'New Amsterdam' Season 3 Episode 6: Why does Helen criticize Max's attempts to tackle systemic racism?
Dr Max Goodwin(Ryan Eggold) on 'New Amsterdam', is a man we have come to associate with lofty goals. The upcoming episode of 'New Amsterdam' Season 3 may see him with his loftiest one yet. This time Max wants to tackle systemic racism in the hospital and while his good intentions are noted, it isn't stopping his fellow doctors Dr Floyd Reynolds (Jocko Sims) and Dr Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman) particularly, from getting rather exasperated with him.
In the trailer we see Helen on the verge of tears, which to be fair, she often is, trying to urge Max to listen to the people he claims he wants to help. We should also remember that Max and Helen are also at a particularly raw point in their relationship after Max discovered that Helen and Cassian (Daniel Dae Kim) were dating in the last episode. Ryan Eggold who plays Max, in an interview with TVLine, talks about how Helen tries to steer Max in the right direction when it comes to tackling systemic racism. He says, “Max is, in some ways, sort of asking her to fix it or to help him fix it, and she sort of needs to remind him to listen,” Eggold says. “[She explains] that you don’t always have to have the answer or be the one to implement the change yourself, that it’s about making space.”
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Dr Floyd Reynolds seems to take a lighter approach to Max's well-meaning, if at times overbearing efforts. Jocko Sims in an interview to TVLine said, "The situation is pretty comical, in a good way. I learned things myself, reading the script. We take on Black Lives Matter and other social issues in a way that one would not expect, no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on in that. I hate to say that it is political — it shouldn’t be — but it has been politicized, obviously, Black Lives Matter. But no matter where you stand on that, you’re going to come out of this [episode] informed and entertained.”
Fans however feel that Max or rather the show, has been trying to bite off more than it can chew. One fan on YouTube says, "So this show is solving all the problems in the world one episode at a time.? First Asian hate now BLM...While I appreciate the effort. Solving it within an hour isn't sending the right message."
Others however were more focused on the chemistry between Helen and Max, even as she schooled him on how to tackle this topic with more sensitivity. One fan on Twitter said, "Now this is what chemistry looks like. *unlike with Cassian* Helen is literally going off on Max and the way he’s paying attention to what she’s saying. I can’t wait to see how they’re gonna tackle the wage gap and what solutions, if any, Max will come up with."
Now this is what chemistry looks like. *unlike with Cassian* Helen is literally going off on Max and the way he’s paying attention to what she’s saying 🥺 I can’t wait to see how they’re gonna tackle the wage gap and what solutions, if any, Max will come up with
— Imagination Creation (@ImagineCreated) April 1, 2021
So how will Max eventually tackle the wage gap that persists? Will help from Floyd and Helen, enable him to tackle a tough topic with the sensitivity it requires? You can catch the trailer of the upcoming episode of 'New Amsterdam' below and can catch new episodes of 'New Amsterdam' on Tuesdays 10/9c on NBC.
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