I’m a few episodes off on my reviews due to trying to work night shift and write, which is probably not impossible but I found it to be. But I’m back and we need to catch up on what’s happening on New Amsterdam‘s “Five Miles West.”
My favorite character, Dean Fulton, was voted off the board by a new woman, who I’m ninety percent sure is evil. Max and Helen have hit an impasse and my Sharpwin heart seems to be getting crushed on the regular. But things aren’t all bad because the show is still outstanding, week after week.
Last week resolved the epic snowstorm that almost took New York City down. Things worked out in the last minutes thanks to a serving of the full Max and some faith in people. There was some recognition of the Max/Helen chemistry, which I loved, but then she decided she can’t be his friend, colleague, and doctor, so she sent him to a new physician for his cancer treatments.
Their conversation broke me because Max said, “What if I want you?” and I think we all know he was talking about more than Helen remaining as his doctor. Y’all, I still fully believe in Sharpwin. I don’t know how they’ll get there with so many obstacles in the way, but somehow it will happen.
Let’s discuss this week’s episode which put some hope back into the Sharpwin camp.
Surrogate Moms and Out of State Contracts
A big portion of ‘Five Miles West’ revolved around a set of friends who were having a baby. The woman was carrying the baby for her best friend as a surrogate and they arrive in the ED to find out she has high blood pressure and the baby is struggling which leads to an emergency c-section.
The Resident handled a similar plot this week but this one was a little different. The baby is born healthy, but the woman slips into a coma which complicates their surrogacy contract. Because they signed it in New Jersey, New York doesn’t recognize the contract and the mother or the next of kin has to give consent. The mother’s parents are her next of kin, and they don’t want to give the baby up.
Iggy and Max get the courts involved, but refuse to make a ruling. That puts the baby’s fate in foster care’s hands. Iggy, who I love so much, talks to the baby’s dad and convinces him that giving the baby to the grandparents is far better than putting him in the system, and he does it. The scene was so emotional it would have made anybody get choked up. Then the emotions swing in the other direction when the grandparents decide to honor their dying daughter’s wishes.
The other case of the week wasn’t as interesting as this one but it was nice to see Reynolds and Sharpe work together.
Max Being Max
Max’s new doctor he is not going to let him put things off for his work. She makes it perfectly clear, he will die if he doesn’t change his ways. Max fights her plan at first, but he eventually caves because nothing will matter if he dies. I like the new doctor. She’s feisty and exactly what Max needs if he’s going to be cancer free during this show.
Karen, the previously mentioned evil woman, brings unpaid medical bills to Max’s attention because she wants to sell them to collections agencies so they can get some of their profits back. Max, of course, hates that idea and instead brings the past patients to his office to find out what their skills are so he can allow them to work off their debts instead of being hounded for money. Karen finds out and hates it. She shuts it down for the future and only allows the people Max has set up with work to finish what they’ve started.
Finally, in the episode’s only Sharpwin moment, Helen sees Max looking defeated as she’s on her way out with her boyfriend (who I very much want to disappear). She goes to him and he tells her he’s afraid that if he slows down as the new doctor wants then his cancer will be able to catch up. He wants to leave behind something that matters. Helen shows him that he already has and takes him to see the mural one of his in-debt patients is has almost finished. The woman’s artwork is beautiful and we once again get to end on a hopeful note which is what makes New Amsterdam so wonderful.
Check out the trailer for next week’s all-new New Amsterdam titled “Happy Place”:
New Amsterdam airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on NBC.