New Amsterdam has finally returned to NBC for Season 3 to pick up where Season 2 left off, but Max and the rest of the caregivers at the hospital have had a lot more on their minds than their relationships. The Season 3 premiere saw the characters attempting to get back to where they were prior to the pandemic. With Helen struggling to open herself up to a relationship with Cassian in the same episode that featured a touching Max/Helen scene on the rooftop, New Amsterdam has already raised the question of what's next for the characters. Fortunately, star Ryan Eggold has weighed in.
The rooftop scene between Max and Helen in the Season 3 premiere (called "The New Normal") was arguably the most emotionally honest either character had been in the entire episode, with Helen opening up about her fears and Max saying that he wants to tear down the system and build something better for her. And also for his daughter and "all of us," but it's worth noting that he did mention Helen specifically. Speaking with CinemaBlend, Ryan Eggold explained what viewers can expect from their dynamic after the setup in the Season 3 premiere:
You know, they were sort of coming to a place at the end of Season 2 where they were getting close to having a conversation that they maybe should have had by now, and sort of voicing things that have been unvoiced to this point, but then that's complicated by the fact that Helen is now dating Cassian. And so whatever they were going to say to each other, whatever was going to be said is, again, sort of buried or brushed aside and swallowed. So it's going to come to a head this season, whatever that means. Whether they're best friends, whether they're lovers, whether they never speak again. It's time to sort of unearth what has been beneath the surface.
Well, it's anybody's guess what exactly will go down at this point, but Ryan Eggold indicating that everything that Max and Helen haven't said will "come to a head" in Season 3 is pretty promising! Any kind of change in their relationship, for better or worse, can definitely add some layers of complexity to the new season. As Eggold said, however, there is the complication of Helen dating Daniel Dae Kim's Dr. Cassian Shin.
Ahead of Season 3, New Amsterdam showrunner David Schulner teased that Max and Cassian have completely opposite approaches and philosophies when it comes to patient care, regardless of Helen stuck in the middle. That's not to say that Cassian hasn't already proved himself to be an excellent doctor despite his Season 2 introduction needing to be reworked; depending on Max's feelings for Helen and about Cassian, things could get complicated at New Amsterdam.
As for Max and Cassian, Ryan Eggold went on to preview what's in store with their dynamic:
First off, Daniel's an amazing addition to the show and his character is great and he's such a talented guy and such a very kind, charming guy. And it's fun. I mean, now Helen has two guys annoying her to death. But yeah, their dynamic is a fun one, and particularly for Helen, we haven't really seen her get with anybody, date anybody, have a relationship. So I think it's going to be fun to watch that with her. And then of course, see how that affects Max in terms of sort of what feelings does that bring up and what do you have to come to confront there.
Helen is getting more romance in Season 3 than fans have seen for her before thanks to her relationship with Cassian, and that could pack an emotional punch for Max depending on the feelings that it brings up. The third season of New Amsterdam is also reportedly going to see Helen at home, a bombshell regarding Helen's family, and more revelations that will surprise her friends at New Amsterdam as well as viewers.
All of this said, the most pressing issue as of the end of the Season 3 premiere was the fate of Dr. Kapoor, whose struggle with COVID left his heart so seriously damaged that his chances of survival seem grim. The silver lining is that Max put in a call to Dr. Reynolds, who answered by asking how he can help. If anybody can fix Dr. Kapoor's heart, it will surely be Reynolds, right?
Whether or not that's wishful thinking remains to be seen, but fans won't have to wait long. New Amsterdam is back with weekly releases, with new episodes airing on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on NBC. Ryan Eggold was a familiar face on NBC well before the series premiere of New Amsterdam thanks to his years on The Blacklist, and the star has also weighed in on whether he'd reprise his role as Tom Keen despite Tom's unfortunate Blacklist fate.
