New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4 Review: The Denominator

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This series is so special.

If you can make it through an hour of New Amsterdam without getting emotional in some capacity or another, then kudos to you. 

Yes, New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4 was another moving hour.

Dr. G - Tall  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

How can one hospital in one of the biggest cities in the world feel like a small community? It's the communal vibe of the series that elicits all of the feels.

Everyone at New Amsterdam takes care of each other. They're in a field where taking care of people is part of the job, but it's not always the case.

Related: New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Replacement

Also, Dam Fam care extends beyond the walls of the hospital. Each doctor gets invested in the person. The concern for their well-being goes beyond patching them up and sending them on their way.

B- Ball  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

We saw it with Max's latest project of sorts, taking on hypertension in the neighborhood, and with Iggy and Kapoor trying to take on the city over their treatment of a low-income neighborhood.

It goes beyond the scope of their jobs, but it doesn't stop them from getting involved.

Related: The Resident Season 3 Episode 4 Review: Belief System

It's easy for us to see what Max does for the communities he helps, and the series did a great job of showing how Max could help Kenny's Kutz and the community without falling into the "white savior" trope that happens often.

What do you think about Kenny's Cuts having its own in-house physician?

Max

However, what was noticeable, too, is how Max is coping with his life after Georgia's death. When it comes to Max's background, there's a lot we don't know.

The Quiet Moments - Tall  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 3

What happened to the rest of his family? Georgia was his family, and he finds a way to create a family wherever he goes. He needs a sense of community, which is probably why he finds himself strolling through neighborhoods with Luna and ending up in basketball games with strangers.

Related: This Is Us Season 4 Episode 4 Review: Flip a Coin  

He was having fun, too. By the end of the hour, he was lighter and freer. He was having a ball (pardon the pun). A sense of community, both at work and outside, is something he needs.

His investment in helping a community he acquired as his own was instant. From the second Marquis collapsed, he was determined to help the best way he could.

Max Smiles - tall  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

It was amusing too. One of the most endearing qualities of Max is how adaptable he is. He enters any space as himself, earnest, and open to learning and understanding in addition to helping.

He then finds creative ways to understand and work around others. He's always well-intentioned, but at times he's obtuse.

He meant well wanting to educate the men of the barbershop on hypertension and running down the facts and figures of how they're more inclined to suffer from it as African-Americans.

Ann: So, in your idealized world there are zero patients at New Amsterdam.
Max: Ideally, yeah.

Max couldn't fathom anyone, even if they believed themselves to be healthy like Marquis, not going to see a doctor. It was a blind spot for him, and he tried his best to appeal to the barbershop and its inhabitants in the best way he knew how.

Help is Here - Tall  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

Some cultural understanding was a necessity. Dr. G was unaware of the black community's history of distrusting doctors and the medical field.

Floyd provided insight after Kenny kicked Max out of the barbershop. He mentioned the Tuskeegee experiment to give Max an idea of the generational wariness Max was up against being a white doctor swooping in and thinking he could help them out.

Related: Treadstone Season 1 Episode 1 Review: Who Needs Jason Bourne?

Outside of getting a crash course in culture, Max's initial plan of hanging out at the barbershop and checking everyone's blood pressure wasn't practical or realistic.

A Word of Advice  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

However, his solution to deputize Kenny was as creative as they come. The men at the shop trust Kenny, so he could check them out regularly and administer the medication if it was needed.

And with Max overseeing it and becoming familiar with them over time as he checks in on Kenny, maybe could form a relationship and build trust too. If anyone does need help, they'll be more inclined to head to New Amsterdam and seek help from Dr. G.

It seemed as though he saw himself in Marquis and Luna in Harmony. Marquis was a single dad taking care of a daughter. All they had was one another.

Max's New Friends - tall  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

It was touch and go for Marquis when Floyd was performing surgery on him, and they almost had to prepare Harmony for the worst. Max had to have been thinking about what his life will be like as a single dad to Luna.

Maybe it encouraged him to keep healthy and on top of things. It was another reminder of how he's all Luna has.

Related: Emergence Season 1 Episode 4 Review: No Outlet 

Of course, that's also where his need to immerse himself or build a community wherever he goes comes into play too.

Floyd was a bit overwhelmed in his surgery, but his mentorship with Duke is bumpy. The kid knows his stuff, but he doesn't know how to hold his tongue and not challenge his superior.

Harmony Watches Luna - tall  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

He can't question Floyd all of the time. He has the book knowledge, but he lacks the years of experience. Floyd is whipping him into shape, though.

It's going to be a sight to behold when Duke gets to do something major during a surgery. He's itching to get his hands dirty, and we won't get a feel for how good he is until he does.

Duke is a likable new addition, whereas Valentina is loathsome.

Next time one of our patients has one of these issues, I promise I'll be just as supportive of you.

Castro

How can someone so beautiful be so revolting? She's like a villain who belongs at Chastain Memorial over New Amsterdam.

The Girls Look On -Tall  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

Valentina doesn't give a damn about patients. She only concerns herself with her study and profits over the well-being of the patients.

It's irritating as hell that she has half of Helen's department. She doesn't deserve any parts of it.

She and Max haven't crossed paths since she treated him, but he's going to have some feelings about the way she's handling things.

Helen: Molly, are you depressed?
Molly: No, I'm a lot of things, but depressed is not one of them.
Helen: Do you still find meaning in your life?
Molly: No.
Helen: And how do you find the quality of your life?
Molly: Lacking quality. Why are you asking me this?
Helen: These are extremely powerful painkillers, they're good at what they do. But if you take too many of them, you're breathing will slow, and you will die. I'm going to leave the room, and if they're gone when I get back, there will be no questions asked. This is your choice, no one else's. You're in control.

For now, Helen was able to put her in her place a bit, and it was a triumphant moment to have her stick it to Castro.

Helen of New Amsterdam - tall  Season 2 Episode 3

The situation with Molly was a controversial move, though. Everyone has strong feelings about assisted-suicide. It's not legal in New York, and with Castro gunning for Helen, she put herself in a hell of a position slipping those pills to Molly.

When Helen was running through the questions, it was evident what was on her mind.

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Molly didn't want to be part of the treatment program, and Castro didn't care and preferred to pump more drugs in her. Helen wanted Molly to have an option.

Helen put her license and the hospital in jeopardy with her choice. The exploration of this issue wasn't flawless, and the way they went about it was questionable. It's doubtful we've seen the last of this.

Toxic Town - Tall  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

In addition to the state not supporting assisted suicide, it ironically has a great deal of low-income neighborhoods poisoned by something or another.

In this case, Kapoor and Iggy were treating a patient, and it led them to a despicable case of negligence and callousness that resulted in led poisoning of a neighborhood.

Related: The Purge Season 2 Episode 1 Review: This is Not A Test

No one ever cares when it's a low-income neighborhood. Kapoor and Iggy got their Erin Brokovich on and made some noise.

Disappointing News  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

Poisoned soil and water -- what are you supposed to do when the place you live makes you sick? What do you do when the government that's supposed to take care of you doesn't?

Kapoor and Iggy are the second-best duo on this series, and they prove it time and again when they work together on cases like this.

Fighting for the people consumed their professional life and longing for a baby took over their personal life. Iggy wants to adopt another kid, and he put in an application for it.

Lead Poisoning - Tall  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

He has kid fever. Kapoor was excited about his grandbaby, but nothing prepared him for Ella mentioning she might not keep the baby.

It's Ella's body and baby, and it's her choice; but why can't Kapoor be happy? Goodness!

Lauren is not happy now that her pain relief is gone. She's not adjusting to her leg well. She refuses to listen to anyone and take help when it's necessary.

Friction  - New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4

Lauren is being Lauren. She took a hard fall, because of her inability to slow down.


Related: NCIS Season 17 Episode 4 Review: Someone Else's Shoes 

She has to let people help her and take her physical therapy, the real type, seriously. What's going to happen to her now that her hot PT doc is gone?

Over to you, 'Dam Fanatics.

Did Helen make a mistake? Will it catch up to her with Castro there?

Related: Get Shout! Factory TV via Prime Video Channels For Cult Classic Films & TV that Shape Pop Culture Now!

Which issue struck you the most? Do you think Ella will get rid of the baby? Hit the comments below!

You can watch New Amsterdam online here via TV Fanatic.

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The Denominator Review

Editor Rating: 4.6 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.8 / 5.0 (6 Votes)

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.

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New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 4 Quotes

What do you think about Kenny's Cuts having its own in-house physician?

Max

Helen: Molly, are you depressed?
Molly: No, I'm a lot of things, but depressed is not one of them.
Helen: Do you still find meaning in your life?
Molly: No.
Helen: And how do you find the quality of your life?
Molly: Lacking quality. Why are you asking me this?
Helen: These are extremely powerful painkillers, they're good at what they do. But if you take too many of them, you're breathing will slow, and you will die. I'm going to leave the room, and if they're gone when I get back, there will be no questions asked. This is your choice, no one else's. You're in control.