New Amsterdam Review: Domino Effect (Season 1 Episode 7)
A domino transplant surgery is a goldmine for a medical drama, and I’m not sure any show has taken advantage of its full narrative potential. But I’m happy that New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 7, “Domino Effect,” adds an unexpected, heartfelt twist.
Domino transplants happen on a quid pro quo basis. Someone gives an organ in anticipation that their loved one will get an organ. This chain saves lives, but it’s very delicate.
It’s not exactly a shock when Tanya drops out and breaks New Amsterdam‘s carefully crafted chain. Though the details are vague, the tension between Tanya and her bother is palpable. But the excuse Iggy gives for her is ridiculous.
She’s not sure her brother would do the same for her? So why did she get on a plane? Why did she get all the way to a bed — to the psych eval? Her entrance is deliberately rushed.
This is why I think the next medical drama to take on a domino should consider a multi-episode arc. Viewers don’t even get to meet many of the patients or donors in the chain on this episode. This makes sense, because many are at other area hospitals. But domino donor surgeries are such a great chance to get viewers emotionally invested in patient stories. There are so many potential narratives, and so many lives at stake.
Diego and Gianna are this episode’s saving grace — quite literally.
Diego’s reason for donating the piece of his liver even after Gianna becomes too unstable to receive a lung is almost as ridiculously unbelievable as Tanya’s reason not to donate.
He’s simply grateful 12 people are willing to save his daughter’s life if given the chance. Plus, as Max says earlier in the episode, it’s the right thing to do. That’s just a good person, undocumented immigrant or not.
There definitely has to be some red tape and extra risk for Diego to participate in the chain because of his immigration status. The show only treads the surface of this issue. But I’m not even mad about it, because I think the way Diego and Gianna are weaved into the domino story is so unique.
It’s not only because an organ doesn’t just miraculously become available when Tanya backs out of the chain. Making a character as good as Diego believable takes talent. He goes through major surgery without the promise that Gianna will get a lung. But as a viewer, I don’t doubt his sincerity and pure heart.
The world is cruel, but kind people like Diego do exist. I appreciate that reminder. New Amsterdam‘s challenge is balancing the good with the realistic.
Speaking of realistic, I love the insight that Gianna provides us into Dr. Lauren Bloom — finally!
First of all, I love a genuine connection made via fandom. They are very real and misunderstood, but I digress. We need to know details of all sizes about characters to get to know and like them. I love that Lauren loves Standstorm comics.
That said, Lauren is my least favorite character. Before this episode, I knew very little about her other than the fact that she takes Adderall and has feelings for Reynolds she won’t admit to.
Just one simple line — admitting to Gianna that she doesn’t like being alone either — opens up a whole lot of empathy in me as a viewer. It makes me wonder why she didn’t let Reynolds kiss her a few episodes back and then sets him up with Evie later.
Maybe the answer is just that it’s a TV show and they need viewers to root for a relationship they’re not going to see happen for a long time. Whatever the reason, I needed Lauren to admit her pain in order to see her as relatable. So this episode changes how I’ll judge her in the future quite dramatically.
I’m tired of reliving my frustration with older medical dramas through the newer ones I watch, but this needs to be said: The setup of Reynolds and Bloom feels very much like Jackson and April circa Grey’s Anatomy‘s golden years.
New Amsterdam does a wonderful job at feeling like a different medical drama. Perhaps that’s why I’m taking so long to warm up to it. I’m used to young interns and power struggles and elevator hookups.
That said, it pains me to feel these similar vibes. It gets tiring watching two people claim to be just friends while internally yearning for each other and dating other people.
This happens on every show. I get it. Maybe it’s the fact that Lauren is an ER doctor like April is, or that she calls herself a “weird kid” during this episode when April was also very much an outcast. I could go on, but the bottom line is I truly got some deja vu from New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 7, and I want it to go away.
If Bloom and Reynolds admit their feelings by the end of the season, it’s a win. But something tells me they’re playing a longer game here. I don’t know if my heart can take it.
What did you think of this episode of New Amsterdam? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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New Amsterdam airs Tuesdays 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.