'New Amsterdam' Season 2 Episode 11: Helen holds fort in Max's absence and later asks him to be there for her
Contains spoilers for 'New Amsterdam' Season 2 Episode 11 'Hiding Behind My Smile'
This week at the New Amsterdam Medical Centre, it wasn't Dr Max Godowin running the show but the recently demoted Dr Helen Sharpe. Although we love Max, watching Helen running around solving problems in his absence, saving people and just trusting her instincts was such a treat. If the end of the episode is any hint, it definitely looks like this ship will sail sooner than we think.
It all starts off with Helen joining work after the talk she and Max had about her career. She hates it at first and even tries to tell Max that she feels a little lost. But when he picks up the phone, he tells her that something was wrong with Luna. Immediately, Helen knows that she has to hold fort.
Max's new idea to eliminate screens from the patient rooms has caused quite the stir and Helen is left to sort it out. She gets medical scribes for the neurologists and home visits for the rest. In an attempt to let Max focus on Luna's health, she forges his signature. "It's something Max would do," she says every step of the way. She also manages to get synthetic blood for a former marine with Lupus and saves her by taking risks that only Max would have taken.
When Max deals with his crisis and comes back, he tells her, "I know everything you did. I know that my ideas only work because of you." She replies, "I have been your safety net for so long... I'm going to need you to start being mine." He readily agrees, of course.
Now, these two have been avoiding getting close for the longest time even though we know they are absolutely perfect for each other. But since Max has asked her to stay back, he has become more forthcoming about his feelings towards her. And for Helen to admit that she needs him to be her safety net is an amazing beginning for the subplot. This also means that Helen may just go over the edge, as she often does, and mess it up.
Catch 'New Amsterdam' on Tuesdays at 10 pm ET on NBC.