‘New Amsterdam’: 7 Burning Questions for Final Episodes
When New Amsterdam returns in 2023 on January 3, it will be doing so with its final episodes. The two-hour series finale is set for January 17, but there is quite a bit it needs to wrap up by then.
We’re not even just talking about the big shock for Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) at the end of the fall finale: the return of his ex-fiancée Dr. Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman)! There’s the matter of what that means for Sharpwin and a potential new relationship in his life. Speaking of romance, while one couple may be heading in the right direction, another is looking to sign divorce papers. And then there’s always the concern that someone could die (though we know it won’t be Max).
Below, we take a look at our burning questions for the end of NBC’s medical drama.
New Amsterdam, Winter Premiere, Tuesday, January 3, 10/9c, NBC
What does Helen's return mean for Sharpwin?
With Agyeman exiting between seasons, Helen not showing up for her and Max’s wedding led to a letter from her admitting that she couldn’t explain what had happened or what kept her in London. The fall finale ended with him shocked to see her on TV — and revealing she’s back in New York!
“Having Helen Sharpe back in New York will profoundly affect Max,” executive producer David Schulner told TV Insider. “Just knowing she’s in the same city will put pressure on his budding feelings for Wilder [Sandra Mae Frank], it will test how much he has truly moved on, it will call into question everything he has done and said and felt this entire season. Which is why we brought her back!”
Expect to see her in Episode 11 as well, though “her presence and the repercussions of her visit to NY are felt far beyond that,” the EP teased. So does this mean that there will be official closure to Sharpwin’s romantic relationship, or might the door be left open for them to have a future together?
What does Helen's return mean for a potential future for Max and Wilder?
As Schulner said, Helen’s return will affect the relationship that has been building between Max and Wilder. He’d asked her to dinner, but she’d decided to accept just as Helen made her return. So is there any hope for the two of them now? Or might this cause Wilder to take a step back, this time for good?
Is divorce the end for Iggy and Martin?
Dr. Iggy Frome (Tyler Labine) and Martin (Mike Doyle) briefly reunited, only for the fall finale to end with the latter saying they should finalize the divorce. While Schulner noted the importance of that decision, we can’t help but wonder if perhaps closing the chapter on that part of their relationship might be what Iggy and Martin need to begin anew and truly move forward together.
Will Reynolds make it work with Gabrielle?
To say that Dr. Floyd Reynolds (Jocko Sims) has been unlucky when it comes to love would be an understatement — see his relationships with Dr. Lauren Bloom (Janet Montgomery), Evie Garrison (Margot Bingham), and Dr. Lyn Malvo (Frances Turner). But it seems like he and traveling nurse Gabrielle (Toya Turner) might be able to make things work as we head into the final episodes. “He’s going in. He’s excited,” Sims told TV Insider of that relationship.
Will Bloom be able to take a step back when it comes to her sister's sobriety?
Bloom’s sister Vanessa (Kathryn Prescott) overdosed in the fall finale, and it was hard, but the doctor did listen to Reynolds when it came to doing what was best. And so he was the one to bring Vanessa the information about an NA meeting. But will Bloom be able to continue to do that? Should we be worried about how she’ll handle not only what’s going on with her sister but also the fact that it came so soon after their mother’s death?
“Absolutely, you should be concerned,” according to Shulner. “But, we’re not going to go down the obvious or expected road with Bloom. She’s a different and stronger person than she was at the beginning of this season.”
Will tragedy strike for any of the doctors?
We can’t help but be worried that not everyone will survive these final episodes — but not necessarily that one of the doctors will die. Rather, what if something happens to Reynolds’ father (John Earl Jelks), who just moved out? What if Vanessa can’t get sober and overdoses again? Or what if something unexpected happens?
How will it all end?
Prior to reading the finale script, Sims shared he’d heard “you’ll get to know the characters even more, learn why they are who they are. And I think that we’ll wrap up the show with that mantra moving forward — How can I help? — for generations to come.”
For Schulner, “I want to leave the audience with the feelings they felt when they first fell in love with the show. … I want to honor the fans who stayed with us for five years.”
Will everyone still be working at New Amsterdam at the end of the series? Will Max still be medical director?
