New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 12 Review: 14 Years, 2 Months, 8 Days
Jasmine Blu
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Miracles abound, and life and death are about learning how and when to move on.
To say New Amsterdam Season 2 Episode 12 was a heavy hour would be an understatement.
But it showcased the ebb and flow of life, touched on growth, and change.
Iggy's behavior following Tabitha's observations has sent him on a bit of a tailspin. He's not coping with it well, and he's obsessed about the diagnosis.
He's a professional psychologist. You'd only hope he would consult another professional about what was said.
Regardless of where you fall on the "Iggy is a Narcissist" spectrum, and the majority of the fandom has rejected this claim, Tabitha is not an esteemed psychologist.
She's still young and new to this. We haven't seen her since the session, so she has no way of knowing how she has affected Iggy's psyche since her statements.
But it's not only what Tabitha said that should have prompted Iggy to seek a therapist for himself, but it's everything he said during the session, too.
Obesity is not a willpower issue.
Iggy
He, better than anyone, knows the importance of seeking help. He shared a lot of troubling things in the session, and he probably should've have looked into going to therapy on his own.
Hell, you'd think Martin would suggest it too.
Instead, all of this heavy stuff is out in the atmosphere.
Iggy has fallen into some, what one can only assume are previous bad habits, like binge-eating. He's not in the best space right now.
It hasn't interfered with his job too much, but the best person to help others and treat them, is someone who can get help themselves.
On the one hand, Iggy and Helen bumping into each other in the stairwell as they each had their respective moments of indulging in their coping mechanisms endeared.
On the other hand, it's worrisome every time Iggy crams a sugary snack into his mouth. Was the cupcake he ate one of the same ones he threw out before?
Iggy's descent is troubling, and hopefully, he'll get the help he needs soon. It always hurts when Iggy is hurting. He's such a lovable character.
It wasn't like I loved my body before, but it was my body.
Louise
Yes, still firmly leading the "Protect Iggy at All Costs" fan club.
He connected with his patient Louise, who had battled with her weight for a long time. She lost weight, but her lack of confidence remained because of the skin flaps.
Helen was the one who called Iggy in after Louise expressed wanting to self-harm. She wished she could remove all of her flabby skin herself.
It is screwed up that excess skin removal isn't covered by insurance. It's considered cosmetic surgery.
Then let's give her cancer!
Helen
If someone loses weight, why not cover the skin removal surgery? Louise couldn't afford it, so she went through all of that to get in shape and healthy, but she mentally was trapped in a bad headspace and couldn't find confidence n her body.
The insurance company tap dance is a pain in the ass. But Helen came up with a crafty solution to help Iggy and Louise out.
Iggy was hellbent on getting Louise that surgery, even if he didn't have any ideas about it. Part of it came across as projecting.
The more he struggles with his issues, the more he throws himself into helping his patients with everything he has.
He's possibly trying to prove something to himself too. He's trying to confirm that he does care about his patients, and he's genuinely altruistic rather than helping others for selfish reasons.
Helen choosing to "give Louise cancer" was such a Max thing to do. The insurance company would cover the exact procedure for cancer.
Louise's joy over getting her procedure done made it all worth it. But no one should have to fudge up the records and paperwork in the first place.
Lauren was taking matters into her hands in the ER, too. She has he mojo back, and she's the shot-caller in the ER.
I'm not giving up on you, OK? Don't you either.
Iggy
Between her case and Max and Floyd's, there was a strong message about smoking and vaping.
Kapoor's was the case one got the most invested in. The opening minutes of the hour were beautifully done. The series covered the passage of time with a patient who had been in a coma for 14 years.
We got to see a younger Kapoor as he treated Jacob, and they even showed Kapoor's wife.
The most striking touch was the plant that lived and thrived over the years in the room.
Annie: He's my husband.
Sam: He was. He was your husband. He was my father. I swear, it's like you both died that day.
Jacob must have had some quality insurance to be resting in New Amsterdam for a decade and a half.
His wife didn't want to let him go, but his eyes opened, and he appeared responsive for the first time in 14 years, and the majority of the hour was about Kapoor and her kids urging her to let Jacob go.
Annie saw his eyes open, and he seemed responsive, so she couldn't reconcile what she saw with what they knew to be true.
It wove in nicely with a strong theme of how faith and science intersect that cropped up throughout the hour, namely with the prayer group, and all the mini-miracles that happened along the way.
In the end, Annie had pushed her kids away so much that she was afraid to let Jacob go out of fear of not having anyone else left.
Kapoor did some excellent counseling of the family, and once she realized her children would be there for her and support her through the loss they had accepted years ago, she could let Jacob go.
On the flip side, no one was willing to let go of the young patient who came to the hospital with a rare condition resulting from the e-cigs he smoked.
A young boy almost died because of vaping. The case was tearing both Floyd and Max up. The kid needed a lung bypass.
Patient: Doc, just remember. If I drop dead, the L train is only going to take longer.
Lauren: Duly noted.
It was so much happening there, and while it was a stronger case than Lauren's and Iggy's, the only case that felt fully-fleshed out was Kapoor's.
The entire hour could've been about Kapoor's case, and it would've made the hour much stronger. As it stands, there were too many things happening; and no time to delve into them.
It would've been cool if we heard more about obesity being a disease and why it's not as simple as losing weight, or we had a better understanding of vaping.
The prayer group was a way for Max to face his complicated relationship with religion and faith. However, they didn't handle it as artfully as when he spent the day talking to a rabbi.
And he wavers back and forth between being nearly hostile to the idea of it to going with the flow.
But Max praying in the gallery as he looked down on his young patient, and viewers receiving insight on how faith factored into his life when he lost his sister was nice.
It was a beautiful scene, and as usual, Eggold knocked it out of the park.
But speaking of parks, Max also spent the hour grappling over what a playdate with Alice and her kid meant.
Max, doesn't Luna deserve to have a new friend? And don't you?
Helen
Iggy's teasing gave him doubts, and he was willing to cancel on Alice rather than take a chance that the kids' playdate was an actual date for him and Alice.
Alice never said it was, and since we know she's also a widow, she would probably discuss dating with Max before she jumped into asking him out in a romantic manner.
Surely, she's familiar with the anxiety of dating, and she probably knows he's not ready for anything like that any time soon.
Their friendship can be just that: a friendship. Max is overthinking it.
He has a bad habit of isolating himself from anyone and anything outside of New Amsterdam, so maybe this is a step toward letting people in and socializing more.
If anything, he can't make Luna his everything after hours, and he can't be everything for her either. Sometimes it does seem like he's trying to shield her from the world, so they can stay in their bubble.
Helen was there to encourage Max to pursue this play date, and fine. At least they were on good standing again after he blew her off at work.
The two of them are taking the role reversal to heart. Since when is Max someone who care about following the rules?
From now on, the charts don't come to you. You come to the charts.
Lauren
Since when does Helen choose to disregard them for the greater good?
Helen has caught wind that Castro is getting the funding for a certain amount of patients in her study, but she's not putting them in it.
Castro is shady, and she has been since the day she stepped foot through the door. She's been gunning for Helen too.
The way she spoke to her was enough to make you want to reach through the screen and shake her.
But when Helen told Max what was going on, his only response was that he can't control how she does her study. Max, since when?
I heard after they showed up some guy who was in a coma 14 years woke up.
Joe
It's funny; since Helen has returned to New Amsterdam, she's the new Max Goodwin.
You know what? It looks good on her. It's like she and Max are balancing each other out, but they're doing it by switching up their roles.
As usual, it makes them a captivating duo.
Over to you, 'Dam Fanatics. Did you find this hour powerful and moving like others?
What's going to happen with Castro? Do you like that Helen has become more like Max?
Do you think Alice and Max will remain just friends? Hit the comments below.
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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.
