New Amsterdam Review: I’ll Be Your Shelter (Season 4 Episode 22)
New Amsterdam Season 4 Episode 22, “I’ll Cover You,” is a lot of things. Too many things, in fact. It’s a messy end to what has ultimately been an uneven season.
It should have been evident from the beginning that this episode was going to struggle with the choice to focus on Iggy (Tyler Labine). Iggy has been one of the weakest characters on this show for some time.
I don’t know if Iggy taking charge during a hurricane is meant to be played as a comedy of errors. It doesn’t work even a little bit if that was the intention. It’s just another example of how poorly this character is written.
If there is anything redeeming about centering Iggy, it’s that Martin (Mike Doyle) has finally realized he should be done dealing with Iggy’s shenanigans. Martin and their kids deserve so much better, and it’s time Martin realizes it.
Meanwhile, the Floyd (Jocko Sims) story is… interesting. While this is undoubtedly an improvement from the drama this character’s been involved in this season, this reads like a set-up for a larger story. Hopefully, that’s true since this character could use one.
Okay, so he’s bonding with his father. Hopefully, this will pay off in the end since this episode provides precious little concrete development. It’s filler and not of the fun, character-building kind.
With one season of New Amsterdam left to air, it’s hard to believe that this story will get the focus and development that it deserves.
The relationship that does get at least some kind of satisfying progression is that of Lauren (Janet Montgomery) and Leyla (Shiva Kalaiselvan). Lauren’s commitment to maintaining her sobriety is still admirable.
As great as it is to Lauren’s character development and the fact that she’s turned the corner, it has to be said that this has too often come at the expense of Leyla. Leyla deserves so much more than what New Amsterdam has given her.
Seeing Max (Ryan Eggold) strike out on his own is actually a great reminder of everything that’s been wrong with New Amsterdam Season 4. His strength has always been in keeping the New Amsterdam family together.
His running around to London, and now the depths of the hospital with a single patient just highlights the fact that Max needs a team. It isn’t that he’s not compelling on his own. It’s just that he’s at his best in a leadership role.
Combine this with a nameless Medical Director, and it’s clear that New Amsterdam as an organization is completely lost. Having a nobody as Medical Director is almost worse than having the monster that was Veronica Fuentes (Michelle Forbes).
Even more, it continues to grow tiresome having Helen (Freema Agyeman) appear mainly by phone. Helen is one of New Amsterdam‘s best characters.
The London storyline has definitely derailed New Amsterdam Season 4, and the finale is yet another example of why. Sharpwin has been endgame, arguably from the beginning of this series.
Yet, the show has continually struggled to give this relationship any kind of consistency.
I can only hope the explanation for Helen’s continued absence is that Agyeman is going to have something to do with the upcoming Doctor Who 60th anniversary celebrations.
Finally, I’ve been putting this off, but we need to talk about the Sharpwin wedding fake-out.
It’s one thing to tease fans and to build up a tension to pay off on a season finale. It’s another thing to string the audience along the garden path, promise happiness for characters, and then leave everything up in the air.
The only way for this story to make any sense at all is if something catastrophically bad happened to Helen in London. Even this would be infuriating since the show has put her through way too much already, especially this season.
On some level, I understand the decision to have a Sharpwin wedding as part of the show’s upcoming final season. I don’t love it, but I understand it.
But why must Max and Helen be subjected to continued obstacles to the inevitable? It just seems like the show knows it’s coming to an end and is limping to get there.
I could also talk about the criminal lack of Elizabeth (Sandra Mae Frank) and Mia (Genevieve Angelson). Frank, at least, has been upgraded to series regular for the upcoming final season, so we can presumably expect to see more of her character.
New Amsterdam has lost its way if the Season 4 finale is anything to go by. With a final season left to air, it will be a tall order to right this sinking ship.
It’s such a shame because New Amsterdam has shown us time and time again that it’s capable of so much more.
What did you think of this episode of New Amsterdam? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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New Amsterdam will return for Season 5 on NBC.
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Justine Kraemer
Justine is an unashamed fan of too many TV shows and movies with a particular love of all things Marvel. She balances her love of massive massively popular shows with hidden gems that are just waiting to be discovered.
One thought on “New Amsterdam Review: I’ll Be Your Shelter (Season 4 Episode 22)”
You must have been reading my post from other boards 😲😉😂. I have posted on numerous boards that New Amsterdam (S4E1) had all the hallmarks of a disastrous S4, especially with this London arc.
I have been continually posting that the writers clearly lost their way after I watched that episode. I could tell that we were in for a rocky ride for the season and I wasn’t wrong, just totally disappointed.
I have posted ad nauseam about how disappointed, disgusted, and frustrated in the way they destroyed the Sharpwin relationship and just about every other main character. It’s a disgrace what they’ve done to a once brilliantly written show.
The majority of fan posts I’ve read and seen have already stated that they may not even watch S5 due to this horrific finale.. The point is we and Sharpwin *deserved* a happy ending– meaning a wedding–in the S4 finale, especially since S5 is an abbreviated 13- episodes season; there is so much to unpack and so many unresolved issues that I don’t know how they’re going to wrap up all of the storylines in a satisfying manner.
I also agree with you, and have posted the same thing, that they need to do a course correction and right all the wrongs that have been inflicted upon Sharpwin, Floyd, etc.
In one sense, I can’t wait to hear the “justification/reason” as to why Helen left Max at the altar. For me, it doesn’t even matter if it’s something catastrophic with her mother, meaning perhaps her mother has died, Max is a reasonable, understanding, and caring man. If their love/bond is so strong, she should have been able to talk to him and tell him this before he proceeded with the wedding. So yes, there is some anxiety about how they’re (writers) going to resolve this big cliffhanger with Sharpwin, and if the remaining episodes of S5 will even be worth watching. What a tragic disservice to S4 and the characters.
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