New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 14 Review: The Forsaken
Jasmine Blu
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It was another emotional hour of the series.
New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 14 was another tearjerker with a touching case about a presumed veteran, Helen's emotional case with an abandoned baby, and the departure of a character who grew on us.
Initially, the case with Mustafa seemed like another case involving a veteran who suffered from suicidal tendencies and trauma, but New Amsterdam put a different spin on it that was refreshing.
Mustafa wasn't a traditional veteran. He was a combat translator who served alongside soldiers, but in most cases, he wouldn't be considered on.
There is an ongoing effort by many to get combat translators/interpreters the recognition that they have more than earned and safe haven in the states after fighting so hard for the country.
Related: New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 13 Review: The Blues
Did you know combat translators don't get dog tags? It's insane when you think about it. Mustafa was right alongside the other soldiers. He withstood heavy fire, he carries all of the scars and trauma of combat, and he served as a real soldier, but he isn't treated like one.
To make matters worse, he came to the same country he fought hard for only to be accused and treated like the same people that he fought against. It's a sad reality that there are far too many people recited "support our troops" as though it's a prayer, but there is an unspoken caveat that said troops have to look a specific way.
Mustafa was a broken man, and it was absolutely devastating to hear him say that he didn't belong anywhere. He did and sacrificed so much only to feel like there is no place in this world for him.
He was in the best hands with Iggy who helped him as much as he could and in such a touching way. The best scene of the hour was when Alex and the other veterans piled into Mustafa's hospital room and dropped their dog tags into his bruised hand.
I don't belong anywhere.
Mustafa
It was such a profound and moving scene that it left me breathless. Mustafa's case was one of those times where you almost wish there was an update on the patient down the road. Aren't you interested in how Mustafa fares and if the support of his brothers and sisters is enough to keep him going?
While we're at it, an update on baby Zurah would be amazing too, but maybe it's best if Helen doesn't know.
You could see Helen's attachment to this baby a mile away. The second she unzipped that bag, you knew it was going to be a grueling case that would have Freema Agyeman exercising her tear ducts for the umpteenth time.
She started off the hour in complete bliss kissing and sneaking off for sexytimes at the diner with Panthaki. She ended the hour in such a raw and vulnerable state after helplessly falling in love with an infant that she was never going to be able to keep.
The more attached she became to baby Zurah, the more heartwrenching it was knowing that she was a childless mother who would remain so by the episode's end.
When she volunteered to partake in the skin-to-skin contact to soothe the baby and help her fight through her withdrawal, it was evident Helen would let her mind race with possibilities.
Helen: Do you ever feel like the universe is trying to tell you something.
Max: All the time.
Helen: You know how much I want to have a baby and my body hasn't been exactly cooperating. What if the universe put us together?
The friendship between Max and Helen continues to be one of the bright spots of this series, and the concern in Max's eyes as he watched his friend fall deeper in love with Zurah with every second almost made him the audience stand-in for the situation.
At this rate, Helen needs to be the godmother of little Luna. I'm just throwing that out into the universe.
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Max wanted to listen to her and support her, but he also didn't want her to get her hopes up. His heart sank as well when Zurah's birth father came in and wanted to go through the process of getting his daughter.
He seemed genuine in wanting to do right by her in a way that her mother couldn't, and he did say he tried to do whatever he could for her mother.
Another special moment was when the father asked Helen if he could keep her name for the baby. It's such a beautiful name, and it was more so when Helen explained the meaning and the significance.
Helen had a trying day at work, so it was natural for her to skip the niceties and tell Panthaki the truth about her wants and needs. However, it was shocking when he shared with her that he has two kids of his own. What the hell are we supposed to make of this?
Does this mean he doesn't want any more children? Will Helen be accepting of this news? Why did he take so long to mention the children?
Zurah's Dad: I hope you don't mind if she keeps the name. It kind of suits her. What's it mean anyway?
Helen: It means brightness because that's what she'll bring to your life.
It's one thing taking a while to introduce his children to the woman he's seeing, but not mentioning that he had children at all was just strange.
Speaking of strange, Max agreeing to this new doctor running the ED as efficiently as possible was bizarre. Since when does Max agree to 10-minute consultations with patients?
If a patient returns to the ED because of being rushed and dismissed the first time, then how is that efficient in the end? Plus, Kapoor is known for taking his sweet time with his patients, but that is what makes him the best at his job.
The new doctor was meant to highlight the absence of Bloom. She's not even similar to her, and her style doesn't seem to be everyone's cup of tea.
It's odd that it took Floyd running into her for him to find out that Bloom was on "vacation." It only took a run-in with Casey for him to find out the truth about why Bloom was away.
Floyd spent all this time happily developing his relationship with Evie, and he was on the verge of saying that he loved her, but Bloom sent him on a tail-spin.
Floyd: Don't.
Iggy: Don't what? I'm just going to say this one thing. I tell Martin I love him like 97 times a day. That's it.
The love between the two of them is still there, and when he canceled his plans with Evie and told her why, it's evident that Evie knows this too.
What made it odd was Iggy told Floyd to give Lauren space, but he couldn't bring himself to do that, and he should have listened. It was also odd that Floyd was compelled to see Lauren immediately. Why couldn't he finish his date?
Lauren and Evie are friends, so why couldn't she join him on his visit? Floyd's arrival at Lauren's rehab facility may be more of a hindrance than a help, and it seemed more selfish than selfless. He felt guilty instead of doing as Iggy advised, and he hurt Evie in the process.
Did you ever imagine being hurt by the decision to can Fulton? He went from being a character that you loathed when he made things difficult for Max to a character who you loved when he stood by Max and supported him.
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Max didn't hesitate to return the favor, and their maneuver of having Fulton fake a heart attack was so twisted but funny. Max laid it on thick with the board and had everyone ashamed.
It wasn't enough to save Fulton's job though, and that's unfortunate. I'm going to miss him. How about you?
What did you think of this hour? Did anything move you to tears? What does the future have in store for Helen and Panthaki?
Hit the comments with your thoughts!
New Amsterdam returns March 5. Until then, you can watch New Amsterdam online here via TV Fanatic!
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
