Spoilers for the Season 2 finale of New Amsterdam are discussed below.
Ever since New Amsterdam began, many aspects have fascinated me, and one of them has been Dr. Helen Sharpe’s love life. Last season, Helen struck up a short-lived romance with Sendhil Ramamurthy’s Dr. Akash Panthaki. Fast forward to the Season 2 finale and New Amsterdam has set up a potential love triangle for the endearing doc, Max, and a new character!
As I had hoped from the minute his casting was announced, Daniel Dae Kim’s New Amsterdam character, Dr. Cassian Shin, and Helen shared some fantastic scenes. Thanks to some clever editing, fans got to see Dr. Shin’s initial debut from that postponed episode about a flu epidemic in the Season 2 finale.
That move meant viewers did not have to miss out on Helen and Shin’s chemistry-filled initial interactions. As someone who loves a romance that starts off with neither party being a fan of the other, New Amsterdam thrilled me. When they met, Helen was turned off by Shin’s approach to his job, which entailed self-care.
After partnering up with Shin for a harrowing operation, he explained his point of view. A well doctor makes for well patients. It was hard not to notice the thaw between them and hope that Helen may be getting the romance she deserves. Then at the end of New Amsterdam’s impromptu Season 2 finale, the medical drama revealed the two are dating!
Helen texted Max that she could not do help him with the paperwork he wanted to collaborate on. Unbeknownst to Max, she was enjoying some much-deserved self-care with Shin. New Amsterdam did not make it clear how long they had been in this off-screen relationship. However, they linked arms, so I would say it has been a bit.
This is excellent news for New Amsterdam fans that want to see Helen happy in a relationship with a great guy. Shin definitely seems to be one. The new head trauma surgeon has a unique way of approaching his job, but as he proved to Helen, it is effective. Plus, how amazing was his ambulance-operating room conversion idea?
New Amsterdam has introduced an impressively perfect fit for its ensemble and a vital part of a potential Helen love triangle. Of course, this development comes with more than one Season 2 finale twist. There was also one relating to Max’s romantic life. After his near-kiss with Helen, it seemed like New Amsterdam might be heating up the pair’s intense connection.
There have been multiple elements holding him back. Since his wife’s tragic death in the Season 2 premiere, Max has been dating single mom and widow Alice. In another New Amsterdam timeline (a horrible one in which Helen did not exist), Max and Alice would be great for one another. Max realized that in the one that does exist, he and Alice could not work.
I am unclear as to why exactly Max reached that decision in the Season 2 finale. He and Alice shared a lot in common, and things seemed to be progressing naturally. That said, Max angled the break-up as relating to his continued grief over his wife, Georgia. Alice was amicable about it. She lost her husband, so she got where Max was coming from.
New Amsterdam did not have to have a character spell it out, but it was apparent what the break-up would be mean for some fans. Max became single right when Helen had embarked on a new relationship with Shin. It was a development that New Amsterdam probably expected to follow as Season 2 came to its planned finale. However, this early end opened up a Season 3 triangle opportunity that is impossible to miss.
Will Max go to Helen in Season 3 with his heart in his hand, ready to ask her to explore their relationship past the platonic, only to have Helen shoot him down due to her bustling relationship with Shin? New Amsterdam has the answers, and thankfully, more than one season left to potentially explore a triangle with Shin, Helen, and Max.
I am looking forward to learning where this goes! For now, my shipper heart is torn. Helen would be great with Max or Cassian Shin. The chemistry is electric in both pairings. New Amsterdam really has an unparalleled skill in the romance department. In related news, I am totally on board for Karen Brantley and Dr. Vijay Kapoor’s budding romance. That was a wonderful surprise!
Thank you to New Amsterdam for giving fans something to look forward with Season 2 finale! New Amsterdam will return for a third season on NBC. While you wait to see how Helen’s potential love triangle develops, you can enjoy this spring’s premieres.
