'New Amsterdam' Season 2: Helen sabotages Castro's trial, only to set things right soon after
Dr Helen Sharpe learns tonight, March 10, on 'New Amsterdam' that every cloud has a silver lining - even Dr Valentina Castro. Helen knows that Castro was fixing her trial and when all else fails, she decides to blow it up herself. However, if anyone did find out she had fixed her trial, Castro would lose everything and Castro is the reason Max was even alive.
As you can imagine, it's a pretty messed up situation.
Helen manages to find time alone with the medications that are to be administered to the patients and switches several of the labels on the bags. After the meds are already administered, Castro figures out that the bags had been switched and goes straight to Helen. She accuses Helen of being jealous of her, something Helen does not deny. However, the angry confrontation leaves her wanting to see Max and discuss it with him.
Meeting him, however, gives us something to chew on. She realizes that he wouldn't have beaten his cancer had Castro not had the foresight for his treatment. She goes to meet Castro and it all unfolds rather unexpectedly. Helen tells her that if she could figure out that she fixed her trial, the NIH would be able to as well so she was going to do the next best thing - "I'll help you get away with it!" she tells a shocked Castro.
Castro resigns and admits that she had botched up her trial due to being spread too thin with her responsibilities as being the co-head of Oncology. Max accepts the resignation although he knows it's all "theatrics", it brings Helen back into leading the department as she had earlier.
Not that fans would miss Castro, but her role in Max's cancer treatment is undeniable, especially since Helen had been in such a mess trying to treat him and then finding out she was too close to the case. Castro had swooped in like a cancer lottery win and helped him get back on his feet with her targeted therapy, something others did not think of - not even Helen. With his wife just gone in a car crash and a young infant at home, that was a win Max needed and Castro had given it to him.
This episode shows the tremendous depth of character in Helen. It will be interesting to see how this dynamic changes when she finds out Max spent the night at Alice's place. Until then, be sure to ask, “How can I help”?
'New Amsterdam' airs every Wednesday on NBC.