Spoilers ahead for the January 11 episode of New Amsterdam Season 4, called “The Crossover.”
New Amsterdam continued splitting its stories between the hospital under Dr. Fuentes’ control in New York and Max trying to settle into his new life with Helen in London. He was working on finding his place despite not being able to land a job at a hospital while Helen made some big hiring decisions, with their friends and former colleagues dealt with their own complications back in the United States. “The Crossover” was a jam-packed episode, but it was the promo at the end of the hour that might keep fans talking until next Tuesday. Is somebody leaving New Amsterdam?
“The Crossover” wasn’t a premiere or finale episode that one would expect to end on a cliffhanger or a promo teasing a potential major event, so the quick clips of what’s on the way in next week’s “Family” undoubtedly came as a big surprise to fans everywhere. Take a look at what’s in store, and why it’s time to start wondering if somebody is saying goodbye by the end of next Tuesday night:
The footage gets off to a sweet start with Max and Helen sharing a shower, but goes downhill with Helen evidently getting some unpleasant news over the phone. There’s no explanation of what it is, but back in New York, Bloom seems to be revealing something shocking to Reynolds, judging by the look on his face.
I can’t quite decide who Iggy is hugging – although I certainly hope it’s not Trevor – but he doesn’t exactly look his happiest. And Max looks downright heartbroken in the final shot of the promo. Plus, there’s the concerning message included in the clip, saying:
NEXT TUESDAY. A POWERFUL MOMENT. ONE UNFORGETTABLE GOOD-BYE.
Now, on the one hand, promos can be edited to elicit the strongest possible reactions to hook viewers to tune in, so it’s possible that the episode will actually say goodbye to somebody who doesn’t even appear in the footage. Leyla has been absent for a while, and Bloom is invested in trying to find and at least check on her. Plus, the episode description for “Family” indicates that Helen’s mom will present a problem. Here’s what’s on the way:
Max and Helen adjust to sharing their lives and their problems, including the challenge of Helen’s mother. Bloom and Reynolds treat a family after their horrific car accident lands them in the ED. Iggy and Trevor reach a new understanding in their business relationship.
While there are enough reasons to not spend the rest of the wait for the next episode panicking about losing a major character, I can’t deny that I spent a good chunk of the first half of the season thinking that Freema Agyeman’s Helen was going to depart sooner rather than later. Admittedly, that was mostly because even I had my doubts that New Amsterdam would actually send Ryan Eggold’s Max all the way to London when he’s the star of the show set in New York, but I’m going back to those old suspicions in light of what has been previewed for the next episode.
Helen has put down roots in London in a way that Max hasn’t, thriving in her new position and surrounding herself with some other talented doctors who know how to work the system in the U.K. Max hasn’t been as successful, and is still a bit of a fish out of water. He has stronger ties to the United States than Helen does, and I find it easier – although not fun – to imagine New Amsterdam saying goodbye to Helen by sending Max back to New York than any of the others.
Sure, Reynolds is struggling to find his place with the Malvo and Baptiste situation and Bloom is worried about Leyla, but not to the point that I got the sense they’d leave the hospital Sadly, if somebody truly is saying an “unforgettable good-bye” in the next episode, I’m guessing it will be Helen. But hey, I’ve been wrong before – it wasn’t that long ago that I thought something would surely stop Max from making the move across the pond to the U.K.!
Find out if New Amsterdam is indeed losing a major character or if this was a false alarm with the “Family” episode on Tuesday, January 18 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following a new episode of This Is Us’ sixth and final season. For more of what to expect early in the new year, swing by our 2022 winter and spring premiere schedule!
