JuicyTalk
Doc is centered on Dr. Amy Larsen’s recovery. Amy’s traumatic brain injury puts her in a unique position, but Doc season 1 placed another doctor in an even more devestating position. Obviously Amy’s ex-husband and daughter are impacted by Amy’s memory loss, but Dr. Jake Heller had to hide his heartbreak.
Jake and Amy began an illicit but meaningful relationship a few months prior to her accident, but when Amy wakes up, all memories of Jake are wiped. Amy finds her way back to Jake, but after he witnesses Amy kissing her ex-husband, the status of their relationship is one of the many unanswered questions from Doc season 1.
Jake is the empathetic, supportive, steady Chief Resident. The series referenced Jake’s Jewish heritage in season 1, but the Doc season 2 premiere doubles down on it – using his religious beliefs as the key to securing a critical organ donation. This moment strongly echoes Dr. Robby turning to Judaism for comfort in The Pitt.
Jake Heller Uses His Jewish Faith For Comfort, Just Like The Pitt’s Dr. Robby
How Doc & The Pitt Balance Jewish Identity Without Stereotypes
Amy is fighting to keep a patient alive under gunpoint in the Doc season 1 premiere, but Jake is doing something just as delicate: convincing a family to donate their young, recently deceased son’s heart. Jake notices the family is all wearing their cross necklaces, and Jake touches the chai (“life”) necklace he has always worn.
Jake uses spirituality as a bridge to reach the family in crisis. The season premiere was chaotic and stressful, but this moment of respite was rare—a beautiful, quiet instance of human connection. As a Jew myself, it’s so meaningful to see the similarities in religion highlighted, instead of the differences.
In The Pitt, Noah Wyle plays Dr. Robby. Wyle referenced in interviews how meaningful it was for him to play a Jewish character. Jake always has his chai necklace, and Dr. Robby wears a Magen David (or Star of David) chain himself.
In The Pitt season 1, episode 14, Dr. Robby reaches his breaking point during a mass casualty event. Robby finds an empty room and collapses in tears, repeating the Shema – the most basic, central Jewish prayer – over and over to comfort himself.
There are lazier ways to signal a character’s Jewish identity – someone could have pointedly saved Robby a kosher sandwich – but having it be an unspoken part of a beloved character feels more realistic. It’s the same feeling I had when Jake offered Amy matzah in Doc season 1 – just a small, naturally interwoven part of a complex character.
Doc & The Pitt Break TV’s Bad Habits With Jewish Representation That Feels Real
Jewish representation in the media can feel like a pendulum swinging between “too much” and “not enough.” That’s why it’s exciting to see shows like Doc and The Pitt strike the right balance. Characters such as Dr. Robby and Dr. Jake Heller are Jewish, but that identity doesn’t define every moment of their lives.
It’s present in the background, shaping who they are, without being their sole storyline. This is refreshing when compared to shows like Nobody Wants This which has faced criticism from Jewish women for leaning into flat stereotypes.
In my own family, there’s a generational divide regarding how we’ve received the hit Netflix series. As a younger millennial, I find it limiting when everything about a character’s identity is tied to their spirituality, since that’s not how most people I know practice religion.
At the same time, I don’t want characters so nominally Jewish that we forget their heritage altogether—Friends’ Rachel Green comes to mind. Nor do I want Judaism to just be a joke, like every time Howard Wolowitz ordered decidedly not-kosher bacon-wrapped shrimp in The Big Bang Theory.
What excites me about The Pitt and Doc is how compassionately they portray Jewish identity as one piece of a fuller, richer picture. Robby and Jake turn to Judaism in moments of crisis – showing their faith isn’t a character quirk, but a source of resilience. This type of storytelling gives me hope.
