NBC medical drama New Amsterdam first aired on September 25, 2018, and after five seasons the series ended on January 17, 2023. In a world where medical dramas are a dime a dozen, one wouldn't necessarily rue one coming to an end (take Good Sam, a 13-episode series that came and went without fanfare). But New Amsterdam isn't just a run-of-the-mill medical drama. From the very first episode, the series established itself as something unique. It is a show that takes a chance at doing something different with the doctor show formula, and largely succeeds in doing so. It's not that New Amsterdam doesn't stick to "the rules." It, too, has the case of the week formula that has been a staple of the genre for years. But its focus is different, more intent on showing what can happen when doctors believe in something positive, something more than the "trying to find time for a quick fling in the supply closet" trope that plagues its kin, like Chicago Med or Grey's Anatomy.
Welcome to 'New Amsterdam'
The series opens with the introduction of a new medical director at New Amsterdam, an aging public hospital: Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold). His first encounter with the staff occurs in a locker room, where some of the janitorial staff and nurses are talking about the new medical director and what will happen to the hospital with him in charge. Despite speaking in a different language (and rudely, no less), they are shocked when they realize that Max is the new medical director... and can understand everything they were saying.
He's polite though, and excuses himself to tour the hospital. On the tour, Max meets Dr. Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman), who was working on behalf of New Amsterdam in publicizing and attracting investment in the public hospital, doing more news shows and other events instead of performing medical duties. The two clash, with Max insisting she spend more time in the OR and less time on TV, which is laughed off by Helen. Following the tour, he assembles the staff in the auditorium to discuss issues with the hospital and his hope to try new tactics. He asks a simple, but important question: "How can I help?" He legitimately wants to hear any advice and concerns the staff may have, but no one is willing to speak. He then fires the entire cardio unit, rightfully claiming that they are performing unnecessary surgeries simply to rack up expenses, not out of care for the patient.
Max repeats the question, and having seen that he is a man of action, Dr. Lauren Bloom (Janet Montgomery) suggests abolishing the waiting room. Done. Dr. Iggy Frome (Tyler Labine) then asks for better quality food, which is also met positively. He is encouraged to rehire Dr. Floyd Reynolds (Jocko Sims) as head of cardio thoracic surgery, and entrusts him with forming a new, better department. As the show ends, Max is told he has throat cancer, which he would struggle with until he enters remission in Season 2.
Why the First Episode of 'New Amsterdam' is Important
What the first episode sets up are the key elements in what sets the show apart. Max is a godsend for the hospital, and by having publicly taken action to prove that the direction of the hospital is to become more focused on what the patient needs. To help the doctors in any way he can to meet that goal, Max instills excitement among the doctors, not only freeing them from having to make money for the hospital, but allowing them to truly become healers again, finding the drive that brought them into the medical field in the first place. Nothing is too big or too small to talk about and implement if it's for the betterment of the care given at the hospital.
His interaction with Helen highlights Max's innate ability to see the potential in people. He isn't upset that Helen is neglecting her doctoral duties in order to bring in funds for the hospital. Max is upset because he knows that Helen is a brilliant doctor, whose experience is better suited practically. His message is consistent as well, which turns Helen's initial denial into acceptance. It's an ability that is seen throughout the series, but the true defining moment of the episode is that question, "How can I help?" It becomes a mantra for the hospital staff, the board of directors, and the primary thematic element that strings the series together.
The Other Elements of 'New Amsterdam' That Stand Out
Over the course of the series, one element that is teased in that first episode is another of Max's strengths: the ability to think outside the box. Combined with his activeness and with his perception of people, it becomes a strength of the series as well. There's no shortage of examples to choose from: hiring a military veteran as an assistant, only to find his skill sets and innovative ideas would be perfect for a board position; setting up a back alley street clinic in London to ease wait times for people to see doctors; and even a creative solution to the controversial overturning of Roe v. Wade, creating a medical ship that can sail outside of jurisdiction. The show's use of a psychiatrist on duty, Iggy Frome, isn't innovative — Chicago Med's Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt) beats Frome by a few years — but the character himself is more relatable, a good, married gay man, struggling with an eating disorder, who goes above and beyond for those in his care (the byproduct, again, of Max's commitment to let doctors be doctors).
Frome's sexuality opens up another key strength of the show: diversity. There's the Indian Dr. Kapoor (Anupam Kher), Lauren is bisexual, Floyd is Black, Dr. Mark Walsh (Matthew Jeffers) is a dwarf, and Dr. Elizabeth Wilder (Sandra Mae Frank) is deaf. Other shows are certainly as diverse, perhaps even more so, but the difference in New Amsterdam is that it doesn't play a major factor in the show. The doctors on the show thrive in spite of race, religion, or physical/mental adversity. In one of the last episodes, Dr. Wilder is almost talked into taking on a position at a deaf hospital by her mentor, Dr. Bev Clemons (Marlee Matlin), but declines, because she is a welcome part of the New Amsterdam family.
In reality, faithful viewers of the show became part of the New Amsterdam family as well. The series ended on a finale that did the show justice, allowing us to say goodbye to the characters we'd come to know and love over the course of 5 seasons. And who knows — maybe the (SPOILER) reveal that the new medical director at New Amsterdam is none other than Luna Goodwin (Molly Griggs), Max's daughter, may bring the hope and positivity of New Amsterdam back to the TV screen again.