New Amsterdam Review: Every Last Minute (Season 1 Episode 3)
New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 3, “Every Last Minute,” is my favorite episode of the series so far. So it’s growing, albeit ever so slowly. But the show is still not living up to my expectations. It’s bothering me that I can’t articulate why very certainly, but this episode does provide some hints.
To begin, the biggest story of the episode (Janelle’s visit from Rikers and the subsequent emergency delivery of her baby) has a completely unrealistic ending.
I love the idea of Mrs. Ryland coming in as this mystery donor with $10 million and the viewer not exactly knowing what she’ll do with. We’re told what she is supposed to be doing with it, but she’s hard to read.
She ends up defying her late husband’s wishes and funding a newborn care unit at Rikers so that women like Janelle don’t have to put their babies in foster care at the end of their sentences.
That’s wonderful! Money makes great things happen sometimes, but it isn’t magical. It’s really hard to believe that the program can get started as soon as Janelle is released from the hospital. It takes paperwork and training at the very least. Even if no construction has to be done, newborns need certain safety provisions to be put in place.
The story builds up well, and then the unrealistic ending ruins it.
It doesn’t feel like the show has any plans to change that, which is disappointing. It’s going to hurt them in the long run.
I like a balance between fun personal drama and medical realism in these type of shows. But if these endings continue to be so unbelievable, there will come a point where I’ll rather be watching something that doesn’t take itself so seriously.
Another issue is that Max is everyone’s boss.
No other medical drama centers around “the boss” so much. Sure, he’s different than the usual “boss” trope, and on this episode we learn that he’s only on his fifth day of work, so he’s not supposed to know everyone. And because he’s always running everywhere, he hardly has time to talk to any character, including his own wife.
But I worry that, along with the running around, Max’s character in particular is going to suffer because of his lack of connections to others.
Dr. Kapoor and Dr. Frome’s relationship is the best part of the show right now. Part of it is their rapport with each other. It’s easy and sarcastic, though they take care of their patients.
Having a psychiatrist opens up the show to so many stories that have never been told on TV. So that helps, too. But it’s never good when a spinoff with supporting characters would be so much more interesting than the show you are currently watching, especially this early in its run.
I thought their patient storyline had enough of an unexpected arc to draw me in this week.
Ella the barista who teaches Dr. Kapoor what “ghosted” means is a highlight of the episode for me. Because now I know that chocolate croissants fix bad days. And because she is quirky.
Maybe that’s what this show needs: a little bit more quirk.
I need the writers to make me care more. If Max and Georgia’s marriage was a metaphor for viewership, I’d be halfway to Connecticut right now.
What did you think of this episode of New Amsterdam? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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New Amsterdam airs Tuesday at 10/9c on NBC.
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Esme Mazzeo
Esme Mazzeo is a lifestyle and entertainment journalist from Long Island. When she's not writing for work, she's writing for fun, or searching for something to satisfy her sweet tooth. She thinks rainy days are the best kind of days. Certified night owl.