New Amsterdam fall finale review: Is Max Goodwin going to be okay?
For most of the episode, it did appear as though we were looking at a fairly-straightforward hour of TV, one in which Ryan Eggold’s character was doing everything within his power to be there for a woman potentially in need of a new heart. As it turned out, the one that she already had once belonged to Max’s late sister, and that led to him being personally invested in a way that he typically is not. He worked hard in order to find a way to make the transplant happen, putting in the hours and encouraging her to pass all of the tests needed in order to ensure that she made the grade.
Yet, when the dust settled, what mattered the most here was that Max needed to move forward. It really did not matter as to whether or not she lived or died, though her future was certainly looking bleak. It mattered that she got what she wanted out of her life thanks to Max’s sister and he needed to find a way to move forward in equal measure. That is why, at the end of the episode, he traveled out to the same pond he previously skipped stones at so many years before with Georgia. He was there to let some of his sister’s ashes free when all of a sudden, one of the most horrifying moments of the entire season happened. Max seemed to fall into the dock himself, completely out of nowhere.
For just a brief moment, New Amsterdam made you forget about the fact that Max had cancer and that is when they decided to remind us all in the harshest possible way. While we don’t exactly think that he’s dead, it’s clear coming out of this that his life is truly on the line. If he doesn’t figure out a way to progress and push things forward, there will be no way for him to continue to help anyone. He needs to figure this out for himself now if there is going to be any chance at all of a better future.
Elsewhere, it does at least appear as though Dr. Sharpe has set up Max in a program that, while risky, may help him to dramatically alter the course of his health and get him in a better place. We hope that this is something that he can get started on quickly; after all, this episode dictated that he doesn’t exactly have a lot of time.
CarterMatt Verdict
New Amsterdam focused much of episode 8 on the story of Max and his sister, though there was a compelling story about Iggy in which his patient, upset about not getting the surgery that he wanted to further establish himself as a transgender man, referred to him as transphobic on social media and tried to torpedo his reputation. It would’ve been easy for him to completely shirk this kid altogether after all of that, but instead, he worked to find some common ground and understand why he was so intent on getting the surgery soon — he felt pressure from a number of people who supported him along the way. This was another reminder of the sort of doctor and person that Iggy is — he wasn’t going to let any pressure or negative opinions get in the way of his job.
As a whole, this episode delivered a personal story to get to know Max Goodwin more, and also an opportunity to see one of the series’ biggest jaw-droppers. It’s clear that New Amsterdam is not messing around. We don’t foresee Ryan Eggold leaving (he is the star of the show, after all), but there are other ways to add drama going forward.
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