Veronica Fuentes has to go.
Have we ever had a villain on this series quite like her? She’s reminiscent of a Disney villain with some of her maneuvers. She wages mental warfare on everyone around, exploits things, and seems intent on burning the hospital to a crisp around her to get a rise out of Max.
By the end of New Amsterdam Season 4 Episode 7, it felt as if Fuentes, channeling Eris the Goddess of Strife and Chaos, is intentionally doing things to force Max to stay. It has to be the only explanation!
The installment had it all, and they’re doing a tremendous job of juggling so many different topics, and storylines that all have unique feels to them.
But let’s get the thorn in the side storyline out of the way first.
To say that this situation with Floyd, Lyn, and Claude is on life support would imply that it ever thrived in the first place. It’s the flatline that never quits. Can we pull the plug on this?
The one intriguing thing going for it during this installment was what Claude brought to the table. He’s not okay with what’s going on, and he isn’t the type to pretend like he is.
Yes, Claude behaves pettily at the hospital with Floyd, but you can’t blame him for it. What did Lyn expect when she got involved with another guy at their place of employment?
“Don’t sh*t where you sleep” and all that good stuff, yes?
Claude: I just wanted to make you happy because you’re sure as hell not happy with just me!
Lyn: That’s not true.
Claude: That’s how it felt.
The meal between the three at the restaurant was uncomfortable, and there was no way that a simple conversation at a cute restaurant would ease any of the tension or address their issues.
We’ve operated with Lyn’s word that she was in an open marriage with her husband and heard things from her perspective. It never felt right when the one-sided nature of it and secrecy came across as an affair. Now that Claude is in the know, the discomfort still lingers.
Claude didn’t want to be in an open marriage. He only agreed to it because of his love for Lyn. It doesn’t seem as though they ever talked enough about any of this, though.
How is Claude just now bringing up that he didn’t feel like he was enough for Lyn, and she didn’t love him as much anymore? These are all discussions that should’ve happened well before Lyn embarked on this journey.
While it’s not a personal area of expertise or experience, some of the basic rules of polyamory are common enough knowledge. One of the most significant issues with this storyline is how terribly it portrays polyamory.
Claude should have never agreed to something that he couldn’t handle. Lyn needed to explain herself and her sexuality to her husband better. Floyd should’ve avoided this entanglement without understanding all facets of it from the married couple.
And hell, this storyline would’ve been infinitely more interesting if Claude, who understood what his wife saw in Floyd, were interested in the many, too. In this instance, a triad would trump a love triangle.
It’s affecting their jobs, and that’s unprofessional and too messy for words.
People like Veronica, who seems to have eyes and ears everywhere and can pick up on every single thing and exploit it while planting seeds, can use all this tension to stir up drama.
It was a running theme for her, and she took it to a whole new level during this installment. Every time they showed her, she moved the Dream Team around like chess pieces in a game for her amusement.
She’s playing Lauren like a fiddle right now, and it’s going to backfire something fierce before all is said and done. She has Lauren in a sling, and it’s evident that she knows about Lauren’s bribe.
It’s the first time we got official confirmation that Lauren did pay to get Leyla in the program. Before, it was open to interpretation.
Veronica alluded to the bribe and mentioned Leyla, and then she asked for one herself. The woman is nothing if not sinister, and it put Lauren in a terrible position.
But honestly, Lauren’s brand of reckless impulsivity in the name of love is offputting, and there are only so many times she can get away with doing things without ever facing real consequences for her actions.
On the one hand, as a member of the Dream Team, you don’t want everything crashing down on her, but on the other, she’s due for some time of consequence, and she did too much with this choice.
It doesn’t serve her well that she ended the hour making the phone call to Louie and prompting him to fiddle with the funds again. It’s going to hurt like hell when Leyla finds out the truth, and it’ll be worse if she faces more consequences for what Lauren did by way of getting removed from the program.
Lauren’s behavior was also a bit dicey with Paramedic Robert.
Isn’t it odd that she didn’t have more of a reaction to the ambulance accident, too? It made sense that the incident would trigger some PTSD for Max; he lost Georgia because of a crash. However, Lauren also got severely injured because of that same accident.
Instead of Lauren showing any signs of that triggering something in her, she spent a weird amount of time attempting to defend Robert’s running down civilians and killing a man. He doesn’t get a pass or the benefit of the doubt because of his uniform.
It was the third or fourth time in two seasons that Casey had to school Lauren on why her line of thinking is a bit warped and lacks social consciousness. It shouldn’t be “sides” and allegiances when lives are on the line.
I want you to make another donation to New Amsterdam? How complicated would that be?
Lauren
Of course, it wasn’t the biggest shock, though more fuel to hate Veronica’s guts, when we learned that she’s responsible for incentives. As a business-minded person, she somehow thought forcing the EMTs to go out of their districts to compete with private ambulance companies was a genius idea.
Robert got into a horrific accident that killed a civilian and injured others and his partner by speeding through the city in some competition. It’s ridiculous!
It’s hard to believe that Veronica didn’t think about starting an EMT service of their own. If anything, that should’ve been her first order of business. Max didn’t need to come up with that one.
And that’s why it keeps feeling as though Veronica is deliberately doing things to push him so far he has no other choice but to stay. She did the same with Helen.
I appreciated the nod at how many hospitals reallocated resources to address COVID during the pandemic but haven’t taken measures to reinstate any of them since.
Helen didn’t realize what she did when she put that protocol into place, nor did she double back to ensure that everything went back as it should. And no one thinks about how entire departments got cut as a result of all of these decisions.
Veronica gave Helen her Sickle Cell study back, which is often the first casualty because it is a disorder that doesn’t affect a prominent enough demographic. But she took something else away. If that doesn’t sum up the Veronica method, then does anything?
Similarly, she gave Iggy this great news about his recognition, but she chased it with a demand that he go back to treating patients or turn in his resignation if he refused.
The effects of Chance still linger. Iggy is not okay, and he hasn’t been for a long time.
He’s astute enough to know that he can’t see patients or help them anymore because of his anxiety, trauma, and mindset, but he has sought therapy and help for himself.
He, better than anyone, knows that giving up his patients and attempting to distance himself from certain things isn’t enough. Iggy needs professional help, but he won’t get it.
It’s not uncommon for the very person who helps others to refuse it themselves, but hopefully, part of Iggy’s journey this season includes getting real help.
Your heart ached for Iggy when he couldn’t manage any of the therapy appointments with patients and had full-blown anxiety attacks at the mere thought of them.
His scenes with Gladys were great, and she constantly proves how much of an asset she is and how underrated she as a character.
Iggy’s anxiety is real, and it’s a beast. As much as you wish he could “get over it,” there is so much happening with him he has to work through. Iggy has a long road ahead.
Fortunately, Martin is always there to support him. After the months they spent riding around the country until they ran out of time and money to carry on with it, the idea of Iggy resigning and not bringing in any income could be a financial blow to their family.
However, Martin is willing to do anything to support Iggy. He can see how much Iggy is struggling, and he wants what’s best for him. I wish we spent more time with this couple, and one of the many reasons that I can’t wait for Iggy to get the help he needs and deserves is so that Martin doesn’t become burned out.
He loves the hell out of Iggy, and that much is evident. Part of loving someone is accepting all aspects of them, and Martin does that. But it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come with a price or take a toll.
So often, Iggy and Martin’s marriage feels one-sided, where Iggy has all of these needs that Martin tries to fulfill, which can be draining for Martin. I wish we got things from Martin’s perspective more sometimes.
It was another excellent installment for Sharpwin, and it’s always satisfying when the hour opens and closes with this pairing.
Max: I was thinking because we’re going to be a family we can give Helen a new name. A special one. What do you think? Because it can’t be mommy.
Luna: Why not?
Max: Because mommy is in heaven, and Helen is right here. Do you know what they call mommies in England where Helen’s from?
Luna: No.
Max: You do?
Luna: No.
Max: Mum. You like that name?
Luna: Yeah, mum. Mum!
Their domestic vibes are so strong, and it’s cute to see them in their element, navigating life and their relationship together.
We’ve got a lot of what’s happening between Max and Helen. But the show is barely scratching the surface with the Luna of it all. She’s the most important person in Max’s life, and there is a lot to explore between Helen and Luna as she figures out parenthood.
Their commitment to each other is crystal clear. It’s satisfying to the fans of this pairing that neither of them considers not being with each other.
Max knows, believes, and trusts that Helen will always be this essential figure in not only his life but Luna’s, and the topic of what to call her was a great thing for the show to approach.
Max, I heard about what happened to Georgia, and I just wanted to say I’m sorry. That would destroy many people. And I’m glad you found a path forward for both you and your daughter.
Fuentes
It also was this beautiful nod to some of the intimate talks Helen had with Max about motherhood and how much she wanted a child. One of those quiet, intimate Sharpwin scenes where she talked about a kid and wanted to be “mum” with such awe, reverence, and aching.
One of the lovely things about Max is how he pays attention to all these little details and files them away despite appearing as a hyperactive child with an Attention Deficit. You could tell that that conversation stuck with him, and it was one of the primary reasons he told Luna about using “mum.”
The distinction served two beautiful purposes. For one, it honored and respected Georgia. Sadly, Luna didn’t get the chance to know her mother, and she’ll only have what Max and Georgia’s parents share with her. Luna will only know her mother through their memories.
Georgia is irreplaceable, and it wouldn’t feel right for Luna to call anyone else that. But two, “mum” was a beautiful way of commemorating how special Helen is and her significance in their lives. Right now, she is the closest thing that Luna has to a mother, and that deserves some recognition.
It’s respectful and has the perfect amount of sentiment that suits their family. As Max said, Georgia is in heaven, but Helen is here and in the now. Naturally, Luna wants to call her something of importance, and this works.
It’s a beautiful gift to Luna, and it’s one to Helen as well, fulfilling what she always wanted unexpectedly. How could you not get emotional by that final scene with the three?
But amid all the happy family stuff, is anyone else wondering about Max’s parents? It’s been such a mystery in this series. He never speaks about them, and it was to the point where it made you think they were dead or something.
Finally, we got some answers about them. They’re both alive, and Max’s father and stepfather are not good men. That carries some weight and implies a litany of things.
But the fact that the hour brought it up at all is enough to make you think they’ll be making an appearance in some capacity.
You know the NYPD tried a quota system and it led to the mass incarceration of Black and Brown people and nearly tore the city apart.
Max
Max lost his sister, and he and his parents are estranged. We’re learning so much about the other characters, but could this be the season we dig into Max, too? Hopefully so!
Let’s discuss everything below! Are you digging this Floyd/Lyn/Claude thing? Do you think we’ll meet Max’s parents? Are you ready to strangle Lauren?
You can watch New Amsterdam online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.