I do believe there’s a good reason to feel anxious for just about every character on The Pitt. However, there are a few that live at the top of the list and receive the majority of my concern, like Langdon and Robby. Now, another character has found his way into this top tier of worry, and I need to talk about why. The character in question is Gerran Howell’s Dennis Whitaker. That’s because, when Season 2 of The Pitt concluded on the 2026 TV schedule, I was feeling pretty good about where he was at, he was confident at work and he seemed genuinely happy. However, a new interview with the actor and a couple of seconds in Season 3’s trailer seem to imply he’s not in that state of mind anymore, which is concerning. One Conversation In The Pitt’s Season 3 Trailer That Makes Me Worry For WhitakerSo, in the first footage we got of The Pitt’s third season, right after Abbot makes a comment about Robby’s return that has me convinced we’ll see more Nightcrawlers in the new episodes, we see Santos and Whitaker clocking in. They have the following conversation: Santos: Try not to kill anyone today.Whitaker: Yeah, you too.Now, Whitaker does not strike me as the kind of guy who would resort to thinking these kinds of thoughts or turning to blunt confrontation during a hard day at work. He’s the wholesome farm boy. However, maybe some of Santos’ aggression has rubbed off on him since they started living together. Overall, it just seems like Howell’s character is starting his day off in a bad mood, and that can’t bode well for him. Now, why is he in a bad mood that’s worth worrying about? A new interview helped me develop a theory that might answer that question. Gerran Howell Made A Comment That Makes Me Think Whitaker Will Be So Sad In Season 3Let’s remember where Whitaker’s story ended in Season 2: he got in a truck and drove off with Amy Miller, a former patient he was helping out. There were very romantic undertones there, and Robby was clearly worried about this situation. I think that’s relevant to note, because that clip played as Howell explained what music would be on Whitaker’s Season 3 playlist. Here’s what the actor who is nominated for a 2026 Emmy told The Pitt’s Instagram:Phoebe Bridgers has a song called ‘Chinese Satellite’ that is relevant, and I don’t know – [it’s] a song with a lot of sad yearning in it. And I’ll leave it at that. The song in question deals with Bridgers’ “struggles with agnosticism and her lack of faith,” according to Genius. The lyrics also imply that she’s feeling lonely, as she sings lines like: “Because I think when you’re gone, it’s forever / But you know I’d stand on the corner / Embarrassed with a picket sign / If it meant I would see you when I die.” Those lyrics certainly give “sad yearning” to me. And it makes me think that Whitaker’s feeling lonely and lost this season and potentially looking for some new purpose. In Season 2, we saw him find purpose outside of work with his relationship with the former patient. However, the apprehension others felt toward that made it clear that it wasn’t a good situation for him to be in. If something bad happened between Whitaker and Amy, his bad attitude in the Season 3 trailer would make a lot more sense, and so would Howell’s song choice. So, I’m expecting an update on this front when Season 3 of The Pitt premieres in January. In the meantime, I’ll be rewatching Seasons 1 and 2 with my HBO Max subscription to try and figure out why exactly Whitaker will be in a state of “sad yearning” come Season 3.