In a happy turn of events, Georgia was nowhere to be seen in this week’s episode, but this was the first time I’ve felt like they’re giving me a filler. It was still a good episode, but there just seemed to be something missing. On the plus side, I was very happy to see the return of some classic Helen/Max sparks, and I was not alone. ‘A Seat at the Table’ focused heavily on the characters and how Max is dealing with chemo. It gave us a few really great scenes, but overall I felt a little bored.
The Doctors of New Amsterdam
They’ve decided to give Dr. Bloom an Adderall addiction, which she developed by trying to work ALL the time. We knew she has a fancy home to go back to, but for some reason, she’s avoiding it. I hope we get to go deeper into that aspect of her story, but for now, she’s a pill popper who Helen no longer trusts. I am not going to love it if their friendship goes down the tubes because of this. I’m also not sold on her issues, but hopefully with more backstory, they’ll sell it better.
It seemed everyone has things to battle in their personal lives this week. For Dr. Reynolds, it was an arrest record that a reporter wanted to use in her interview with him to show how far he’s come. He had a lot of great reasons to keep it quiet and not get published. His lawyer girlfriend was ready to squash it but, as his girlfriend, she thought it could actually be a good thing to share. Dr. Reynolds is so prideful that it was nice for the show to change the pace and let him be a little vulnerable.
Kapoor has made so much progress with his son but things are going to slide back because of events in this episode. Kapoor’s son asked him for money to record a demo and he gets turned down because of his previous issues. The son learned about what Kapoor did for coffee cart Ella and decided to take her on a date to a concert. Things are going to get messy if they continue down this storyline.
How Can We Help?
In classic Max fashion, he is doing chemo on the go. Te hospital doesn’t sleep, so neither does he. At first, it’s a humorous scenario but it quickly tugs at your heartstrings when the treatment begins to affect him. Even under these circumstances, Max can still find time to save a life. This week’s episode highlight was the homeless man who was a frequent flyer. Max set up an apartment for him to help save the hospital money. Treating him by getting him a stable home prevents his many visits. Turns out, the patient likes coming in and Max is able to find him a job guiding people through the vastness of New Amsterdam. It was so sweet! The homeless man reminded me so much of Merle from The Walking Dead, but a much nicer version.
Don’t miss more New Amsterdam on NBC, Tuesdays at 10/9c!