S03.E06: Why Not Yesterday

[txhorns79]

Quote

Max is on a mission to fix systemic racism at New Amsterdam. Bloom treats a patient who reminds her that things aren't as they seem. Sharpe is overwhelmed while tending to a family matter. Reynolds tries to keep his composure while treating a father and son.

Original Airdate: 4/7/2021

[Leeds]

Thank you Helen for telling Max how it is.  He really is insufferable.

[Cloud9Shopper]

I don’t know if I can with this show anymore. I watched all of the first two seasons and totally understand that TV (especially medical shows! I was a longtime fan of ER before that also went off the rails) isn’t supposed to be true to real life, and I was willing to let some things go. Max’s response to the racism topic felt a little too contrived for me to keep going.

Floyd had the quote of the night when he said (paraphrased) “You’re fixing racism with paint?” Yeah Floyd, I feel the same.

[DearEvette]

I have no idea what they thought they were doing with Max.  I know he is supposed to be idealistic and a crusader but they made him borderline idiotic.  I am thinking he's in some sort of tailspin because he sees he might be losing whatever it is he has with Helen and is trying in an odd way to hold onto her.  That us my charitable reading of the situation.  But otherwise the writing for him this episode did him no favors. Max is reformer but he isn't dumb.

I will say there were a couple of individual moments that hit well.  Helen's simple explanation about how to be an ally.  Freema delivered that speech very well.  It could have come off as preachy but instead felt very heartfelt. 

Also I had to chuckle at Bloom being so very Bloom. I wonder if it was intentional?  Probably.  But of course in a conversation about was specific about race equity she wants to reroute it to talk about gender equity.

That sociopathic little girl returns and continues to give me the creeps.  That little actress is so good. Yikes. 

And while I knew that Helen and Shin were not in it for the long haul, but was that the single most dumbest reason to break up?  Helen can't have a relationship because she has to be supportive to her niece moving in with her?  Good gravy, Helen, the girl is not a toddler!  Who writes this shit?

Edited April 7, 2021 by DearEvette

[ams1001]

Does Max ever think for more than three seconds before doing something? He's the medical director but he never seems to be doing actual medicine. (And why are you painting the floor in the middle of the day in a busy hospital with people running around.)

Is it just me, or is Iggy a really bad therapist? I get that he has reason not to trust the kid, but he immediately jumps to accusing her and making it clear he doesn't believe her when she says she didn't hurt the other kid (not directly, at least). (And again, is he the only psychiatrist in this place? He deals with any and every kind of psych issue, age, runs this inpatient kids' group, whatever.)

So the niece doesn't want to move to Dubai because she has friends and a boyfriend, but moving to New York is just fine?

Who didn't see the heart transplant kid getting Superman's heart as soon as Floyd mentioned the size issue? (And how convenient that they are a tissue/blood type match in the same accident.)

A 16-year-old does not need your complete and undivided attention, Helen. You can still have a life; she'll probably even like you better if you do.

I like Isobel.

[FnkyChkn34]

42 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Does Max ever think for more than three seconds before doing something? He's the medical director but he never seems to be doing actual medicine. (And why are you painting the floor in the middle of the day in a busy hospital with people running around.)

...

So the niece doesn't want to move to Dubai because she has friends and a boyfriend, but moving to New York is just fine?

I thought of both of these things immediately too!  And then Reynolds with the paint all over his jacket, they just have to re-do the floor, too...  What a mess.

I would rather go live with a rich aunt in a palace than New York!  I didn't understand that thinking at all.  

Max has good intentions, but... wow.  He's too much.  And how has he never met the Chief Equity Officer before???  Also, wasn't it so fitting that her office is small and windowless.  The "irony" is actually very off-putting.

[hula-la]

45 minutes ago, FnkyChkn34 said:

I thought of both of these things immediately too!  And then Reynolds with the paint all over his jacket, they just have to re-do the floor, too...  What a mess.

I would rather go live with a rich aunt in a palace than New York!  I didn't understand that thinking at all.  

Max has good intentions, but... wow.  He's too much.  And how has he never met the Chief Equity Officer before???  Also, wasn't it so fitting that her office is small and windowless.  The "irony" is actually very off-putting.

It's so true--the numbers of people who have just "discovered" that racism still exists and want to be the white saviour about it drive me crazy. I can totally see Max as a character who doesn't realise that there's a Chief Equity Officer, who she said has been trying to meet with him for 3 years now. It wasn't immediately in front of his face, so therefore it wasn't important.

I spent much of this episode rolling my eyes at Max and the similar people I come across who act in similar ways.

[SunnyBeBe]

Yeah....it’s really sad how these writers ruin a perfectly good premise.  Why portray Max as an idiot?  He must be so embarrassed to read those lines......lazy writing would be better than this junk.  
 

Didn’t Helen’s brother live abroad?  How do you administer a persons estate when you live in a different country?  Hmmmm ...the break up...I suppose she just wanted to break up. No one is crazy enough to think you can’t date and have a family member live with you.  The niece is teens or twenties, right?  Bizarre decision, unless she wanted an excuse.  
 

I think they all underestimate that little child who has a severe personality disorder. Not sure where the writers will take it, but I would expect something very sinister in the future.  And Iggy will be shocked. 

[LexieLily]

3 hours ago, ams1001 said:

A 16-year-old does not need your complete and undivided attention, Helen. You can still have a life; she'll probably even like you better if you do.

Helen's niece is sixteen? Problem solved: plot-point related babysitter for Luna when the hospital daycare is unavailable.

[Girasoul]

2 hours ago, hula-la said:

It's so true--the numbers of people who have just "discovered" that racism still exists and want to be the white saviour about it drive me crazy. I can totally see Max as a character who doesn't realise that there's a Chief Equity Officer, who she said has been trying to meet with him for 3 years now. It wasn't immediately in front of his face, so therefore it wasn't important.

I spent much of this episode rolling my eyes at Max and the similar people I come across who act in similar ways.

Yeah...I mean, Max was especially idiotic this episode but at the same time a lot of his behavior lined up with things I saw i the last year in work in health-related research-- a team I work with includes a number of people with administrative positions at a big teaching hospital/medical center and after the George Floyd protests started, it was crazy to me the amount of well-meaning white savior-ism  -- the brainstorming of ways to make a quick fix for racism, even while being blind to all the thankless and grueling work that was being and had been done on those exact topics/issues by people of color at the hospital for years (and kind of like this episode, thankfully at a certain point they did start listening and then doing more of the day-to-day work of addressing racism). So even though it was maddening just how much idiotic behavior they had Max doing all within the same episode, it also was like....yup.

[jabRI]

I don't get Reynolds' mom, why is she calling him all day?  She's lived independently for years I thought.

[KaveDweller]

6 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Does Max ever think for more than three seconds before doing something? He's the medical director but he never seems to be doing actual medicine. (And why are you painting the floor in the middle of the day in a busy hospital with people running around.)

Max never thinks, no. He just says ridiculous things like "I want to end systemic racism" the way most people say they want to order a pizza. It was actually funny how he kept saying that only to have people talk reality to him. He's obviously smart enough to be a doctor, but he does not act like someone responsible enough to become medical director of a hospital.

I guess that Chief Equity Officer will be his new deputy medical director? I'm okay with that, I liked her.

I am not sure why Helen had to step down as deputy medical director AND break up with the boyfriend because her 16-year-old niece is coming. The girl seems pretty independent. And at least tell the boyfriend what's going on and give him the option of bowing out or stepping up.

[SunnyBeBe]

I can’t recall how Max got his position. He seems ill equipped for it.

[jabRI]

The writing has just gotten really problematic for Max.  Like we are going to fix the opioid epidemic, systemic racism... glad Helen called him on the 'white savior' bender.  There aren't easy solutions, I'm glad the show is addressing them all, but it can't just be some 'afternoon special', it takes time and a process.  And yes, Helen was a bit ridiculous to break up because her 16 year-old niece is coming to live with her.  She can't suffocate the girl.

On another note, what's up with Kapoor, is he coming back? I might have missed it (I don't like the surgery scenes).

[KaveDweller]

7 minutes ago, jabRI said:

On another note, what's up with Kapoor, is he coming back? I might have missed it (I don't like the surgery scenes).

That female doctor was made interim head of Neuro while Kapoor recovers, so I assume they are going to have him come back at some point.

I am not sure what the deal is with the actor and if he maybe wasn't available. I'm also not sure how much time has passed and what a reasonable timeline is for someone recovering from whatever surgery Kapoor had.

[jabRI]

I couldn't find it on IMDB, who played 'superman'?

[ams1001]

47 minutes ago, jabRI said:

I couldn't find it on IMDB, who played 'superman'?

Alex Weisman

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4825621/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t17

[txhorns79]

5 hours ago, jabRI said:

I don't get Reynolds' mom, why is she calling him all day?  She's lived independently for years I thought.

I don't understand this either.  It's like having diabetes has rendered her completely helpless.

 

7 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

 

I think they all underestimate that little child who has a severe personality disorder. Not sure where the writers will take it, but I would expect something very sinister in the future.  And Iggy will be shocked. 

Given Iggy handled the whole situation so terribly, and since they are already telegraphing the girl is essentially a horror movie monster, I'd be fine if the season ends with her taking him out. 

 

3 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Max never thinks, no. He just says ridiculous things like "I want to end systemic racism" the way most people say they want to order a pizza. It was actually funny how he kept saying that only to have people talk reality to him. He's obviously smart enough to be a doctor, but he does not act like someone responsible enough to become medical director of a hospital.

It's like each week he looks for a new excuse to not have to do his job.  One week it's writing hundreds of prescriptions for opiates and sending out the highly controlled medication via bike messengers, and this week, it's taking down some old pictures and painting Black Lives Matter in the middle of a hallway.  I honestly loved how Bloom pointed out to Max that pay equity was not just about race, and he seemed completely unable to deal with this incredibly well known piece of knowledge because it did not compute with his agenda for the week.   

[jabRI]

This is another instance where the episode almost seemed like a dream/nighthmare sequence, especially with Iggy and the sociopath "You are losing the game"  " I am winning the game".  Just really bizarre unprofessional behavior and attitude.

[SunnyBeBe]

It seems that the young disturbed girl may need a team of doctors.  

[ams1001]

32 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

It seems that the young disturbed girl may need a team of doctors.  

You really think a tween psychopath needs more than group therapy with an overworked psych-of-all-trades who needs serious therapy himself?

[bros402]

"I knew there were secret white doctor meetings." - that made me laugh

Okay. It's time for "Who's the Worst Doctor This Week?"

So far we have Iggy seeing his patient getting a death stare from that little girl, she looks familiar?

Reynolds talking to his mom in the middle of work? Not the best, but at least he stopped once the traumas came in?

Uhhh, Max, you can't just decide that you are going to resign.

"Women of color are vastly underrepresented in management" Yeah, but isn't Sharpe the deputy medical director? If you want to deal with racism in hiring, why not just have her handle hiring decisions?

Why haven't they just strapped "Superman" to a bed when he is touching random patients? The bouncers chasing after him limply isn't helpful.

Back to Iggy! Ohhhh, it's the sociopath that was giving the death stare?

haha, neurologist calling out Bloom for hating everyone. I bet the brain bleed won't be the only thing wrong with Superman!

I was wondering why Dr. Daniel Dae Kim didn't have the kid in an OR already...

Uhhh... Max? You shouldn't be tossing all of that stuff in the trash. I am sure New Amsterdam has a storage room somewhere that you can put that stuff in. Some of those probably belong to someone. You could probably at least give it to the family of the person it is for.

I imagine Reynolds wasn't the first person to slip on that paint....jeez, that stuff was slippery. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Uhhh, Iggy, you aren't supposed to ask "Did Juliet do that to you?" you are a psychiatrist, you should know this. You should ask "Who did this to you?" You don't lead them - you should know about the Satanic Panic!

Sooo... the second the kid flatlines and doesn't respond to epi, Dr. DDK says the heart is gone and the nurse tries to get Reynolds to stop right away? what is this and um I am not a doctor but i do not think you should stop cardiac massage until he is actually hooked up to the bypass machine...
 

ha ha, Sharpe calling out Max on wanting to fix everything with a speech and a flick of his wrist

uhhh, Iggy, you aren't 100% sure that the sociopath actually hurt those kids, why are you having a conference between them, especially when you told the girl that what she said would stay private??? aaand that's why you need to be sure, Iggy. You let the sociopath play you. Iggy, you need therapy.

No, Sharpe, you told her you would let her move in with you. You should at least *try*. Ooh, maybe she'll end up resigning because of her niece saying her half-brother thought she didn't care about family!

Superman's not gonna wake up? Well now we know who is gonna get his heart.

Hey, during the sequence of the diverse members of New Amsterdam (presumably) talking to Max, they remembered the disabled doctor (the one with dwarfism) - a lot of the time, those of us with disabilities get forgotten during those discussions!

Yeaaah Iggy you should've realized your mistake the second you asked that kid if she was hurt by the sociopath.

Uhhh, Iggy? You should've had that as a rule from the start. I hope he at least calls her parents and tells them "Well, she had a bit of a setback and taught a kid how to attack another... Don't worry, it's one of the rules of our game now! Why wasn't it already... well I dunno?"

Max...that guy on the subway sounds like a New Yorker who probably had a headache on the way to work. Or was just grumpy. Sure, could be racism, or could just be an ass.

CALLED IT WITH SHARPE.

Reynolds.... I don't think you need to harass the organ lady every 20 minutes.

wait did they have that kid just sitting in the OR all of that time?? shouldn't a surgeon be in there the entire time just in case something goes wrong

for a second there when Reynolds picked up the heart, I thought it was already beating, hahahaha

how is Sharpe going to get a visa for her niece to come to the US from Iran? uhh... Sharpe... if everything you have has to go to her, what about you being an oncologist? You resigning from that too? She's 16, there's no need to break up with your boyfriend, at least try things out first, then he'd understand.

So, I think this week, IGGY is the worst doctor - which brings his total of Worst Doctor awards to 2, tying him with Bloom.

[circumvent]

When Max said he wanted to fix systemic racism I thought to myself: the show changed form medical to an armed revolution story. There is no fixing systemic racism without changing the whole system, which will not happen in our lifetime. And that means ending capitalism as we know it. Racism's origins are in the profiteering or ruling classes. In this country, the ruling classes were always white.

Cringed when I saw the Black Lives Matter painting. Shallow virtue signaling that does nothing to educate. Glad Helen gave him the speech, which makes me think there was a fed up writer in the writers' room who wanted to tell all those libs who only scratch the surface of the ugliness so they can feel good about their wokeness. 

The ER Comedy Show is getting annoying. Why having bouncers if they can't keep a patient in a wheelchair?

Reynolds and Mom Annoying Hour is a copy of ER's Benton and his annoying mom. Done and tried, failed storyline imo.

Manipulative kid is a sociopath and Iggy should know that. 

[ams1001]

5 hours ago, bros402 said:

Uhhh, Max, you can't just decide that you are going to resign.

Or tell someone she's taking over your job without even asking if she wants it. (I know she's his deputy and she did it while he was sick, but that doesn't mean she'd want to take it on again/permanently just because you decided to quit because someone pointed out that you're part of the problem.)

We have systemic problems with racism? And sexism, too?! I know, I'll just quit and make the Black Woman take on all my responsibilities. Does she want the job? Well, I didn't ask her. Does that matter?

[SunnyBeBe]

Good point about getting quick Visa for niece to live in US.  How does that work? 
 

The way Iggy questioned the children was textbook improper way to do it.  Leading questions, allowing them to intimidate each other, ....also, isn’t he a mandated reporter? Social services must be contacted in cases of harm to a minor, even if by another one. Did he do that?  Wasn’t he the supervisor, investigator, judge and therapist?  That kid is smarter than Iggy.  Lol

[Cloud9Shopper]

4 hours ago, circumvent said:

 

C

The ER Comedy Show is getting annoying. Why having bouncers if they can't keep a patient in a wheelchair?

Reynolds and Mom Annoying Hour is a copy of ER's Benton and his annoying mom. Done and tried, failed storyline imo.

I agree with your points about ER. I was a big fan in the heyday and doing a rewatch on Hulu now. I feel like this show (remember that Bloom had an addiction in S1 and went to rehab like ER’s Carter and Abby did at different points) and Chicago Med have tried copying ER and just do not do it as well. Chicago Med had a chemical spill episode where I spent the whole time preferring to watch Exodus (ER episode with the same plot line) instead, and that came out in the 90s! But it still holds up well today.

Not coincidentally, I’m on S14 and feel ER became a parody of itself in the later years anyway, as you mentioned with the “ER comedy show” in this show. 
 

(That said I don’t think Bloom’s addiction in S1 was a horrible storyline but I’m really biased. I have yet to find a medical show I’ve enjoyed as much. This one came close until the past week.) 

[SunnyBeBe]

The reason I get so annoyed with shows that have a great premise and cast is that all it would take is for the writers to use their brain.  It’s not that difficult to Google issues or get a technical consult with someone  on child psychology, child welfare, immigration, hospital security, etc.  There shouldn’t be so many storylines where I say, “Omg, why are they doing that?” With Max, it’s as if they are trying to make him appear like an idiot. I don’t see the point.  

[circumvent]

43 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Good point about getting quick Visa for niece to live in US.  How does that work? 

I think the answer is: it doesn't work. But this show will find a way

 

15 minutes ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

I feel like this show (remember that Bloom had an addiction in S1 and went to rehab like ER’s Carter and Abby did at different points) and Chicago Med have tried copying ER and just do not do it as well.

Every medical show tries to copy ER but they fail big time. The thing with ER it that it was new, unique. The new shows try to imitate while pretending they are not imitating, so they start creating super heroes out of doctors. Chicago Med is a joke, couldn't watch one season of it (Dick Wolf, I always know - when I hate a show there is a Dick hand on it). The Resident has a resident that is also the boss of everyone, and he knows everything about all things. Ask any medical resident if they even have time to think about investigating a case, they will laugh at your face.

[cameron]

Max and this show has gotten so insufferable.  Had to turn it off.

[Johnny Dollar]

Giving up part of your job and breaking up with your boyfriend because your 16 year old niece who you’ve never met before will be coming to live with you makes about as much sense as leaving your wife and job because your mother can’t figure out how to give herself an insulin shot despite having two other children fully capable of helping her. 

[LittleIggy]

Anupam Kher’s wife is battling multiple myeloma. Maybe that’s why he is not on the show right now. I miss Dr. Kapoor.

Nothing much to add to everyone’s great comments except that Superman’s procession down the corridor made me verklempt. 😢

[CB-LXX]

12 hours ago, circumvent said:

I think the answer is: it doesn't work. But this show will find a way

 

Every medical show tries to copy ER but they fail big time. The thing with ER it that it was new, unique. The new shows try to imitate while pretending they are not imitating, so they start creating super heroes out of doctors. Chicago Med is a joke, couldn't watch one season of it (Dick Wolf, I always know - when I hate a show there is a Dick hand on it). The Resident has a resident that is also the boss of everyone, and he knows everything about all things. Ask any medical resident if they even have time to think about investigating a case, they will laugh at your face.

ER is one show I never got around to watching.

Yes, yes, total agreement about The Resident! We go to a clinic that's part of a teaching university, so patients are almost always usually seen first by a resident, but before an official diagnosis is presented or a prescription is given they have to consult with an attending first. I mean I don't know if that's common practice in all hospitals, but you would think it would be. But whatshisface (brain freeze on his name right now since the show is on hiatus) he just knows everything and has the power to do anything LOL.

[CB-LXX]

To pretty much echo everyone's sentiment, the whole episode was pretty much intolerable. The moment Max said he wanted to put a stop to systematic racism, I knew it wasn't going to go well. I mean yeah, kudos for wanting to do it, but clearly he didn't have the first clue where to start. Maybe instead of bouncing ideas around and running at the mouth, form a committee? I dunno.

Who puts a Chief of anything into a windowless room with cubicles?

Iggy has no business acting as a practicing psychologist. He's not in the right state of mind and he's been making poor decisions for a very long time. I mean I feel for the guy for some of the things he's going through, but when you can't admit that your young patient is a psychopath who will probably grow up to murder someone, maybe you need to step back.

For the most part, I liked how Helen handled Max, but yeah the whole "let's break up with your boyfriend cause your niece is coming to town" was a bit much.

Also, are they sure Dr. Reynold's mom was diagnosed with diabetes and not dementia? Because they sure are acting like she's incapable of doing anything without his help. I mean if that's the case, why not hire someone to stay with her while he works?

For the most part, the show is still bearable to watch, but it's probably sliding downhill (for me). I gave up Grey's for their poor handling of Alex's exit, and The Resident is just one step away from me calling quits on it too (I'm apparently the one person in existence who isn't happy that they practically blew off Covid).

[bros402]

18 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Or tell someone she's taking over your job without even asking if she wants it. (I know she's his deputy and she did it while he was sick, but that doesn't mean she'd want to take it on again/permanently just because you decided to quit because someone pointed out that you're part of the problem.)

We have systemic problems with racism? And sexism, too?! I know, I'll just quit and make the Black Woman take on all my responsibilities. Does she want the job? Well, I didn't ask her. Does that matter?

Yuuup.

14 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Good point about getting quick Visa for niece to live in US.  How does that work? 
 

The way Iggy questioned the children was textbook improper way to do it.  Leading questions, allowing them to intimidate each other, ....also, isn’t he a mandated reporter? Social services must be contacted in cases of harm to a minor, even if by another one. Did he do that?  Wasn’t he the supervisor, investigator, judge and therapist?  That kid is smarter than Iggy.  Lol

1. I have a feeling it would be quite the ordeal, even with "the best immigration lawyer in the city" that Dr. Daniel Dae Kim gave her last episode - since I doubt her brother's will said "my sister Dr. Sharpe in NYC will be her guardian." She'd also need an attorney in Iran, and uhhhh, she can't pay that attorney - at least not easily, due to the sanctions. I imagine at minimum, it would involve Sharpe filing a petition, then maybe since she's a semi-famous doctor, she would be able to have someone grease the wheels (maybe her agent?). However, it looks like there are regulations for adopting Iranian orphans, which is what I imagine her half-niece is (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/Intercountry-Adoption/Intercountry-Adoption-Country-Information/IranIslamicRepublicof.html).

2. YUP! He's a mandated reporter! He'd have to report it and the city would come and investigate it. The highest level psychology course I have taken is a 200-level educational psych course and we touched on "Do not do leading questions, that always ends badly. Let a social worker or someone else trained in it handle it."

5 hours ago, cameron said:

Max and this show has gotten so insufferable.  Had to turn it off.

Let the hate flow over you, enjoy the hatewatch.

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

Anupam Kher’s wife is battling multiple myeloma. Maybe that’s why he is not on the show right now. I miss Dr. Kapoor.

Nothing much to add to everyone’s great comments except that Superman’s procession down the corridor made me verklempt. 😢

fuck cancer, I hope his wife gets it in remission soon and we get Dr. Kapoor back soon.

42 minutes ago, Kenadi O said:

ER is one show I never got around to watching.

Yes, yes, total agreement about The Resident! We go to a clinic that's part of a teaching university, so patients are almost always usually seen first by a resident, but before an official diagnosis is presented or a prescription is given they have to consult with an attending first. I mean I don't know if that's common practice in all hospitals, but you would think it would be. But whatshisface (brain freeze on his name right now since the show is on hiatus) he just knows everything and has the power to do anything LOL.

Conrad Hawkins, super Resident!

 

4 minutes ago, Kenadi O said:

To pretty much echo everyone's sentiment, the whole episode was pretty much intolerable. The moment Max said he wanted to put a stop to systematic racism, I knew it wasn't going to go well. I mean yeah, kudos for wanting to do it, but clearly he didn't have the first clue where to start. Maybe instead of bouncing ideas around and running at the mouth, form a committee? I dunno.

Who puts a Chief of anything into a windowless room with cubicles?

Iggy has no business acting as a practicing psychologist. He's not in the right state of mind and he's been making poor decisions for a very long time. I mean I feel for the guy for some of the things he's going through, but when you can't admit that your young patient is a psychopath who will probably grow up to murder someone, maybe you need to step back.

For the most part, I liked how Helen handled Max, but yeah the whole "let's break up with your boyfriend cause your niece is coming to town" was a bit much.

Also, are they sure Dr. Reynold's mom was diagnosed with diabetes and not dementia? Because they sure are acting like she's incapable of doing anything without his help. I mean if that's the case, why not hire someone to stay with her while he works?

For the most part, the show is still bearable to watch, but it's probably sliding downhill (for me). I gave up Grey's for their poor handling of Alex's exit, and The Resident is just one step away from me calling quits on it too (I'm apparently the one person in existence who isn't happy that they practically blew off Covid).

Yeah, I was like "...why does the chief equity officer just have a paper sign on their door? Are they new? WAIT WHY IS THE chief equity officer in a cubicle???"

I hope this stuff with Iggy leads to him seeking therapy, since he needs to get professional help beyond that Zoom support group he is doing.

I thought the girl was a sociopath, not a psychopath?

I was also confused about Reynolds mom - it seems like she might also have dementia.

With The Resident, I like how they handled COVID for the most part. 

[DanaK]

I was fully expecting Max to do his usual craziness and was glad he got schooled by others on his "we need to fix systemic racism now!" nonsense. If you find out you've been ignoring your chief equity officer for 3 years and stuck them in a broom closet, you are the problem. I was really surprised the writers went that way. I hope they have Max from now on work with others instead of declaring a problem and throwing solutions at people. I don't know how this guy keeps his job

[CB-LXX]

11 hours ago, bros402 said:

Conrad Hawkins, super Resident!

Thank you. I was so sleepy at the time, I could have just looked it up on IMDb, but "whatshisface" seemed appropriate for my mood LOL.

11 hours ago, bros402 said:

Yeah, I was like "...why does the chief equity officer just have a paper sign on their door? Are they new? WAIT WHY IS THE chief equity officer in a cubicle???"

Exactly! Talk about unequity right there.

11 hours ago, bros402 said:

I hope this stuff with Iggy leads to him seeking therapy, since he needs to get professional help beyond that Zoom support group he is doing.

I do too. He's been giving bad advice, etc for so long. I still get stuck on that episode with the couple that found out they were siblings and he kept pushing the woman to give it a go even though she was very uncomfortable with it.

11 hours ago, bros402 said:

I thought the girl was a sociopath, not a psychopath?

No, you're absolutely correct. Once again, I blame that on me trying to reply to a topic when I'm half-asleep.

 

 

[LittleIggy]

I think Juliet is a psychopath. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-deeds/201801/the-differences-between-psychopaths-and-sociopaths

[bros402]

12 hours ago, Kenadi O said:

Thank you. I was so sleepy at the time, I could have just looked it up on IMDb, but "whatshisface" seemed appropriate for my mood LOL.

Exactly! Talk about unequity right there.

I do too. He's been giving bad advice, etc for so long. I still get stuck on that episode with the couple that found out they were siblings and he kept pushing the woman to give it a go even though she was very uncomfortable with it.

No, you're absolutely correct. Once again, I blame that on me trying to reply to a topic when I'm half-asleep.

 

 

"Whatshisface" is as good a name as any for him 😛

I imagine Max wasn't the one who signed off on a decision placing her in that cubicle - i'm guessing the last medical director was like "ok go here this office is open"

Yeah, that advice Iggy gave in that episode was just... yeah. I believe it is literally illegal for that to occur in NY.

You were correct, the girl is a psychopath, LittleIggy posted a link about psychopathy v. sociopathy, then I found an article describing the role the actress was playing.

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

I think Juliet is a psychopath. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wicked-deeds/201801/the-differences-between-psychopaths-and-sociopaths

Looks like an article from a newspaper in the actress's area (Woohoo! She's a Jersey girl!) says she is playing a psychopath, so you are correct! https://thesunpapers.com/2019/10/29/from-cherry-hill-to-new-amsterdam-local-actress-steps-into-the-spotlight/

[circumvent]

3 hours ago, bros402 said:

You were correct, the girl is a psychopath, LittleIggy posted a link about psychopathy v. sociopathy, then I found an article describing the role the actress was playing.

It is hard to say which pathology the girl has because we only saw one event surrounding her. Usually children are not deemed psychopaths because people will still work with them, try to find out if any event in their lives triggered something. In the case of Juliet, I use sociopath because we don't have her background - was she abused, abandoned, who are her parents, do the behaviors started at an early age, was there an obvious trigger? I was intimately connected to a sociopath for many years, they can be vicious, but if you spend enough time with them and knows their life history, you know the difference. If they do seek help, it is possible to interact  in a somewhat healthy level.

[txhorns79]

9 hours ago, circumvent said:

In the case of Juliet, I use sociopath because we don't have her background - was she abused, abandoned, who are her parents, do the behaviors started at an early age, was there an obvious trigger? I was intimately connected to a sociopath for many years, they can be vicious, but if you spend enough time with them and knows their life history, you know the difference. If they do seek help, it is possible to interact  in a somewhat healthy level.

I think a lot of her history was revealed in the episode (maybe last season?) where she first appeared.

[Aliconehead]

8 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I think a lot of her history was revealed in the episode (maybe last season?) where she first appeared.

Yes.  She regularly hurt her brother.  Her parents were afraid of her.  That episode is where Iggy came up with the game.  It was the episode Kerman Line about the astronaut I think. 
 

Every time I see a show with psychopathic kids, I find them disturbing.  

Edited April 11, 2021 by Aliconehead

[bros402]

19 hours ago, circumvent said:

It is hard to say which pathology the girl has because we only saw one event surrounding her. Usually children are not deemed psychopaths because people will still work with them, try to find out if any event in their lives triggered something. In the case of Juliet, I use sociopath because we don't have her background - was she abused, abandoned, who are her parents, do the behaviors started at an early age, was there an obvious trigger? I was intimately connected to a sociopath for many years, they can be vicious, but if you spend enough time with them and knows their life history, you know the difference. If they do seek help, it is possible to interact  in a somewhat healthy level.

I believe we saw her parents and brother in the episode where she was introduced? It seemed like her family was relatively normal.

 

 

2 hours ago, Aliconehead said:

Every time I see a show with psychopathic kids, I find them disturbing.  

Well yeah, you'd expect the child to be nice and sweet, then boom, psychopath hurting others.

[circumvent]

6 hours ago, Aliconehead said:

Yes.  She regularly hurt her brother.  Her parents were afraid of her.  That episode is where Iggy came up with the game.  It was the episode Kerman Line about the astronaut I think

Ah, ok. I don't remember that but it does give more background and it does look like psychopathy, or at least that the writers wanted it to be but for some reason made Iggy  forget the basics of psychology.

[AnnA]

The pilot was so uplifting and fun that I keep coming back for more with this show.   They seem to have strayed a bit from the "How can I help you?" theme and are now trying to cure the world's ills by featuring the social issue of the week.   While I recognize that each of these issues is current, pressing and should be addressed, I'm just not sure I want to do it week after week on New Amersterdam.   This past year really sucked on so many levels so please forgive me for being shallow and self-serving but I just want to be entertained.

Edited April 11, 2021 by AnnA

[bros402]

20 hours ago, circumvent said:

Ah, ok. I don't remember that but it does give more background and it does look like psychopathy, or at least that the writers wanted it to be but for some reason made Iggy  forget the basics of psychology.

I just hope someone calls Iggy out on this, so he and Bloom stop passing around my Worst Doctor Of The Episode award, they should share it with the rest of the cast! 🙂

[yourmomiseasy]

On 4/11/2021 at 2:53 AM, circumvent said:

Ah, ok. I don't remember that but it does give more background and it does look like psychopathy, or at least that the writers wanted it to be but for some reason made Iggy  forget the basics of psychology.

I'm not sure Iggy ever knew the basics to forget them.  At this point I'm pretty sure he's a con artist that has embedded himself in the hospital and Max is too busy swanning around and Maxing it up to notice.

Max's proclamation that he was resigning and giving Helen his job was reductive and offensive - not just because he didn't ask her if she wanted it.  He was not suggesting Helen do the job because she's qualified (she is!) and would do a great job (she would!), but rather because she was a woman of color.  Way to tokenize Helen.  Even if Helen wanted the job, I doubt she would want it handed to her on the basis of her skin tone and gender.

[circumvent]

22 minutes ago, yourmomiseasy said:

Max's proclamation that he was resigning and giving Helen his job was reductive and offensive - not just because he didn't ask her if she wanted it.  He was not suggesting Helen do the job because she's qualified (she is!) and would do a great job (she would!), but rather because she was a woman of color.  Way to tokenize Helen.  Even if Helen wanted the job, I doubt she would want it handed to her on the basis of her skin tone and gender.

I have been involved in an organization falling for this same mistake: make leadership a person of color! Problem number one: the people of color invited to join the organization can't or don't want to. Besides, the current leader is extremely competent and has done an incredible job in the area. So, why change? It is all virtue signaling.

There is a term for this: race reductionism. Search Touré Reed, he criticizes this practice with great eloquence, very accessible. 

[CB-LXX]

On 4/11/2021 at 3:23 PM, AnnA said:

The pilot was so uplifting and fun that I keep coming back for more with this show.   They seem to have strayed a bit from the "How can I help you?" theme and are now trying to cure the world's ills by featuring the social issue of the week.   While I recognize that each of these issues is current, pressing and should be addressed, I'm just not sure I want to do it week after week on New Amersterdam.   This past year really sucked on so many levels so please forgive me for being shallow and self-serving but I just want to be entertained.

I feel the same way. I don't mind social issues being addressed, but you do get burned out when it's one right after another. Space it out a little bit.

[SnarkySheep]

On 4/7/2021 at 10:54 AM, ams1001 said:

Does Max ever think for more than three seconds before doing something? He's the medical director but he never seems to be doing actual medicine.

If I'm not mistaken, being a hospital director literally means he is supposed to be busy directing things - like dealing with paperwork, committee meetings, employee issues, etc. - NOT actual medicine. (You never see Sharon Goodwin on Chicago Med doing anything other than these things.) In fact, I think there was something about this in the very beginning, when someone commented on Max's wearing scrubs instead of a suit, which apparently they were used to directors doing, and he had said he didn't want to lose the medicine end of things. Which...I don't think is exactly his decision to make, upon agreeing to take the job he did, but hey....

 

On 4/13/2021 at 3:18 PM, circumvent said:

I have been involved in an organization falling for this same mistake: make leadership a person of color! Problem number one: the people of color invited to join the organization can't or don't want to. Besides, the current leader is extremely competent and has done an incredible job in the area. So, why change? It is all virtue signaling.

Same - except in my situation, the person who was selected to be director serves a largely poor and uneducated population. Yes, the director was a POC like most of our population, but she held an MBA and earned a six-figure salary, while most of the people she saw daily lived on Section 8. It was utterly ridiculous and downright condescending to think people will walk into an office and be blind to all these things, simply because their skin is the same color as the director's. Yet the organization did it four times over in my experience. Max is basically full of good intentions but he is going about it totally wrong.

[possibilities]

Max was a total ass this week, but I think they did it because they wanted to show other similar asses what they look like, and give other non-asses an opportunity to tell him what an ass he is. I'm okay with that.  I mean, it was annoying to watch him, but it's supposed to be annoying.

Helen is more and more fed up with him, I noticed her getting snarky and impatient in the previous episode also. And that, more than anything else, is driving his increasing panicky ass behavior. He realizes he's completely dependent on her emotionally as well as in his job. And that he has not been even slightly... equitable... in their personal relationship, any more than he's been in his career.

Not putting the wet paint sign up was, I think, another way to signal how manic and ass-y he was being. I mean, that is a rock bottom basic thing to do, you don't have to be woke to do it, and the entire project was running on panic, not process.

Addressing systemic racism at New Amsterdam is a good and necessary thing to do, and it's good the show addressed it as not something you can fix with a surface gesture and a half-cocked 48 hour manic panic.

Max addresses everything with that same half-cocked mania, so it's not even out of character for him to do the same with this. But the show deciding to critique him rather than glorify him for it was actually rather refreshing.