New York in the summer is an experience. The heat waves here are crazy, and they do put people in a certain kind of mood and it’s not always a positive mood.
In this weeks New Amsterdam, the city is in the midst of a heatwave and it’s definitely affecting everyone. The doctors of New Amsterdam already have a lot going on in their lives and the heat has made everyone on edge.
Well, everyone except for Lauren.
MAX TACKLES ANOTHER ISSUE
One thing that I love about Max, is that he has a genuine want to save the world. He wants to make changes that will benefit all. Sometimes though, I worry that he bites off more than he can chew. However, I do believe that is part of what makes him special and propels Max’s growth.
As with most every episode this season, Max has set an ambitious goal in the episode, strived to implement it, faced an issue, and been brought back to reality by something or someone.
And with this episode, Max has decided to solve Global Warming, at New Amsterdam.
I do love that Max is ambitious, but I feel to a certain point, we are loosing learning about Max and instead it’s a life lesson that we are learning every week. The other part of me thinks that the reason we are seeing this is that Max is still in denial and doesn’t want to deal with all of the things that are affecting his spirit (the loss of his wife, raising a child on his own, his feelings for Helen). I think it’s a defense mechanism to not let anyone in.
As per usual, Max doesn’t go about it the right way – because he doesn’t have a cohesive plan. He stumbles, and he causes issues. He makes everyone uncomfortable with his changes.
But what he also does is bring to light that the world does want to make changes, but how does a person make changes when people are only willing to do a certain amount of things? Yes, change is an uncomfortable thing and it will make people mad because no one likes to be inconvenienced.
I can’t imagine that working for Max would be easy, but I do think that he would be inspiring. However, I do believe that Max has to make plans that will really implement change versus flying by the seat of his pants and not having an overall plan.
I think that he needs to focus on the immediate issues and the big issues. What I would love to see is more of Max with patients, which is where he really shines. His spirit is about making a change, sure. But one of the things that I love is when his character is fighting hard for patients and reminding us all that doctors really want to do what is best for them.
Luckily for Max, he has Lauren and Helen to bring him back down to earth when he needs to focus and they aren’t afraid of telling him what he needs to do.
Lauren screaming at Max and reminding him that he needs to fix her immediate issues was a much needed wakeup call for him.
Yes, the changes that he was making to cut New Amsterdam’s carbon foot print were important, but his disregard for what was right in front of him was putting the patients of New Amsterdam in danger.
A WEEKS VACATION
Lauren took time off. I know, I know – I am in shock too. But she took time off to spend with Leyla and we are for it. Lauren has a tendency to not live her life and exist through it, which is a hard thing to watch sometimes. Her life is her work and that’s okay, but we’re enjoying seeing that she is allowed to live outside the ED.
It’s her first day back at work after vacation and well, she’s in a good mood. Like such a good mood, we’re all confused as to what is happening. But her new attitude has everyone at New Amsterdam thinking that the heat wave has really gotten to her.
Lauren is a shark normally, and that’s one of the things that we love about her. She’s never willing to settle for what is happening, always demanding the best from her staff. But at this point she’s very zen and telling everyone that it will be okay.
And I have to admit, that this part of her I am not for. But I love that the writers presented this to us, because what it’s forcing us to see is that people struggle with balance and finding it – Lauren included.
Her whole life has been about pouring herself into her work and I am not sure that Lauren knows that she is worth being loved and loving someone else.
It’s been a good thing to watch, seeing her evolve and round out her life. Character evolution is one thing that New Amsterdam has never failed it. It’s one thing that they have excelled at. All of the characters in New Amsterdam have been on a road of growth and that’s part of what makes you feel so much for the characters.
When Helen explodes on Lauren and tells her that she’s gone soft, she takes it to heart and you can see that to her it’s a slap in the face. Her job is such a huge part of her life that she doesn’t know how to take it, except to cut off the other things that are making her happy.
But when she heads home to break up with Leyla, because she can’t run the ED being happy apparently, I really love that Leyla won’t allow her to just cop out. She challenges Lauren and makes her see that she can balance things. She can be a shark in the ED and come home and be herself. She can find balance.
And balance is a beautiful thing.
FINDING FAITH
It should be said that Helen is going through a lot personally. Her niece is laying it on thick with her and all she wants to do is make sure that her niece has the resources that she needs to heal. The two of them are both hurting and aren’t finding a common ground.
She’s made an appointment for Mina to see a therapist, but she isn’t having it. Instead, Mina finds her strength in attending the Islamic center, immersing herself in her faith. And what I have to admire Mina for is that she’s not afraid to tell Helen the harsh truth and suggest to Helen that she get therapy.
And she’s not the only one to do it that day.
Helen was brought into the ED for a consult on a Nun who they couldn’t figure out was wrong with her. She was cold and her body temperature wouldn’t increase no matter what they did. Helen about looses her shit on another doctor who didn’t run all the tests that Helen has asked be run.
And while they think that they have it figured out after she has the tests run, they don’t. It’s puzzling for Helen, but one thing that I will say is that I do love Helen’s beside manner. She makes the patients feel at ease every single day and I think that is so important.
She does get Sister Edith to start talking and it’s a conversation that affects her on many fronts. She not only drops the clues that allows Helen to diagnose her but she inspires Helen with her conversation about how she found faith.
And at the end of the episode, Helen found herself outside of an Islamic Cultural Center. I hope, not only does this help Helen with relating to Mina, but I hope that Helen starts to find her way.
And also realize the balance that she needs in life.
PREDICTING THE WEATHER
Iggy has an interesting case – a patient who believes that he can control the weather.
And I have to say for a moment, even I believe that Javier can control the weather. Iggy is talking to Javier, who doesn’t like that people think that he’s crazy and making things up. I mean, who would? Not me.
Iggy has a way about him – he can talk anyone into anything. And he gets Javier to agree to let him to look at his brain, by saying that he’s really into the weather and wants to see how cool his brain is. Unfortunately, the MRI leads to no answers for Iggy, which is scary for him.
How is he supposed to help his patient when he can’t figure out what is wrong?
He gets Javier’s brother to help him ask Javier to stay at the hospital for a bit. But Javier doesn’t want to stay and he tries to prove to everyone that his powers are real. And when he clenches his fists and the thunder starts – even I was like shit, he really can control the weather.
But when he collapses and has a seizure, we know that something is wrong. It turns out that he had a tumor that the bariatric pressure was affecting in his brain. It was hidden and the MRI didn’t pick up on it.
But they were able to help him and that is what matters.
I love to see the joy in Iggy’s face when he is able to help his patients. He wants to make sure that he is making a difference and really helping people heal. He’s like Max – his best moments are with patients or in the moments of his vulnerability.
But as much as is going right, things are going wrong. Chance is a huge issue and has tried to force himself into Iggy’s life.
I am honestly afraid for Iggy. He’s warned Chance to stay away from his family and that he will get a restraining order if necessary. He’s doing the responsible thing, but that’s not going to stop Chance.
And it’s scary.
But it’s downright terrifying when we see that Chance has given Iggy’s daughter his hat when she was at the park. He’s not going to back away easily and Iggy is scared – you can see it in his eyes.
SAVING A LIFE
Floyd, on his way to work, stumbles upon a group of people outside a car. A child is locked inside, passed out. Floyd breaks the window and rushes the child to the hospital.
He does everything that he can to save the child’s life and is pissed. And I don’t think that he’s wrong to be pissed off. Hell, I wanted to scream at the kids Dad – who by the way is a doctor at the hospital. When he walks into the OR and Floyd finds out that the man is the kids Dad, I have to say I was happy he had said that he was an idiot.
The doctor tries to explain to Floyd what happened. And Floyd doesn’t want to hear it. I can’t blame him at all. He has called CPS, as he should, because he needs to protect the child.
The kids father is obviously distressed, and it’s only when Floyd is told that he’s made a mistake and has been giving his Mom expired insulin, that he realizes people makes mistakes. So yes, he asks for forgiveness for the man.
People do make mistakes, but we all need to learn lessons from our mistakes. And though we don’t know the final outcome of either (though I am assuming that the father is given forgiveness), I do hope that both learn that they need to be more careful and take the time to pay attention to the details.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Max deciding at the end to implement all the changes at once for helping reduce the carbon footprint – I have to admit that I don’t disagree with him making everyone mad at once. But lets be honest, it would take a more comprehensive plan.
- Max saying he needed to pull the knife out of his back from Helen made me LOL. I love each and every interaction between these two.
- Iggy needing a cheeseburger – I feel that in my bones.
- I really miss Dr. Kapoor.
- I feel sometimes like New Amsterdam was put on TV to make us all feel emotions all the time.
