The funny thing about “joy” is that it’s different for everyone. It’s not the easiest thing to find. As a matter of fact, it’s extremely elusive and sometimes scary. But if you are a fan of New Amsterdam, you will have found joy in the first minute of the show and then you’ll have it snatched away from you and given back in little pieces.
Moment by moment you’re wondering what you’re supposed to walk away with. Is it happiness? Is it sadness? Is it joy?
Last season’s New Amsterdam finale left off on a cliffhanger that had us all wondering what would happen next. But the beauty of the premiere is that it picks up right where we left off. I don’t think I have ever been so thankful that a show picked up the way that this one did.
Talk about one of the hottest sex scenes that I have ever seen. It’s beautifully shot, but the real reason that it works is because Max and Helen have a connection. They have chemistry. The are the type of fictional couple that you look at and judge real-life relationships by.
How many of us have caught ourselves saying “if our significant other can’t look at us the way that Max looks at Helen, then we don’t want it?” I know that I have been there.
And I will remain there.
THAT ONE NIGHT
I normally live for flashbacks. They’re what keeps me going, and involved. In this episode, New Amsterdam does just that. It uses the flashbacks to keep you invested (though as a fan, you already are), but even bigger than that, they use it to show the implications of choices.
From the first moment of the episode, as a fan, if you’re like me, you’re cheering, crying, and waiting for more. Everything makes sense when Helen and Max are together. You’re plotting out their future.
And then, as Max mentions that word, future, everything comes to a screeching halt as Helen utters the words, “I never should have let you in.”
Exsqueeze me?
Helen has always been a complex character. She’s empathetic and caring, but also guarded and distant. She’s made a life for herself that revolves around helping others, but when she took her niece to London, you saw a part of her open up. She was different and I believe that it was because she had started to confront her pain and see the beauty in things. Helen’s always wanted to make a difference.
The thing that I appreciated about Max in this moment is his love of talking. A lot of times he annoys me because I am not a talker and also, he loves to talk about everything but himself. But Max wants to hear her out.
He’s not willing to give up. He wants to fight for this love. He wants to fight for Helen.
You see the part of Helen that is apprehensive, but you also see that look in her eyes that tells you that she wants to fight too. Helen is all about growth and it’s a nice thing to see in her. It’s also a beautiful thing to see that she not only loves Max, but she’s also all about Luna.
It’s her showing that she is worried about Luna that makes me know she’s in it for the long haul. But it would be naive to think that this whole idea of a long distance thing will work. It would be naive of me to think that this is it, that Sharpwin is forever. We all know and understand we are in for a lot of pain.
Personally, I am okay with that. I am okay with that, because Max and Helen love each other. They admitted the love each other. And no matter what happens, no matter how much pain I have to feel, I am for it. I am for it because I believe in the power of love.
And these two love each other. They tell each other just that and I don’t know about you, but I stood up and cheered over that shit. It is about time! We’ve all been waiting for that. We’ve all been waiting for more. But the way that these two have unfolded is one of the most beautiful things.
Because it’s been real.
It’s been up and down.
But no matter what it is – these two have never wavered even in the moments of anger or frustration.
They’re willing to do what it takes. It won’t be easy, but we’ve all been in it for the long run and therefore all that matters to me – to us – is that they continue to do what they said that they would do.
They fight for each other.
What we’ve learned over the course of the past few seasons is that Sharpwin isn’t about this momentary gratification of saying your ship is together. It’s about two people who have built a relationship based on truths, struggles, friendship, heartaches, letting go, holding on, crisis, comforting moments, and so much more. As a viewer, when you watch a couple go through that you know that no matter how long it takes, you are in for the long haul.
And that’s where we have to congratulate the writers of New Amsterdam. They’ve set up the foundation for a show that can outlast the Grey’s Anatomy’s of the world – but it doesn’t deserve to be compared to other procedurals.
Because New Amsterdam stands on its own.
THREE WEEKS LATER
When you see Max and Luna together, you know that things are how they are supposed to be. We’ve watched Max struggle to find his footing as a father, but we’ve also seen him start to find that. One thing that we can never deny about Max is that he’s an amazing Dad.
When Max found his joy, it wasn’t forgetting about the past it was moving forward to find a new future. He’s always wanted to make a great life for Luna, but it’s not exclusive to her – it’s something that he wants for everyone.
And so to do that, he’s decided to make the hospital a better places. He’s making improvements and helping other people. You would think that would be simple enough, but sometimes when you are moving forward you are erasing someone’s past.
The past 18 months have been so hard for all of us, but I can’t even imagine what it would be like if you were asked to make the place your wife died in “bright and sunny.” Even the best intentions don’t excuse our reactions.
Max is fixing up the old Covid-19 wards and what he doesn’t realize is that the lead painter that he is standing next to – the one that he’s asking to brighten up the place – his wife died in those rooms. And when Max asks him to fix everything what he’s doing is asking him to erase his wife.
At least that is the way that he feels.
Max doesn’t mean to do that. The truth is – if Max had to go through the same things that he did, he would burns everything down to protect the people that he loves. Sometimes I think that Max is wrapped up in himself, but over the course of the years what I have learned is that Max isn’t wrapped up in himself, he’d rather deny himself and make everyones life better so that they don’t have to experience the pain that he has.
When Max finds the man, and he admits to him that he understands and tells him that if he was in his position, he would burn everything down, you see a look in Max’s eyes that tells us all – he’s seeing the pain that someone else is going through and with everything that he’s been through, he doesn’t want to go through this again.
He’s already lost one love of his life and he doesn’t want to loose another one. He doesn’t want someone to erase his love. And what does that mean?
Well, that means the final scene of the show, when he says that he’s willing to move to London with Helen. HOW? Yes, we want to know how. We know that this would never work for the context of the show, but we also know that they are setting us up for so much pain and confusion and happiness and heartache.
How is this going to work? What is going to change? HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEAL WITH THIS?
IGGY IS UMM…
I am so ugh with Tyler Levine after his live, that I didn’t expect to like Iggy anymore. I felt as though he shit on the fandom so much that I would hold it against him. It just felt like he wouldn’t be the same.
And Iggy isn’t the same. But somehow who he is doesn’t wrap up in the Tyler Levine part of the conversation. Dare I say it, but Iggy is actually a better character this season.
At the end of the last season Iggy decided that he was going to stop seeing patients. It’s gotta be a hard decision, but for Iggy it was the best one. He doesn’t know how to separate himself from a situation and he allows his patients to become a part of who he is. It distracts from his life and that’s pretty sad.
But he’s taken on being in charge of all of the residents and that’s a good thing. He’s teaching them how to be stronger and how to help their patients. However, he’s put in a situation where he doesn’t have a choice but to face the past.
With someone setting fires at the hospital, Iggy has to see a past patient and get her help on profiling who is committing arson. When he comes face to face with a woman that he once had to profile, he knows that he needs her help. But as much as he knows that, what he also knows it that asking a pyromaniac about arson is like feeding her a drug.
What is hard for Iggy is that he’s trying to help the patient, but Max wants him to do what is ever necessary to find who it is. And Mary, the inmate that he’s seeking help from, you can tell that Iggy’s wheels are spinning. I feel that Iggy’s process of taking a step back is going to be the most difficult thing for him.
He’s going through a process and it’s a learning issue for him. Iggy has a good heart, but he really doesn’t know how to use his compassion in a constructive way.
And maybe that’s where we will see the growth in Iggy – as he lets go of the man he was and becomes the man that he was meant to be. There is no doubt that Iggy needs to grow and maybe then he’ll become a character that you don’t always feel bad for, but you rejoice in his accomplishments.
And hey, maybe then Ty will be happy.
We’re looking forward to seeing Iggy lead the new interns, and we’re thankful that he was able to help find the arsonist.
FLOYD CAN’T LET GO
One rather large issue that we’ve had with this show is Floyd. Why? Because they’ve never seemed to figure out how to use Floyd in a way that people can engage with. And that’s a sad thing, because from the beginning you’ve known one thing – Floyd has the potential for amazing storylines.
But this who storyline about him being the side piece for a fellow doctor – hard pass. Floyd has such potential to be a dynamic character. But what he’s coming across as is this man that is so wrapped up in feelings that he can’t do his job to the best of his ability.
Floyd’s storylines are always wrapped up in feelings and where as we love feelings, we want him to have a storyline that actually feels like we’re getting to know the man, versus the fact that he lets his lust lead the way.
Were we glad that he was there to save Lynn? Sure. But we also feel like we’re staring at a man that is a brilliant surgeon and what they are presenting to us is a character that they don’t know what to do with.
That being said, will I take this storyline? Sure. Why? Because they are doing something with Floyd. But what would be better is if we actually got to see him as a more dynamic, well rounded character.
BLOOM NEEDS TO GET HER SHIT TOGETHER
The residents starting at the hospital, also means that Bloom’s girlfriend Leyla is starting. While Bloom is trying to flex her “i am in charge muscles” she also decides to tell all of the residents that Leyla is her girlfriend.
WHY? WHY? WHY?
There is just this point in life where you realize that you don’t need to tell the world everything. You separate your personal life from your professional life. You allow yourself a life where everything is not for public consumption.
You also respect your partner and Bloom’s disrespect for Leyla just rubbed me the wrong way. You have to find a balance.
I can respect the fact that Bloom is always trying to work her program, that’s a great thing. She’s staying on the straight and narrow. But when things affect others, it needs to be a conversation.
Bloom has long been one of our favorite characters, but one thing we’re hoping that she finds this season is balance and the realization is that she is good enough, as she is.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- When Max goes inside Helen’s apartment and sees how lavish it is, his facial expressions crack me up. We’re all shocked she can afford what has to be a 20-25 million dollar home in NYC.
- Max telling his assistant to work on finding joy made me LOL. I would have had the same reaction.
- Dr. Wilder is amazing, but the best thing was her telling Max why she couldn’t take the job. Sometimes it takes a stranger to be so honest with us that we can’t deny the truth.
- Glad to know I wasn’t the only one that gained 20 pounds with Zoom meetings.
- The way this episode was shot was beautiful.
- Floyd’s boss telling him to fight for the woman in his life – AWKWARD!
- I really want to be able to have that view from a roof.
- Max and Helen’s I LOVE YOUs – I die.
- Helen’s balcony… I would sell my soul to have that.
- Anyone else feel like we’re being set up for a season of happiness and pain?
- This episode definitely brought me JOY.
New Amsterdam airs Tuesdays on NBC.