New Amsterdam - fun remarks under challenging times

(Contain spoilers)

I’m not a huge fan of shows that involve doctors and hospitals. I watched ER growing up, and after that, I feel they are all the same. Yet, I gave it a try on this one, and its two seasons available on Netflix.

Charismatic leader with a troubled life

The premise of the show was evident since the first minute. Max Goodwin is a charismatic leader, full of willpower and ideas. He comes to New Amsterdam to change everything. More than the hospital itself, he wants to change the world. Will they let him? What can a man do against so many powerful interests?

He truly cares about his patients and their problems besides the diseases. He wants to do his bit to change all the wrongs in the world. Max Goodwin wants to help. Everyone. And he does that with a smile and a good mood.

Are the doctors the worst patients?

As soon as you know Max is sick, you realize that he uses jokes and funny talks to hide his fear, pain, and frustration. He has cancer, and the treatment is harsh and almost as scary as cancer itself.

It is sad to see him falling apart. But we also follow other patients, strong people, full of resilience and willpower. They have hard times, but they refuse to break. It’s a message of hope.

Chock and surprise

With the first season mainly being about Max’s fight against cancer, everything changes in that last episode. The season finale is chocking, and its results in season 2 surprised me.

Max’s wife's death? I never thought they would make that choice, yet, she was kind of on the way, right? She had to go.

Grieving

Season 2 is about grieving. Max needs to find out how to keep going, but not only him. There are a lot of different ways of losing someone or something important to you.

In this season, every character is fighting hard with their dramas. Even the perfect Dr. Frome does something unthinkable for most of us. The show becomes more interesting, and the plot gets better. We start to know the characters beyond their role as doctors - drug problems, complicated love lives, family issues… You have it all.

Pandemic

The last episode of the second season was changed due to the pandemic, but it didn’t become less interesting. It introduces us to a new doctor - a funny character that, I’m sure, will bring some freshness to the show.

I loved this last episode and 3rd season is already there! I can’t wait.

Lighter doesn’t mean “drama-free”

This is an emotional and beautiful story that is able to avoid some common places.

The topics are not exactly new. We are talking about an excessive emotional connection with patients and cases. Malpractice accusations. Personal lives getting in the way. It is, after all, a doctors’ show, but it was able to be a bit different.

Comments

Emily in Paris 3: The Good, the Bad, and the Unrealistic

The third season of Emily in Paris got a lot of hate and love among the viewers. People can’t decide if it was the best season or the worst of all. And I understand why. We start the season with Emily’s life in perfect chaos, and she doesn’t seem to know what she wants. She never does… Is this good for the plot? Maybe. Is this annoying? Sometimes. So… why can’t we stop watching it? Are you feeling frustrated? Me too. She doesn’t know what she wants. She can’t make a decision, not in her love life, not in her job… And it is not because she wants it all. She is not mature enough to say no and own her decision and its consequences. Emily comes across as a spoiled little girl. The problem is that she is the main character, yet, Mindy starts to feel way more interesting than her. Also, any other character on the show is funnier than Emily, namely her co-workers, who apparently are very bad at their jobs and need her to save them with every single client… How did they keep the company...

Gender, Power, and Cigarettes: Why 'Mad Men' Still Resonates

Mad Men is a masterpiece of television that blends sharp storytelling with striking period detail, offering a reflective glimpse into the 1960s. The series follows Don Draper and the high-stakes world of Madison Avenue advertising, all while painting a vivid picture of the era's societal norms, especially the rampant sexism and rigid gender roles. It's both mesmerizing and infuriating, particularly in its honest depiction of how women were treated. Strong Emotions The show’s brilliance lies in its ability to evoke strong emotions—its subtlety, exceptional writing, and rich characters draw you into a world that feels both foreign and disturbingly recent. The meticulously crafted period aesthetics are complemented by historical undercurrents, from civil rights to cultural shifts, which remain integral yet never overshadow the deeply personal dramas of the characters. Wait For the Impact Mad Men doesn’t rely on flashy plot twists; instead, it uses nuanced storyte...

The Lying Life of Adults - Review

The Lying Life of Adults shows us, once more, that the teenage years and growing up can be painful. Giovanna is the main character of this story, and she is feeling all the fast changes adolescence demands in a deeply divided town. Before this situation, her body and her opinions and desires are changing fast. Perhaps, too fast. Parents aren’t perfect. It is usually in those teenage years that we realize our parents aren’t perfect. They are humans with all the flaws that that implies. Giovanna is no different. Her parents are not as she thought they were, and her perfect family isn’t perfect at all. Those adults, those references that she admires, hide things, lie, and do things that she considers wrong. They are like everybody else. They are not heroes. When we realize that our parents are not the superheroes we believed they were when we were very young children, it can hurt. Why is it so important? Because when we realize they also can fail, with the destruc...

All Forms of Art

Search This Blog