‘The Pitt’ Star Taylor Dearden Gives Us More Details About Dr. King’s “Milkmaid” Ren Faire Costume: “Mel Does Not Know How Kinky That Could Be”

The Pitt Season 2 only premiered last week on HBO Max and we’re already getting to know a totally different side of fan favorite Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden). In just two episodes, we’ve learned that she loves boba, loathes the idea of giving a deposition, and has a rather surprising Renaissance Faire alter ego…

**Spoilers for The Pitt Season 2 Episode 2 “8 AM,” now streaming on HBO Max**

In last week’s The Pitt Season 2 premiere, we met a patient named Liam Sanders (Jesse Lambright). He immediately takes a shine to Mel, complimenting her hair and glasses before asking her if she likes coffee. (Clearly tee-ing up a coffee date invite.) Mel explains that coffee makes her jittery, but soon Liam figures out what she does like: boba.

This week, Liam continues to flirt with Dr. King by asking her what she likes to do in her spare time. Mel is startled to realize that basically only does what her twin sister Becca (Tap Anderson) likes to do.

“Whatever her twin sister does, Mel does, and that’s just what it’s been for pretty much their whole entire lives,” Taylor Dearden told DECIDER last month. “So the idea of Mel having her own interests is also daunting for her.”

“I don’t know how to start that idea of like, ‘What do I like?’ And I think it it becomes an interesting thing that plays throughout the season, too,” Dearden teased.

One interest that Dr. Mel King does have all for herself is going to Ren Faires. When Liam counters that they’re kind of dorky because it’s just people dressing up, Mel insists it’s the alter ego element that is so fun.

Just as Dr. King begins to exuberantly describe her Renaissance Faire character, cops enter the ED and Liam bolts. It turns out that Mel’s flirty patient was actually a criminal on the run, stamping out any chance of them fostering a connection. To make matters worse, Mel is knocked down in the chaos and injured.

But what about Mel’s Ren Faire alter ego? Who does Dr. Mel King fancy herself to be in this fantasy world of kings, knights, fools, and fair maidens?

“The line that’s cut off is, it’s like a 17th century French milkmaid or something like that?” Dearden said, giggling.

“It’s like, ‘Interesting,’” she continued. “I’m seeing a uniform [in my mind] and I’m like, ‘Mel does not know how kinky that could be.’”

Dearden explained that the whole point of this scene is to further explore “new sides of Mel.”

“The big thing with those scenes is the question of what do you like to do? And having Mel not know,” she said.

Well, Mel doesn’t know what she likes outside of Ren Faires, but that’s a start.

The Pitt Season 2 Episode 3 “9 AM” will premiere on HBO Max on Thursday, January 22 at 9 PM ET.