Every heist's a machine in constant motion. Best it doesn't rattle. Putting together the right crew is the difference between bullion and the boneyard. In Heist-Ready we evaluate the players, note their specialties, their assets and liabilities, and determine whether they deserve a place in your little black book.
The Player: Dr. Melissa "Mel" King
Home Turf: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Last Known Location: Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center
Profession: Emergency Medicine Second Year Resident
Specialties: Emergency medicine, universal blood donor, high sensitivity, compassion, observation, quick-thinking, adaptable, great bedside manner
The Lowdown
Dr. Melissa King (Taylor Dearden) starts her second year residency on the morning of the PittFest shooting in the series premiere of The Pitt. Despite her natural anxiety and the shock and strain of the mass casualty event, she proves herself capable, inventive, and deeply compassionate. Though it is extremely unlikely she would turn to a life of crime, she would make for a versatile field medic or negotiator in high-pressure situations.
Mel is bright and affable. Though socially awkward, she displays profound empathy. Having lost her mother to an aggressive illness, she juggled schooling while caring for Becca, her younger sister with high-needs autism. Throughout her fraught first day at Pittsburgh Trauma, Mel checks in by phone with Becca at her adult care facility. The two share a close bond and it's evident that Mel struggles with the decision to surrender any portion of responsibility in order to pursue her career. By the end of her first day — which plays out over the course of the first season — Mel picks Becca up for dinner. Though exhausted, she prioritizes her sister's want for ritual and comfort.
Though she has yet to speak openly about it with co-workers, Mel exhibits a number of neurodivergent traits of her own. Her sensitivity proves a double-edged scalpel; for every missed social cue or overwhelming stimulus, she benefits from a dozen insights or observations that her peers and superiors fail to grasp. She listens to her patients and adapts her methodology accordingly. Sometimes this allows her to overcome a patient's fears or reluctance to communicate their concerns. In other cases, her sympathy might lead to her being over-encumbered by emotion. Fortunately, Mel has an array of coping mechanisms at the ready, from a focusing lava lamp app on her phone to some white noise audio for centering herself.
When truly in doubt, Mel employs the power mantra of Megan Thee Stallion. "I am a savage," she whispers. "Classy, bougie, ratchet, sassy, moody, nasty."
Mel's unique level of concentration also comes in clutch when a patient needs "a thousand" pieces of gravel removed from a two-foot long wound in their leg. Tedious for most medical professionals, but a sublime exercise for Dr. King.
And when it comes down to it, Mel is simply a smart and dedicated caregiver. She is knowledgeable and efficient, knows her own limits, and thinks outside the box. When casualties arrive, en masse, from the horrific shooting at PittFest, she works quickly and heroically, even opting to donate her own O-negative blood to a patient in dire need.
Savage indeed. Megan Thee Stallion would be proud.
The Crew (so far)
Which player from The Pitt would you want in on your heist? Let us know on Bluesky.
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