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New Amsterdam - fun remarks under challenging times

 

New Amsterdam

(Contains 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. Still, I gave this one a try, and it has two seasons available on Netflix.

Charismatic leader with a troubled life

The show's premise was clear from the first minute. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) 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 beyond 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 talk 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.

Shock and surprise

With the first season mainly being about Max’s fight against cancer, everything changes in that last episode. The season finale is shocking, 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 his 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 many different ways to lose someone or something important to you.

In this season, every character is fighting hard with their dramas. Even the perfect Dr. Frome (Tyler Labine) does something unthinkable for most of us. The show gets more interesting, and the plot improves. 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 season 3 is already here! I can’t wait.

Lighter doesn’t mean “drama-free”

This is an emotional, beautiful story that avoids some common pitfalls. 

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. 


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