We now know the answer to the biggest cliffhanger of the year.
Fans were impatently waiting and dreading the reveal of who died, and after the predictable pattern of dragging it out, by the end of New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 1, we got our answer.
Rest in power, Georgia Goodwin.
The premiere pulled all the stops trying to give us misdirects and feeding us bits and pieces about what happened in the aftermath of New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 22‘s accident.
It had a time-jump of three months, and life went on at New Amsterdam. It almost carried on as if nothing had happened. The opening scene had Max singing to baby Luna and Georgia joining him in an adorable duet serenading their sweet baby girl.
Initially, the “Your turn. It’s always my turn” banter seemed like the typical exchange between two sleep-deprived parents trading shifts with tending to the baby.
It was adorable, but it was also foreshadowing. What made it stand out as questionable right out of the gate was Georgia never left the bed. Max, who is the medical director of a hospital, strapped his three-month-old baby to work for a however long shift while “Georgia” stayed home to sleep.
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After the high-risk pregnancy and complicated birth, it felt unnatural for her, regardless of how tired she may have been, to part ways with her baby let alone have her husband cart such a young baby to a germ-ridden hospital.
Georgia: Long day?
Max: They’re all long days.
Georgia: Your turn.
Max: It’s always my turn.
There was no reason for Luna to not be at home with her. On top of that, based on Iggy’s reaction to seeing her, it was a familiar occurrence.
The rest of the hour wove in flashbacks and referred to the other two women as gone without specifying in what capacity.
New doctor Castro was taking up residence in Helen’s office and running point on Max’s treatment. It was another misdirect, and it didn’t help matters how Max behaved every time Sharpe was referenced or mentioned.
We didn’t find out she was alive until halfway through the hour, and it was very much a relief. Out of the three women, the series would have taken a significant hit if Helen was the one who died.
Max, I know you miss Dr. Sharpe. If she were here, she’d say the same thing. You beat the odds. You won the cancer lottery.
Castro
Her death would have left the biggest impression and not necessarily the best one either. It was and still is already controversial as hell that they chose to kill off someone this soon into the game, and one of the women at that.
The thrill of Helen being alive was short-lived when you took into consideration the frigid energy between her and Max. The Sharpwin dynamic we know and love was nonexistent.
Max was shutting Helen out when she asked about his home life and his treatment with Castro. Knowing Max, he didn’t respond well when Helen went back to fundraising.
It’s a troubling state for Max to be in since we discovered throughout New Amsterdam Season 1 that the only two people who kept Max on track were Georgia and Helen.
Where’s Sharpe? Where’s Sharpe?!
Max
Georgia is gone, and he’s shutting out Helen. One can foresee dark times ahead for Max. It’s the sort of angst this decision was designed to bring about, but it remains a frustrating choice.
Did Max need more pain? He lost his twin sister. As far as we know, his parents are either estranged or gone. He doesn’t have any other family, and the hospital is his life.
He has cancer. He almost lost his baby. Did he need to lose his wife too? Wouldn’t it have been easier if the couple never worked through their marital issues and instead co-parented?
To put it bluntly, Georgia was the most expendable character out of the three women, but one of them having to die at all sucks.
Why does a woman always have to die to make a man’s storyline more angsty? It’s redundant tragic porn.
Nevertheless, while it feels gross to say it was the best possible outcome when the options were crappy; it was. The aftermath of this accident could open up some intriguing storylines for the other two ladies.
Did Helen choose to go back to fundraising? Is being at the hospital after her near-death scare too much? Does she have a problem facing Max every day knowing her friend is in so much pain, and there’s nothing she can do to assuage it?
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She has always struggled a bit with facing patients and their pain. She also longs for a child of her own. Now her best friend is a single father and widower with a baby he’s probably overwhelmed trying to raise by himself amid his grief.
The only good news to come out of this was his treatment is working and he could be cancer-free soon. It’s sad how little he reacted to the news. It’s like it didn’t matter with Georgia gone.
He couldn’t even celebrate.
Meanwhile, Lauren is back at the hospital after she considered taking a break. The damage to her leg is a battle for her, but she’s fresh out of rehab.
How does she stay sober and fight her addiction when she needs pain meds and things of that nature due to her injury? Lauren’s addiction storyline can expand with her injury.
The series can explore it in new ways and from different angles. It was evident by her final scene with Helen that she isn’t OK either. The pain, the addiction, and the trauma of it all could be overwhelming for her.
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The tender moment between Lauren and Helen was one of the best moments of the hour. Their friendship has always been complicated and had dark moments, but they’re bonded in a way they weren’t before after this accident.
If Max is pushing everyone away in the aftermath, it’s nice to see two people be drawn closer together. Lauren is going to need all the support she can get, and Helen is nothing if not supportive.
Lauren also has Casey around too. The sweet Cabloom moments were also a highlight. They have an adorable relationship, and it’s nice to know their friendship survived him reporting her.
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It was heartbreaking to see him worked up over his friend, but I can also see him gravitating toward Lauren more, and the more Casey we get this season, the better.
You can’t just make homebrew insulin. It’s not Kombucha.
Karen
Helen also got a cold welcome from Castro. The two women have a history, and Castro is not above reminding Helen of that. She had her reasons for being upset and reluctant to work with Helen, but it was sickening how she used Max and his treatment as a bargaining chip.
It wasn’t like Helen was going to say no!
Castro probably isn’t a bad person. Up until her moments with Helen, she seemed nice; she’s going to cause some problems though.
The series knows how to weave in timely issues and remind you of how broken the healthcare system is. Max is throwing himself into work, but it’s comforting to know he maintains his optimism and drive to help the best he can.
Patient: What about everyone else who can’t afford?
Max: Only you’re my patient, and doctor’s fight for their patients. Today, I fought for you. Tomorrow, it’s another story.
What’s noticeable is how he’s come to accept changing the world sometimes means only helping one person at a time. He wanted to achieve more by making insulin, so it could be affordable to patients.
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He tried to do more when he held his press conference and mentioned he would be getting insulin from Canada. The cost of insulin in this country is astronomical, and there are so many people dying because of their inability to afford it or due to the effects of rationing their meds.
He couldn’t beat the system this time, but he could get his patient a lifetime supply of insulin in exchange for him not being a nuisance.
Of course, he cares about everyone else, but sometimes, all he can do is save one person. Tomorrow is another day.
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Kapoor’s case was a reminder of how important dental hygiene is too. Kapoor always has unusual cases where he saves his patients by taking his time and paying attention to them.
Meanwhile, Iggy is such a pure soul. It was touching when he gave the homeless woman his shoes, and it was easy to get emotional when he and Rick were crying.
It seems he’s grieving too. He may not have known Georgia well, but her death has ripple effects on people he cares about. It might be the reason he wants another baby.
Poor Martin was up to his ears in sick kids and hectic parent stuff, and Iggy comes waltzing into the door talking about adopting another one.
Iggy: I think we should adopt another child.
Martin: What?!
Oh, Iggy. You guys already have your hands full. Can’t being Uncle Iggy to Luna be enough?
Death has a way of making those who survive appreciate life, and Iggy is trying to make the best of his and chase after things that make him happy.
I wonder how it’ll affect his marriage, though?
Floyd is happy with his engagement to Evie, but he’s missing her. She’s on the other side of the country, and he doesn’t get to see her often.
They’re both always busy.
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They couldn’t even sneak in some phone sex without something coming up.
While Evie is away, Floyd has a nice distraction in new intern Michael. The kid is spunky and has heart. He wasn’t afraid to call out Floyd, and he even proclaimed to take Floyd’s job one day.
I like him. Mentoring is something that suits Floyd’s character, and the two of them already have a dynamic which could be of interest down the line.
New Amsterdam returned as emotional as ever. The death weighed heavy on the hour, and it will weigh heavier on Max. The trajectory of his character going forward will be something worthy of investment.
He just found this family, and now he’s pulling away from everyone. However, while he’s distancing himself, other bonds are deepening and thriving.
I look forward to how the series explores them.
Over to you New Amsterdam Fanatics. Were you surprised by who died? Where does Max go from here? Did you appreciate the glimpse into Iggy’s home life?
Hit the comments below with your thoughts.
You can watch New Amsterdam online here via TV Fanatic!
Jasmine Blu is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.