With just one episode left to air in the first season of New Amsterdam, ‘This Is Not The End’ really brought the house down leading me to wonder how crazy the finale will get. There was just a bit of Sharpwin with most of the episode keeping Max and Helen apart but plenty of other characters got our attention this week. Twenty-two episodes can be hard to fill and I’ve had a few that didn’t hit stride with the rest of the season for me but this week’s was not one of those.
We’ve only seen Max in a chipper mood with that famous go-getter look at life but in the last few weeks, that’s changed a bit. I was not a huge fan of cranky Max we got last week but I have to admit that it was nice to see him struggle. A character that is always happy even when his cancer isn’t improving or he’s getting double rounds of chemo to change that is just not believable. The writing team was smart to share his struggle with us and not just show his brave face because what Max is going through is really hard. Ryan Eggold is doing a phenomenal job with this role and every aspect that comes with it.
One of the things that has really glued me to this show from the beginning is the familial aspect of the characters. The doctors really care about their patients because of what Max has done in his time there and it really shows, but they also care about each other. I absolutely loved the return of Bloom this week and I sincerely hope she isn’t really leaving forever. Early on, I wasn’t on the Reynolds/Bloom ship because it felt forced but now I see them as something really special. Their brief interaction among everything else going on was one of my favorite moments.
Iggy’s story hit me in the feels as his work was investigated. He takes such good care of his patients that having someone accuse him of being inappropriate was just insane. I was angry for much of the early parts of the episode. But, as always, in classic Iggy fashion, he realized that they weren’t totally wrong about him. He was taking the best care of his patients but he was also making them want only him which won’t prepare them for the real world. My heart broke for Iggy when he had that realization because it’s so easy to see how much he cares.
The episode’s highlight was when all the doctors were handing out Max’s New Amsterdam insurance cards because he was too sick to do it himself. Helen, Reynolds, Iggy, and Kapoor all took on his mission to give the best care possible and it really got to me. Also, Helen deserves much better than that jerk boyfriend of hers. I can’t believe he walked out when she said she was going to be Max’s doctor again. However, the most important detail was the cliffhanger ending where Bloom tracked Max down, at his home, to find him covered in blood. What the hell is going to happen next week?
Don’t miss the season finale of New Amsterdam, Tuesday on NBC at 10/9c.