New Amsterdam Review: Sanctuary (Season 1 Episode 17)
It’s been a while since most viewers have been inside the hospital but on New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 17, “Sanctuary,” the patients have been there all night… literally.
On New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 16, “King Of Swords,” most of the doctors are literally in the heart of the storm. And on this follow-up episode, they are dealing with the effects of the storm inside the hospital.
I’m going to write this review a little bit differently than most — because everyone survives.
Burl comes through with power even after a plot device trick makes viewers wonder if the prisoner will escape or save the hospital by restoring electricity. If you’re reading this, you probably know he saves the hospital.
You also know that Dr. Goodwin gives a rousing speech to inspire cranky patients to give blood and save Hugh’s life.
While I must say I still love Hugh and Dr. Reynolds’ dynamic, it all feels a bit pointless to write about, because everyone is fine.
The one scene I want to talk about happens at the end of the episode, and it addresses my biggest problem with the series thus far. At the risk of making a lot of readers mad at me, I’ll even say the problem involves one specific character.
His name is Max Goodwin, and he wants everything and everyone to be fine all of the time. But that’s just not the way life works.
As TV watchers, we sign an invisible agreement with shows to suspend disbelief. But to be quite blunt, looking at the series as a whole, New Amsterdam goes too far with Max — and it’s not fair to us.
Like Helen, I’m not unhappy that the stars align and all of the people live and all of the things work out.
But still — Max is getting ridiculous with all of the realities he’s ignoring, and it’s big of Helen and the show (in the macro sense) to call him out on it.
Think about it. What other show has called out their main character on all of their crap in one scene, with one speech? I can’t think of one, no matter the gender of the main character.
There is a point on the episode where Max is refusing to triage and Helen says he has to. Max replies, “I can’t, I won’t.”
I understand it’s his nature to want to save everyone, but that answer actually puts more patients at risk than it saves. It’s a show, so the prisoner we don’t know if we can trust can save the day.
But for a leader in any kind of semi-realistic situation? Max’s answer is flat out unacceptable. I shudder to think about my review if Helen’s speech didn’t exist. But luckily for everyone, it does.
Here are some of my favorite Helen lines with explanations of why:
Yes, it worked out. But sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes, you have to choose… and you couldn’t.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves with the series. Often Max and patients don’t have to choose anything. They’re cured and insurance pays and everyone goes home to their brand-new penthouse apartment in the sky.
I’m exaggerating, but only a little bit. It’s a relief to know that the creative team behind the show understands the “elephant in the room” where many of their patient cases are concerned.
It’s what you do with your cancer as well. You want to stay healthy for your family, but you want to stay in charge of the hospital. You want the chemo — the strongest that we have — just not any of the side effects that come with it.
I know too many people with cancer right now and just… no. He can’t have all of that. So amen, sister! Call him out.
I have tried to be all of the above — I can’t…. I have to triage us.
“I have to triage us” is perhaps the most poetic a medical drama can get with their terminology. But beyond that, good for Helen for refusing to be Max’s doctor, his friend, his deputy, his… question mark.
She has someone whose girlfriend she is. Furthermore, Helen owes herself a personal life.
Her speech teaches all viewers an important lesson that we need to learn over and over and over again. You cannot be everything to everyone, and you do not need to be.
Of course, the nature of Max and Helen’s relationship is still very much up in the air now that the show acknowledged the chemistry viewers felt but didn’t know if they were allowed to speak of.
One thing I’m finally glad we can say out loud is, “Max Goodwin getting everything he wants all of the time and saving all of the lives he wants to is ridiculous!!!!!”
That felt good, didn’t it? I’ll leave you all to relish that feeling of relief.
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.