New Amsterdam Review: King Of Swords (Season 1 Episode 16)
It’s snowing really hard on New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 16, “King Of Swords.” Like, blizzard, history-making hard. I get it, but we need to talk about Max and Helen. Because — Max and Helen!!
There have been rumblings on the internet about Max and Helen and this “vibe” Dr. Panthaki picks up on. I’ve felt it on screen, but I have never exactly seen it. I was really unclear if the show wanted me to feel that vibe or not. It’s not forced, that’s chemistry. If you see the storytelling you what you should feel — that’s forced.
Max has stayed out of anything resembling a love triangle until now. New Amsterdam feels so much more mature than most of the other medical shows on the air right now because of that. But Ryan Eggold and Freema Agyeman have good chemistry.
It doesn’t surprise me that Marlene’s predictions about their future are really cryptic and confusing. That’s TV for you. So let’s just leave Max and Helen where they are for the moment. A vibe that we can finally say out loud.
A “thing” that Helen says out loud before the lights in the city go out. So, that’s maddening and quite the cliffhanger. But, speculating can lead one down an endless black hole.
Before we go — Georgia deserves better no matter the vibe. Why don’t marriages ever feel realistic on TV?
We visit Lauren in rehab for longer than usual on this episode. This might seem like a minor gripe to some viewers, but I’m upset that she acts as a doctor even for a minute.
She’s an addict in rehab. She’s not fit to practice medicine.
Real life is messy. So, it’s hard to say if this would “actually happen.” But, I wish her fellow rehab patient dying would’ve made her realize she wanted to be sober.
At least Lauren figures out what she wants for herself with just the help of a licensed therapist. Her story with Floyd isn’t over. But keeping them apart and not talking about each other on this episode is a good choice.
Speaking of Dr. Reynolds, I hope he can save Hugh. He’s one of the harder characters to get to know on the series. Plus, viewers aren’t supposed to think his relationship with Evie will last. This makes it hard to bond with him.
But somehow Hugh does it. Floyd has fought for other patients hard, but we’ve never seen him fight for anyone as hard as he does for Hugh.
Vijay also fights for his patient very hard in an unexpected way. It’s sweet yet heartbreaking to watch him trudge through the snow just to tell Chrissy’s husband that he has to come back to say goodbye to her.
Of course, viewers know why they’re feeling sad things about Vijay even before he opens up to Iggy about fighting with his wife the night before she died.
The show does a really great job showing most stories, but Floyd and Iggy are two people they could be doing better with.
I love Iggy. I know he’s a child psychiatrist, married to Martin with a daughter named Samara — and now that he has a weird affinity for snow, but not much else. He needs a deeper, long-term arc. Or, if there is one that needs to be made clearer.
As for the blackout… they could’ve waited a few years to pull out this storyline. But it’s a bit refreshing that no main character’s life is on the line yet.
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.
One thought on “New Amsterdam Review: King Of Swords (Season 1 Episode 16)”
This episode is completely BS hospitals have regular maintenance on generators every 6 months or so. They have fully equipped maintenance departments and a full staff of electricians and maintenance people on at all times. This whole scenario would never happen.
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