New Amsterdam Season 5 Episode 8 Review: All The World’s A Stage

New Amsterdam Season 5 Episode 8, “All The World’s a Stage,” like the rest of the season, features some stories that work, and some that definitely don’t.

This episode is a feature of so much of what the show’s final season has been so far. Chronic absenteeism, physicians just not listening to their patients, and weird relationship choices all feature prominently. 

Max is still an absentee medical director, and it still never sits well. It remains such an odd choice to show this man, who has always emphasized the importance of community and teamwork, off on his own.

It’s almost as if the New Amsterdam powers-that-be think that without Helen, he’s not worth showing with any of the DamFam. Ryan Eggold is still an incredibly charismatic actor, and it’s a shame he’s left to carry pretty much all of his scenes on his own. 

This storyline with the bequeathal department is also just strange. It’s frustrating because there’s actually a really great set-up for the many ways in which the American healthcare system preys on vulnerable patients, including by swindling massive donations left in patients’ wills. 

What’s odd about this story is that it’s a classic case of non-communication. The entire conflict could easily be resolved if Ken had just been honest with the patient’s son from the beginning about what his mother’s intentions always were.

Iggy’s story is cringey and nonsensical. It has to be said over and over again that Martin deserves far better than anything New Amsterdam has ever given him.

The fact that Iggy is incredibly insulting towards the janitor is really just quintessential Iggy. The janitor is just helping people, by telling them he feels a connection to deceased loved ones. 

Iggy goes right to a medical diagnosis which makes even less sense than anything the janitor is saying. Being a psychiatrist, he really should refer any question of physical health to the appropriate practitioner, or at the very least work collaboratively with them. 

It’s been true for a while that the best Iggy can do is refrain from giving people overtly terrible advice. The best that can be said is that he at least stops demeaning the janitor who’s just doing his own thing and minding his own business while trying to do a little bit of good. 

It’s really sad to see what New Amsterdam is doing with Elizabeth as a character. Since being introduced, she has consistently demonstrated that she has so much to offer.

However, in the series’ final season, there seems to be a concerted effort to show her not listening to patients, and consistently imposing her own will. With the main medical story on this episode involving beauty pageant contestants, there’s plenty of opportunity to examine assumptions.  

Although Elizabeth does come to check her own biases after automatically assuming a pageant contestant has an eating disorder, it comes far too late. The trust is already broken, as forgiving as the patient ultimately is. 

New Amsterdam needs Elizabeth to be better. With all the chaos that the final season has displayed, the show desperately needs an anchor. There’s an opportunity to showcase this character in a powerful way. There’s still time for the show to do so. 

New Amsterdam‘s continued trauma-dumping on Lauren is reaching new levels of terrible. Seriously, this woman cannot catch a break. The day this show lets her know peace will be a day too late. 

Lauren is another example of a character who too often lets their personal life interfere with their patient care. Her inability to remain objective when treating an overdose patient could have been a powerful reflection of everything Lauren has been through, and how far she’s come. 

Instead, Lauren comes across as someone who can’t see beyond her own pain, and see her patient right in front of her. This character has also always been one of the strongest physicians this hospital has. Thankfully, she does come back around. 

Lauren’s sister Vanessa was always going to come back into the picture somehow. The ending reveal to explain her presence is absolutely devastating. Clearly, New Amsterdam isn’t finished causing this character an unbearable amount of suffering.

The surprising highlight of this episode is the way Elizabeth and Max’s relationship is handled. It’s been clear for a while that these two are being established as a replacement for Sharpwin.

Moving past all the reasons why this is wrong, it’s equally evident that there just isn’t sufficient time to establish these two in the way they’d both deserve. It’s refreshing, then, for Elizabeth to reject Max’s proposal of a romantic relationship.

It would make the most sense to have these two remain good friends, as they always have been. This is how these two work best together. With so little time left in the series, why bother trying to fix what clearly isn’t broken?

With the fall finale right around the corner, New Amsterdam is setting up for an explosive conclusion before a final hiatus. The road will not be an easy one for any of these characters.

There’s a lot of potential to tell compelling stories as the series approaches its ultimate conclusion. Only time will tell if everyone involved is up to the task. 

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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