New Amsterdam Review: Three Dots (Season 1 Episode 8)

There is so much good to cover on New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 8, “Three Dots,” that I don’t know where to start or if I’ll be able to get to everything I want to. 

I don’t give Max enough credit most of the time, so let me start with him. 

I think my biggest problem with him so far in the series is that he always seems to just fix the problem, whatever it is, and then move on and fix the next one. Most patients have lived, and he’s pretty much ignored his cancer like it’s no big deal. 

His conversation with the rabbi about the rabbi’s choice not to take a chance on life and get the surgery with the bad odds shows his genuine fear — and frankly, it’s necessary for me as a viewer to see, because it adds humanity to his character.

My frustration with Max not feeling real to me is actually quite ironic, given that he’s based on a real person. But it is what it is. 

I love seeing Max struggle. Not because I wish bad things on him.

Character flaws are what make us feel like we’re on a character’s journey with them. Everything doesn’t go right for me. So watching a show where everything goes right for characters — and they even get away with ignoring their cancer — is going to feel like torture eventually. The last few episodes have gotten better about this. 

I also love the story because it teaches us something.

It refreshes viewers’ memory on the story of Abraham. Like any good religious leader, the rabbi is then able to turn that biblical story into a larger life lesson for Max. That said, I’m not sure how I feel about Max’s own choice to take a risk and use an alternative treatment other than chemo to treat his cancer.

But for some reason, I love TV rabbis. This is not the first one to teach me a life lesson. (For the record, I’m not very religious, but real-life rabbis seem like fun, good teachers too… much more fun than other types of leaders.) 

Speaking of lessons, I’m so proud of the one Dr. Kapoor learns on this episode. The things he says to his son at the start of the episode are maddening. 

His journey to get to the Y and the chip ceremony is very well done. But the more important issue to discuss here is mental illness, because I think both Vijay and Iggy are wrong.

Mental illness doesn’t only have stigma or shame attached to it. There is both stigma and shame. 

I have anxiety and depression, and it took me a very long time to ask for medication for a variety of reasons. So, while I definitely cannot relate to the extreme nature of Amy’s case, I know that the struggle to ask for help is very real. 

I didn’t necessarily have cultural expectations to fight against and I still fought shame and stigma. So I can’t imagine the pressure Amy feels. 

But I do know this: Some people are going to think I shouldn’t share this information so casually in a TV review. And why not? We watch TV because of the stories we relate to. We should celebrate the fact that Amy’s story on this episode of New Amsterdam has the potential to help real parents (or anyone else) understand and erase the stigma and shame that comes with mental illness. 

I’m a person (not a character) fortunate enough to have the platform to tell you the shame and stigma of mental illness is real.

While I’m at it, let me add that New Amsterdam is doing a decent job with culturally diverse stories and representing disabilities (I’m part Latina and a wheelchair user, too.) I absolutely love that the ER doctor underneath Lauren is a little person, and it’s a total non-issue. Here’s hoping he doesn’t disappear soon, and that he eventually has a story arc of his own. 

Since we’re talking about asking for help, we need to get into Lauren, because boy, does she need help. I don’t love her yet, but I do want to hug her. 

Let’s be clear: As a doctor especially, overworking yourself puts patients at risk and is not cool. 

For Lauren, based on the previous episode, her actions are a direct result of being in love with Reynolds and not sure how to deal with his relationship with Evie. 

While part of me thinks she needs to get over it because she’s the one who set them up, I confess that I love angst. It’s fascinating for me to watch her react to her feelings in such a unique way. When I think of a broken heart, I think of Ben & Jerry’s and pajamas. I love seeing this twist on such a “classic” TV trope. 

This episode weaves the personal lives of the doctors seamlessly with the patient cases. Nothing makes me happier after watching any episode of TV than when all the puzzle pieces fit together seamlessly, so that I can see the full picture.

New Amsterdam has struggled with that on past episodes. But it’s getting better, so I’m starting to get invested in the characters’ lives. 

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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