After a tumultuous season 4, a cliffhanger that left fans angry and confused, and a shocking exit of a beloved cast member over the summer, the final season of New Amsterdam premieres in just a couple of weeks.
The season 4 finale of New Amsterdam was one that most fans want to forget. It was met with negative reviews from all TV review outlets, and all you need to do is click on the #newamsterdam hashtag on Twitter, to see that a positive comment is near impossible to find. And for good reason. The entire season felt off. Instead of capitalizing on the amazing storylines they had built up so well in the first 3 seasons, the writers tried to add on new storylines that were out of place and completely out of left field for the characters they built so beautifully upon in seasons 1-3. I had to double check at times that it was the same writing team responsible for a season 4 that was rushed, inconsistent, and left fans wondering what the heck was going on.
The finale was a crushing blow to Sharpwin fans, who had been hoping for a happy ending for the couple that they have been rooting for since season 1, episode 1. The chemistry between Max and Helen was so palpable right from the beginning, and they had the perfect slow burn leading up to them finally acknowledging their feelings for each other at the end of S3. To think that Helen would ever leave Max standing at the altar is completely ridiculous, and it was obviously done for pure shock factor. Sharpwin fans felt betrayed and cheated by show runners who promised more joy for a couple that they themselves stated “had a magic that changed the direction of the show.” A season that promised “more joy,” ended with all of the character’s lives in complete disarray. Floyd gave up his rights to his child so that Lyn could move to Denver with Claude and raise the baby as a cohesive family unit, Marvin and Iggy split, Lauren broke it off with Leyla and Max was left standing at the altar. The finale was a disaster, and as a dedicated long time viewer, I was left angry and asking myself- what on earth was that?
That brings us to this summer, when rumours started to swirl that Freema Agyeman was leaving the show. It couldn’t be true, could it? Could half of the hottest ship on the show be on her way out? Sharpwin fans did not want to believe it, until Agyeman herself confirmed her exit via a beautifully written Instagram post. Were fans heartbroken? Absolutely. Shocked? Not at all. With the way her character was written in S4 and the fact that she was only given 55 seconds (yes, the female lead was given LESS THAN A MINUTE) of screen time in the entire finale, we wonder why she didn’t leave any earlier. Agyeman made it clear that it was her decision to leave. But something seemed to be off all season. Her character suffered far more than any other on the show, and the writers moved her character to London, isolated and alone from the main cast, and most of her scenes involved communicating with Max via telephone (not even Facetime or a Zoom call)! Fans have been wondering if something more was amiss. The truth is we will likely never know the true reason behind Freema’s exit, but we wish this immensely talented, underrated actress all the best. Clearly New Amsterdam show runners did not realize the gift they had in Agyeman, or her immense potential would not have been wasted by bad writing in season 4.
The episode starts with a montage of Max dealing with the fall out of what kept Helen in London, with the support of his friends (yes, the same friends that tried to talk Max into staying in NY and break it off with Helen, the same friends that never checked in on Helen once when she had a stroke and never even congratulated Max and Helen on their engagement…but I digress). As the promo pics that were released by NBC show, Luna is celebrating her 5th birthday so yes, a time jump has occurred. While I cannot tell you the reason why Helen left Max at the altar, I can tell you this- Sharpwin fans will be furious. I was furious. There were a million different ways they could have written the story despite Agyeman’s exit. To me, this was the one way to anger fans even more and once again wonder, WHY? Sharpwin fans should engage in some Mindful breathing before watching the premiere, because this will not sit well with them. At all. I have to wonder what the show runners were thinking by going this route. Did they not read ANY of the negative reviews after the season finale? Do they realize they already lost a ton of viewers after the way Agyeman’s character was written? I am still trying to understand the intent here.