New Amsterdam Season 5 Episode 2 Review: Hook, Line, and Sinker
New Amsterdam Season 5 Episode 2, “Hook, Line, and Sinker,” continues the chaos, and this isn’t likely to change any time soon.
Strange character choices, rushed storylines, and an inability to deliver on any of the relationships that have been set up are all hallmarks of this show’s final season so far.
It’s difficult to know where to start. If there’s anything positive to be said, it’s that this episode features an attempt to recapture an earlier version of New Amsterdam, with doctors just trying to do some good.
Ryan Eggold has always given everything to this role. It’s a shame that he’s been side-lined as New Amsterdam powers that be continue to veer further and further from the plot.
Max’s wild idea that just might work is classic Max: identifying the root causes of patients’ problems, and trying to address these before the patients need costly medical treatment. It makes sense from a compassionate and economic perspective.
It’s an abrupt shift, however, to have Max suddenly pining for Dr. Elizabeth Wilder. Rather than allowing him to process the loss of his relationship with Helen, he’s jumping right back into another romance.
Freema Agyeman is barely out of the show, and already the series is rolling right over her legacy. It’s not that the idea of Max and Elizabeth together is inherently wrong. It’s that New Amsterdam has hardly spent time setting this up.
Elizabeth deserves better. This episode is also made less than terrible by showing her as an incredibly gifted surgeon with a massive heart. Even when she’s imperfect, there’s never any doubt that she has her patients’ best interests at heart.
New Amsterdam is setting this character up for failure. There is just no compelling reason to set this character up with Max if there isn’t sufficient time to develop this relationship.
Obviously, this season is going to be a shorter one. This is all the more reason to pump the breaks on this impending disaster and try to salvage a satisfying ending for Max, Elizabeth, and everyone else.
The Iggy content is always among the weakest on New Amsterdam. This episode is no exception. Having Iggy confront the mess he continues to make of his life should be cathartic. Mostly, however, it’s just sad.
Online dating was never going to end well for this character. One can only hope that this will not become a feature of this character’s story as the series comes to a close.
New Amsterdam also continues to completely destroy any work they’ve done with Martin, by continuing to subject him to whatever chaos is attached to Iggy.
The worst part of Iggy’s story on this episode is that there is actually potential in this plotline. Seeing exes continue to navigate parenthood and new relationships could be a topical and engaging story. There’s no sign of that here, unfortunately.
Relatedly, Iggy’s very questionable medical advice and diagnostic process continues. Let’s blow past the fact that it’s blatantly unethical to diagnose someone in absentia without consent, which it very much is.
If you have ever had bipolar yourself, or have ever cared for someone with the condition, you’ll note that diagnosing Floyd’s father Horace is a stretch at best, and spreading blatant misinformation at worst.
New Amsterdam has struggled to write Floyd’s character for a while, and reuniting him with his father is the latest gambit to give this character something to do.
It has to be said, Horace is hilarious. This could be such a fun secondary character to follow. Unfortunately, he seems destined for the same fate as so many other characters on New Amsterdam, which is to have nothing happen to them ever.
If you loved Lauren and Leyla, you’re out of luck. Per the New Amsterdam powers that be, that ship has sailed. If there was any hope of seeing these two overcome everything they’ve been through.
It’s a complex situation. On one hand, it’s not necessarily a bad thing that a relationship based on a massive power differential isn’t allowed to continue. On the other, these two were so strong individually.
There was definitely a way to navigate this. Then again, was this show ever going to be able to address these nuanced issues in a sensitive manner? It’s not particularly likely.
Lauren is getting more of her backstory unlocked, now that she has to stay with her sister Vanessa. Immediately, it’s clear that this is no place for a recovering to maintain their sobriety.
The worst thing New Amsterdam could do is set Lauren back when she’s come so far. It wouldn’t be too difficult to believe that she’ll be written in such a way that undoes all the work she has done to lead her to this point.
Setbacks are a part of the addiction recovery process. However, again, it remains to be seen whether this show is up to the task of showing a story like this with authenticity.
New Amsterdam isn’t going to make this an easy goodbye. Only two episodes in, and the worst of this medical drama is showing.
All hope isn’t necessarily lost. What hope there is is fading fast.
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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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.