitely has security, and they should have done a walk-through of that wing at least once in a while. At the very least, they should have been checking for people like Whitaker: unhoused people who were living in the wing.

It's frankly odd that Santos was the first person to discover Whitaker's living situation.

On top of just general security being able to find Whitaker, PTMC was probably planning on doing something with the abandoned wing. Whether it was closed for renovation or will eventually be reopened, the hospital would likely still be doing maintenance and other projects that would let them find Whitaker. He wasn't being very careful about his living arrangements, either. If anyone had walked past Whitaker's room even when he wasn't there, they would have seen his personal belongings, some food he kept next to his bed, and all his toiletries. It's frankly odd that Santos was the first person to discover Whitaker's living situation.

Why Santos Offers Whitaker Her Spare Room For Free In The Pitt Season 1's Ending

Santos' Generosity Was Always There, But The PittFest Shooting Brought It Out Even More

Aside from the revelation that Whitaker was unhoused, the most surprising part of his scene was Dr. Santos' decision to let Whitaker live in her spare room. Santos had, after all, been very antagonistic towards and borderline bullying her coworkers throughout The Pitt season 1, and letting one said coworker live with her for free is extremely generous. The biggest reason Santos let Whitaker live in her spare room is because Santos is a kind and comparing person underneath her thorny exterior. When Santos sees people in need, like Whitaker or the kid who attempted suicide at PittFest, she helps them because she cares about them.

There's also a chance that the experience of dealing with the PittFest shooting victims changed Santos, to an extent. As Robby mentioned in his final speech to the staff, the mass casualty event brought out everybody in the hospital's "better angels." That was certainly true of Santos: before the shooting, she was ambitious, self-centered, and mean, while afterwards she was helpful, modest, and comionate. Saving those lives - and watching Whitaker do his part - may have helped Santos become more generous. At the very least, it probably helped her let her guard down and show the generosity that was always there.

The Pitt season 2 is expected to return in 2026, as Dr. Robby actor Noah Wyle has confirmed that HBO is looking to make the medical drama into a flagship series for its streaming service, Max.

Santos' decision to let Whitaker live in her spare room could also introduce some interesting storylines for The Pitt season 2 takes place eight months later. That's enough time for Santos and Whitaker to potentially become friends while living together, or possibly even start a relationship. Anything could happen in that time, and The Pitt may reveal that there are even more sides to both Whitaker and Santos than we've seen so far.