Why Dr. Heather Collins is Missing from The Pitt Season 2

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Pitt season 2, episode 1.Dr. Heather Collins (Tracy Ifeachor) is notably absent from The Pitt season 2, and fans of HBO Max's medical drama may be wondering where she is. Dr. Collins was one of the core cast members of The Pitt in season 1. She was Dr. Robby's (Noah Wyle) second-in-command, many of her stories constituted the most tragic moments in The Pitt season 1, and she was clearly a focus of the medical drama's first season.

In spite of all that, Dr. Collins isn't in The Pitt season 2. The premiere of The Pitt season 2 notably included almost all the doctors we met in the first season, including the attendings who worked the night shift, but Collins was nowhere to be found. In fact, Dr. Robby had to bring in a new attending physician, Dr. Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi) to cover his sabbatical. Unfortunately, Collins won't be appearing later on in The Pitt season 2, either: here's why.

Why Tracy Ifeachor's Dr. Heather Collins Is Not In The Pitt Season 2

Months after the ending of The Pitt season 1, Tracy Ifeachor was cut out of the cast of the show. Reports indicated at the time that the decision to remove Collins from The Pitt was a creative choice. Ifeachor later posted an Instagram story thanking the creators of the show and HBO Max for the chance to play Collins. Later, The Pitt producer John Wells explained that Collins' departure from the show lent itself to the series' realism.

Look, the show is set at a teaching hospital. And if you’re a fourth-year resident in a teaching hospital, your time there is done at the end of that year. Not to scare any of the other cast members, but people don’t stay at these hospitals forever. They’re going to roll off, and that will be part of the evolution of the show. We’re not committed to doing a year every season as we go on, but we can’t say that we’re going to be true to the medicine and teaching hospitals and maintain the same cast for the entire time.

As Wells explained, Collins was a fourth-year resident at PTMC in The Pitt season 1. Since The Pitt season 2 has a several-months-long time skip, Collins isn't part of The Pitt anymore because she left Pittsburgh to continue her career at another hospital. Hospital staffs change constantly in real life, and Wells' comments reaffirm that The Pitt is dedicated to being as realistic as possible, meaning characters are going to change every season. Collins was just the first.

What Happened To Dr. Collins After The Pitt Season 1

Based on John Wells' comments, we can speculate about what happened to Collins after The Pitt season 1 and before season 2. Sometime during the time skip, Collins almost certainly finished her residency at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center and either accepted a fellowship or became an attending physician at another hospital. In short, her career progressed and brought her to a new location away from PTMC.

As for the more personal side of Collins' story, it's harder to speculate. Collins did have a romantic relationship with Robby at one point, and any chance of that spark being rekindled is likely over due to her relocation. Collins was also trying to have a baby via IVF in The Pitt season 1, and she may have decided to try again with the pay bump her promotion entails. We simply won't know what happened in Collins' personal life unless someone in The Pitt brings her up this season.

How The Pitt Season 2 Is Different Without Collins

While Dr. Collins' departure from The Pitt season 2 makes sense with the show's focus on realism, her absence is still going to have an impact on the show. Collins was a central part of the makeup of PTMC, and she had an effect on everyone around her. Robby, for instance, has one fewer friend at the hospital who is near him in terms of seniority and authority. Without Collins, he also has one fewer confidant he can share his feelings with.

Dr. Al-Hashimi is probably the most recognizable sign of what Collins' absence means for The Pitt season 2. Since Collins left, Robby had to bring Al-Hashimi in to cover his duties. Now, even after a single episode, Robby and Al-Hashimi are already butting heads, disagreeing on how to teach students, how to treat patients, and even how to treat each other. The Pitt season 2 could be a lot more antagonistic now that Collins is gone.

What Tracy Ifeachor Is Doing After The Pitt

Dr. Collins' departure from The Pitt also means that the actor who played her, Tracy Ifeachor, is cut out of a huge role. Luckily for Ifeachor and her fans, however, she still has upcoming projects lined up. Most notably, Ifeachor recently joined the cast of Netflix's The Diplomat as Thema Aseidu-Dennison, a new main character. She'll likely return for The Diplomat season 4, which is expected to premiere in late 2026.

Aside from The Diplomat, Ifeachor is also set to have a role in the upcoming M. Night Shyamalan film Remain (via Deadline). Remain is a supernatural romantic thriller novel based on a true story, and author Nicholas Sparks is also writing a novel about the same story. Ifeachor is set to play Theresa alongside other cast members including Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor. In short, Tracy Ifeachor has plenty to look forward to without The Pitt.