S04.E07: Harmony

[secnarf]

Quote

Max and Bloom are shocked when a deadly ambulance crash reveals a dangerous plan. Fuentes pressures Iggy to take on patients. Sharpe realizes her cost cutting has adversely affected her department. Reynolds, Baptiste and Malvo try to reach an accord.

Original air date: Nov 2 2021

[Cloud9Shopper]

I can’t think of anyone who looked good in this episode.

Floyd/Lyn/Claude needs to end. It’s obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that Claude doesn’t want this and is going to end up the loser so Floyd and Lyn can keep their bland “romance” going. And the arguing in the scrub room over the affair between two of the supposed best surgeons in the hospital? Whatever. I wish the writers would stop trying to make us like this. Whose idea was it to have the opening scene at that super awkward and uncomfortable breakfast? 

Fuentes should probably go but TV doctors seem to never suffer the consequences of their actions, no matter how loathsome, so I’m not expecting anything. 

Speaking of, she is so on to Lauren and her relationship with Leyla. I think she clearly knows it’s more than a “donation” and shit will hit the fan sooner rather than later and she was trying to give Lauren an out to confess. I do think Lauren deserves to suffer some consequences here, but again she probably won’t. She’s just being shitty at this point. My tolerance for “troubled” characters only runs so far. 

OK, I lied. Martin looked good here. He continues to be the best romantic partner on the show. Every time I think he’s going to tell Iggy they should split up, he is there for him and finds a way to make things work. Take notes, everyone else.

Max finally says he has parents, which is good because I’ve been wondering where his family is. 

Worst doctor of the week should just collectively go to almost everybody on this show. 

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by Cloud9Shopper

[statsgirl]

Patients is how a hospital makes money. What makes Iggy think that the hospital is going to pay his salary if he doesn't bring in any money for them? Get therapy, Iggy and keep your job. Or quit and write a book if you're such a great therapist. Be a househusband, your husband had to be earning enough to support the family. This is so stupid.

Family foundations are set up to save on paying taxes. Just give the hospital another donation, Lauren.

Floyd/Lyn/Claude commits the cardinal sin of being boring. You're all so stupid, I can't care.

Max and Helen are opposites. Helen tells other people to fix things without getting  the details and is appalled when she finds out how they did it. Max wants to fix things himself and usually makes things worse. If the hospital is in such financial problems, where did the money to buy and equip a fleet of ambulances come from? Who is going to hire the staff much less run the program since he's leaving in 2 weeks? And why has no one diagnosed and treated his problems yet?

[LittleIggy]

Yeah, where did Max get the money for a “fleet of ambulances”? 🤦‍♀️ 
Iggy is a pathetic psychiatrist for not getting therapy for that whole “Chance trauma.” 
Sorry, but diagnostics for sickle cell patients are more important than wigs/makeup for Cancer patients.

[babyrambo]

For some reason I thought they’d spend a little more time on Max’s feelings and flashbacks regarding Georgia and the ambulance but they really just zoned in on the random paramedic.

One of their more interesting cases but a waste of an interesting tie in in my opinion. 

And of course it was Fuentes doing, she fluctuates between coldly pragmatic to unbelievably villainous and they really need to find some balance. Max’s schemes are either wildly expensive and/or borderline inane and the fact that he’s had free reign this long is silly. Works for the show but bringing her in really makes that stand out. And I know they said London’s a sure thing but Max almost flipped his lid in this episode, he’ll be in London for all of two seconds before some egregious budget cut by Dr. Fuentes has him running back. 
 

MAX/HELEN: I’m coming around to him and Helen, though I still think she can do better but she’s obviously in love so I hope he actually commits to her. They’ve pretty much become an instant family and we’ve seen maybe 5 minutes, if that. That ‘mum’ conversation in this episode was weird too, and maybe it’s just me but there’s been no proper onscreen contact between Luna and Helen and she and Max have been dating for such a short time, it seems a little premature to be having his daughter call her ‘mum’. How about they actually show us them bonding. More and more it feels like saddling Helen with him is meant to be a replacement for the things she wanted, which could work, but they’re not really showing a lot of that development. 
 

BLOOM: Fuentes knows. She brought up Leyla twice, and wasn’t shy about asking for more money. Lauren is only digging a deeper hole for herself with this second donation. Lies always snowball and this is no different. It’s been weeks and she has Leyla walking the halls of the hospital believing she rightfully earned that spot. I can’t imagine her anger and embarrassment when she finds out it’s all been a farce, because like Lauren, she seems to have a temper. If they stay together I’ll be shocked because as cute as they are together, and as pleasant as Lauren is now that she’s in love, she’s also been lying to Leyla’s face and she fully altered the course of her life. Being in love doesn’t justify that, she obviously wasn’t thinking but when faced with a long distance relationship, she shouldn’t have spiralled like that. What she did was also a little possessive and maybe she needs to see someone, like Iggy because she doesn’t seem to have worked through her issues.

Honestly the whole lot of them could do with seeing a shrink. 

IGGY: should have gotten help a while ago, at least he’s getting it now. Martin’s a real saint, he’s literally the ideal partner. 

FLOYD: Still boring I see. The interactions with him and his girlfriends husbands are so incredibly awkward, I can’t decide whether to laugh or look away. I’d understand going through all this trouble if him and Lyn had some epic love connection but they don’t. Just two people standing next to each other and reading their lines is the vibe I get. Right now, I don't even care how they end, just that they do it soon. 

[cathmed]

Iggy - pathetic, shouldn't be a psychiatrist and needs to see a therapist himself

Lauren - no repercussion (yet) and actually, was given an "out" by Fuentes

Flyn/Baptiste - Hope this trainwreck is finally over.  Almost seemed like Lyn & her husband just wanted attention from each other🙄

Hated Helen having to beg Fuentes for funding when we know Fuentes has deleterious motives.  She is no one's friend, can't be trusted and you don't want to be indebted to her in any way

I wanted Max to go full "chemo" Max on Fuentes but at least he did present an alternative.  I'm still waiting on that "trouble" Sharpwin was going to get into.  It seems that fallen by the wayside and Fuentes has the upper hand with ALL of them.

Fuentes - writers don't seem to know what to do with her - be the cold, uncaring witch other times, try to show her with decency.  Based on next week's eppy, they're writing themselves into a corner.  We know all the doctors can't be fired.

Sharpwin  for me, too little time.  I wish there had been more of the BTS photos in the actual episode.  The sweet/happy moment - Helen is now Luna's "mum".  BUT - one minute, Max says that they haven't been together long and have a lot to talk about.  By the end of the episode, Luna's calling Helen mum (I swear the writers are reading IG and fanfics🤣.  In E1, Helen said they were leaving in 6 weeks, so that seems a little soon to explain to Luna about her mother--who she's never known--and for Luna to start calling Helen mum (why not continue to call her "Hewen" for now?).  So even though it was a sweet, touching gesture, it seemed the writers rushed this and yet don't take time with other things.  I think they just wanted to throw a bone to Sharpwin fans to end this episode on a happy note.

[LexieLily]

9 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

Floyd/Lyn/Claude needs to end. It’s obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that Claude doesn’t want this and is going to end up the loser so Floyd and Lyn can keep their bland “romance” going. And the arguing in the scrub room over the affair between two of the supposed best surgeons in the hospital? Whatever. I wish the writers would stop trying to make us like this. Whose idea was it to have the opening scene at that super awkward and uncomfortable breakfast? 

So it's what we predicted all along that this was never an open marriage and just a way for Lyn to have an affair/cheat.

[Driad]

Could someone please tell me what happened in the second half of the episode?  My local station went to election coverage.  I think the last scene we saw was Iggy and Martin.  adTHANKSvance!

[statsgirl]

Other people will remember better but Iggy quit because Fuentes still expected him to see patients (horrors!) so the award plan didn't work. He felt that he couldn't see patients, it was too traumatic so instead of seeing a therapist and fixing the problem, he quit and told his husband who supported him and said that they will somehow make the less money work (Martin's a psychiatrist too isn't he? Don't try to tell me that a family of 5 can't live on that money).

Floyd called out Claude on sidelining him because of the relationship with Lyn and the three of them had a big fight in the OR scrub room.

1 hour ago, LexieLily said:

So it's what we predicted all along that this was never an open marriage and just a way for Lyn to have an affair/cheat.

Claude said that he suggested an open marriage because he alone wasn't enough for her, Lyn said that he was but now she cares for them both, and Floyd said  that he tried to walk away but couldn't because he's in love with her. Zzzzzz

Fuentes figured out that Lauren made the donation to give Leyla the residency spot so she would stay in the city and used it to pressure her to give another one to the hospital; Lauren caved and called her lawyer. Many couples have to make long distance relationships work, people in the military for one, and I have very little sympathy for Lauren who used her family money to make the problem go away.

The ambulance driver, as well as going too fast, picked up a patient who not only lived outside the catchment area but didn't need to be in the hospital at all because Fuentes told the fire chief that if they didn't bring more paying patients , she would end the contract with them. This makes zero sense to me none the least because in my city, the ambulance has to stick around until the patient is processed and on a busy day that can take hours. Max said that it wouldn't help and that he solved the problem by buying a fleet of ambulances (🤯🤯🤯), Fuentes said that it was a good idea and wished she had thought of it.

Helen got her doppler screenings back in a Monkey's Paw deal with Fuentes but found out that the cancer wig/makeup and other stuff had been cut to pay for it.

Max and Luna were brushing their teeth and he told her to call Helen 'Mum'.

6 hours ago, babyrambo said:

That ‘mum’ conversation in this episode was weird too, and maybe it’s just me but there’s been no proper onscreen contact between Luna and Helen and she and Max have been dating for such a short time, it seems a little premature to be having his daughter call her ‘mum’.

Typical Max though. He's "all in" after 5 seconds.

It feels like the only competent person is Martin and he doesn't even work at New Amsterdam .

Edited November 3, 2021 by statsgirl

[TooMuchRealityTV]

I still find myself disinterested in Floyd and Lyn. We all knew this was coming. The marriage wasn't as open as Lynn interpreted it to be. Her husband was likely never crazy about the open thing. Floyd doesn't get that adults sometimes aren't able to be with the person they "love" for a variety of reasons. The fact that he is as all in as he is with Lyn, despite being the wife of his boss doesn't speak well of his ability to "adult".

Lauren has been caught, but Fuentes would rather force her to make further "donations" than out her. Which seems like a Fuentes thing to do. Somehow I suspect Lauren isn't going to be able to keep up the donation scheme, and she'll get outed.

I do like Martin. Iggy married well. I don't get why Iggy thought he could just not see patients and not deal with, get help for, his issues. I like that Martin seems like a supportive partner though.

Finally, I get that Max is an all in type of person, but you don't really want to rush your kid calling someone "Mum". You two have been together a few weeks. If this doesn't work out after a few more weeks this will make it worse. Let's give it some time, let Helen learn how to make the kid a sandwich, and then transition from Helen to Mum once they have been established as a family for awhile.

[kirkola]

From my limited research on open marriages, Floyd/Lyn/Claude are doing it way wrong.  Someone is writing about it without having anything about it.  Communication and openness from the beginning is key.  No secrets, no surprise dates, etc.  Their failures come from when communication and openness breaks down or when one of the party isn't really all in.  Jealously is terrible.

I like Fuentes as a counter point to Max's idealism, but her solutions seem no better researched than Max's.  And based on how my local hospital now seems to be running, she seems to be what the future of medicine is....speeding ambulances, et al.

I loved the Iggy/Martin conversations.  But then I usually do.  Martin is such a great counter point to Iggy's impulsiveness.  And someone (Gladys? I think works with him) should be pointing out that Iggy needs counseling, even if Iggy can't see his own need for therapy.  And again, from my limited research, it's not uncommon for therapists to have a therapist to talk out the stresses of the day. 

Finally, I hate the "Mum" storyline.  Regardless of whether or not Luna remembers her Mom, she does in fact have one and there probably needs to be a separation there.  As a step-parent, I gave the kids a chance to "name" me and 18 years later I still happily answer to the name made up by a then 3 and 6 year old.  I have always encouraged the kids to have a relationship with their mother and her family.  I don't have to like her, but she is their family, and I have always done what I could to make the transitions easier for them.  I recognize that in Luna's case, her Mom isn't a memory, but she does have memories of her maternal grandparents and their will be questions about her later.  Best to be communicative and open about Mom now, growing with Luna's age and understanding, of course. 

 

[LittleIggy]

Why is NAPA giving psychiatric prizes? Will Iggy go for the Auto Zone prize next? 😏

[Trini]

They're really making Fuentes out to be The Worst. Because the hospital doesn't have enough problems?

[ams1001]

I haven't watched the last three episodes but I've still been reading the threads. Still not seeing anything to make me want to go back and catch up. Y'all are more entertaining than the show, apparently.

[Cloud9Shopper]

27 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I haven't watched the last three episodes but I've still been reading the threads. Still not seeing anything to make me want to go back and catch up. Y'all are more entertaining than the show, apparently.

I’m accepting autograph requests. 😉

Alas the closest I come to fame is my fanfiction page at Archive of our Own. 😄

[catrice2]

Yes, thanks for the recaps.

 I can't help but wonder what I've missed that we are already up to Luna calling Helen anything! Did thy have another time jump?  I am sorry, but I still don't see where Max is such a catch....physically or in any other way.

I hate the shows where the "bad guy" somehow knows or figures out everyone's secrets and has power over multiple outcomes.....ugh!  Such lazy writing. 

I was never a Bloom fan, but I have to say that have made her even more unlikeable.  I had hoped she was going to be killed off, but they brought her back for this?  At this point Bloom can go and they can keep Leyla. 

Floyd and Iggy........

[txhorns79]

13 hours ago, statsgirl said:

 

It feels like the only competent person is Martin and he doesn't even work at New Amsterdam .

I don't know.  He didn't suggest Iggy take a temporary leave and get professional help either. 

And for the life of me, is this hospital in financial distress or not?  Where did Max get the money to buy the new fleet of ambulances?  At least with Fuentes, they showed that she couldn't just magically make money appear to restore the Doppler program.  She had to cut something else to get the money. 

[babyrambo]

2 hours ago, catrice2 said:

can't help but wonder what I've missed that we are already up to Luna calling Helen anything! Did thy have another time jump?  I am sorry, but I still don't see where Max is such a catch....physically or in any other way.

That’s how I felt too, it came out of no where because I don’t even remember Luna calling her Helen let alone mommy. I guess this is their way of showing that they’re both in for the long haul but showing actual early relationship development would also do that? It’s ironic that they brought up how fast they’re moving when they don’t seem to be doing anything to change that.  

[bros402]

Let's see how this episode is! I wonder who will be the worst doctor this week? I'm going to take a shot in the dark and guess it will be... Bloom's girlfriend

I bet this episode is not going to be nearly as good given the Omundson deficiency.

hey look they are meeting over coffee and not at work like they should've in the first place.

reynolds still feels like he does not fully understand the situation, how many episodes until this bites him in the ass

bloom that is a supply closet, it is not an on-call room and you are at work, you need to treat her like your subordinate not your girlfriend

why didn't she eat breakfast on the way there

iggy not seeing patients for a bit is understandable given his trauma, but yeaaah he needs to see patients. One of my doctors runs the department of one of the best cancer centers in the country and he still sees patients twice a week

I mean, yeah, he should see patients again - but Fuentes should let him ease back into it and pick patients to see, since he IS the head, he gets first pick

oh look a few weeks until the move and now max is going "hey we didn't discuss some stuff"

shouldn't you have talked between each other about what the kid calls Helen weeks ago

uh oh, ambulance crash, looks like it hit something. how long until dramatic fire/someone saying it could explode

wait that was apparently right near the hospital?

 

um bloom you can't just tell him to get a head ct, he needs to be checked in and have an order for the CT

 

wait they didn't look at the dispatch report before floyd started chopping up the patient? what

 

max why are you back in the ambulance weren't you just helping floyd surgery the patient

wait

 

everything else is digital why wouldn't the dispatch report be - there'd be the 911 call, and the EMTs would've radioed ahead to the ER

um max that is a piece of evidence you took from the ambulance

 

oh, the driver is blaming himself? i'm guessing that means he is an addict and fell off the wagon

 

wow, that was quick to call time of death on the guy brought in

 

hey look, a conversation between Iggy and Max that makes sense - since it seems like at most, maybe it's been 3 months since Iggy was held hostage by that patient?

um why is an oncologist and a neurologist approaching a patient, oh hey she's acting in her capacity as a hematologist. oh my god it's a miracle, it's a time where it actually MAKES SENSE for Sharpe to see a patient

 

oh look tension between reynolds and his boss

it does make sense that Reynolds should prep for an M&M, since it would be a good case to learn from

reynolds she's manipulating you, she didn't talk to your boss

uh oh Max is interrogating the guy

max you dropped the very unhygienic clipboard in that room

oh god Fuentes is one of those people who hums/sings while walking around to try to get someone's attention

fuentes as far as you know, Bloom is just a very wealthy doctor who likes to donate to the place she works at, why are you threatening a donor

 

um why would Helen be in charge of reallocating funding for the hospital, that's Max's job. she wasn't deputy medical director then, was she?

Iggy how descriptive were your patients that you were having nightmares of everything they told you

"She can't breathe" - but Reynolds, she is coughing up blood and gasping for air, so she is getting something, but not enough

 

wait, so Fuentes told the heads of firehouses to break the law and they listened?

 

oh look a wedge is being driven in between Reynolds and his boss, I am guessing because Fuentes wants to save money and wants one of them to leave

 

um Iggy and Husband, why not just have Iggy take a sabbatical and have him see a therapist. Iggy's husband is way too good for him. Those two have the best/most healthy relationship on this show.

 

um fuentes I am pretty sure you cannot single handedly terminate the contract with the fire department. it's a public hospital, you can't terminate that, I am sure you could make a deal with a private company too

oh god more reynolds drama

 

Having iggy go feet first into seeing patients just just weird... and how would they get so many patients at the last minute

 

um, so Fuentes magically shut down that clinic immediately, so nobody can get anything and I bet they have stuff back there, so I am guessing they are firing all of those people? DId she put up a sign going "BLAME SHARPE, HERE'S HER PHOTO"

 

um max how did you order an ambulance fleet immediately

that episode felt a bit.... discordant

 

So I think the worst doctor of the episode is a tie between...

honestly i think this needs categories:

For endangering a patient because of personal drama with Reynolds... the award goes to REYNOLDS BOSS!
F sowing discord among her employees, having the ambulance contractor break the law, and somehow communicating to the aesthetics patients that Sharpe was to blame for the department being shuttered instantaneously... the award goes to FUENTES!
For screaming at his boss to the point where a nurse had to call his boss's wife to get to the two of them to shut up (you saw the nurse pointing to the room while the wife was running in the hallway).... the award goes to REYNOLDS!

then a much smaller statuette goes to Iggy for not seeking professional help - he just wants to run from his problems.

The one that comes out looking the best is:
Dr. neurology head - she was normal during this episode, didn't get involved in anything

[circumvent]

This show is getting really boring with all the personal stuff and no medical weird/impossible/dramatic things. It needs more balance. Throw  in a big fire, or a pile up, a blizzard, a hurricane, anything to show some medical action so we can snark about that, instead of just hating all the teenage-style drama

Iggy is the worst. If he feels so traumatized, he should be having therapy himself. It might even be part of a code of ethics or something for the profession. I have no sympathy for how they are telling that story.

Fuentes was trying to extort Lauren. Yes, demanding money for silence on a personal matter is extortion. And how infantile it was the feeding the girlfriend while drilling her for an interview. Ugh!

I don't know what they did to Helen but she looks like a little girl who doesn't know what she wants. And now she is all aww...because Max wants Luna to call her mum (as if the spelling of a word will make a huge difference in a day-to-day interactions) and because the girl waved at her. aww 

Seriously, can we stop with the not-poly stuff that it is so boring and that nobody gives a shit about? And why are those two "in love" with someone so bland and annoying as Lynn (is that her name)?

[Cloud9Shopper]

I wonder why Lauren and Leyla are still hiding in the supply closet. (Yes, I know, TV.) Lauren is making her bed and she can lie in it for all I care with regard to the bribe.

Lyn has officially joined Abby from ER on my list of “characters who should not be shipped with anyone ever.” (Although at least Lyn isn’t miserable 24/7; just bland.) I almost gagged when Claude told Floyd he sees what Lyn sees in him. Dude. Really? 

I still have no idea why we are doing this London plot when it’s obvious to even my cat that Max and Helen aren’t staying. 

[LittlePeas3]

What a load of rubbish this episode was.  Did they honestly think that putting Floyd and his lady friend and her husband at a table together, in a restaurant of sorts, was going to go smoothly?  It may have for "show" sake at the restaurant, but as if they were going to get on after that. Did Floyd think it would all work out? 

Bloom was ridiculous, did she really think that she wouldn't be caught out for bribing to keep Layla there? This donating money is going to spiral down fast if Fuentes stays much longer, and obviously, Layla is going to find out. 

I was very concerned watching Iggy, it is bad when your secretary is doing your job, for you. Surely, that is a warning sign that you need HELP! 

I am still waiting for the Max and Helen causing havoc episode.  So far, since promising it, they have been beyond underwhelming.  They've been pretty much boring.  I can not believe that Helen didn't think that one of her other units would have to close if she wanted the sickle cell clinic reopened.  

There's way more, but I watched this episode yesterday afternoon and after a shocking night of very little sleep, my coherency is gone.  

[MinorL]

I know I have to suspend disbelief for TV, but it seems impossible to start one program at a hospital and end another one in, like. 2 hours. The timelines on this show are bizarre. 

[bros402]

31 minutes ago, MinorL said:

I know I have to suspend disbelief for TV, but it seems impossible to start one program at a hospital and end another one in, like. 2 hours. The timelines on this show are bizarre. 

oh yes the timelines on this show are almost as bonkers as the travel times on This Is Us

[Cloud9Shopper]

7 hours ago, MinorL said:

I know I have to suspend disbelief for TV, but it seems impossible to start one program at a hospital and end another one in, like. 2 hours. The timelines on this show are bizarre. 

I think in the second episode they said Helen and Max were leaving for London in five weeks and yet they are still here. How slowly is time passing in the NA universe? 

Of course the London plot is stupid to begin with because everyone who can even sort of think critically knows it won’t last. 

I love that I can talk critically about the show here with you all. Over on the NA subreddit, you tend to get downvoted to hell if you express opinions about Lauren/Leyla being toxic or Lauren being a trash person, or say anything less than glowing about how the show is written. 

[babyrambo]

2 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

I think in the second episode they said Helen and Max were leaving for London in five weeks and yet they are still here. How slowly is time passing in the NA universe? 

Of course the London plot is stupid to begin with because everyone who can even sort of think critically knows it won’t last. 

I love that I can talk critically about the show here with you all. Over on the NA subreddit, you tend to get downvoted to hell if you express opinions about Lauren/Leyla being toxic or Lauren being a trash person, or say anything less than glowing about how the show is written. 

This post made me glance over at the subreddit and there’s definitely a stark difference lol. I don’t think that refusal to give or accept criticism is exclusive to New Amsterdam fans though. I’ve seen it a lot with a couple of things these days, namely the Marvel franchise. It’s like people think you can’t criticize something and still enjoy it or that liking/consuming something means that you have to accept everything that comes with it and that’s simply not true. There’s definitely some stuff I turn my brain off for, but acknowledging that things could be better or that something is illogical doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a hater, it just means you noticed a lack in one area.
 

sidenote: I thought the same about Lauren and Leyla’s relationship being toxic at first because a relationship built on lies where one person clearly has the upper hand(they’re choosing to gloss over it but she’s literally Leyla’s boss, landlord and girlfriend which is crazy and overbearing; what she did was also terribly controlling and possessive, that’s for sure) but as the show goes on I’m not so sure toxic is the word. Maybe more unbalanced? Lauren orchestrating things is certainly toxic and she herself is entitled and manipulative, but I feel like it’s less that Leyla is her new addiction and more that Lauren genuinely doesn’t know how to love in healthy ways. She has no boundaries at all, and that’s not just with Leyla. When they have normal couple scenes I actually like them together and it makes me wonder why the writers even chose the boss/subordinate plot in the first place. Actually, I think Leyla’s entire backstory and how they executed their getting together was weirdly complicated, especially for a show that doesn’t quite stick the landing when it comes to exploring interpersonal relationships. 

Anyway, as I scanned some posts on the SR, I couldn’t decide between Lauren and Leyla fans or Max and Helen regarding who’s got their blinders on more; I think this week it was Lauren and Leyla fans but on the whole, Max and Helen fans win here. There’s a lot of rationalizations of Lauren’s actions, a few points that I even agree with(I might be biased though, because I do actually like Lauren despite the fact that they try really hard to make her insufferable sometimes lol), but most people seem to realize that their relationship is a ticking time bomb and Lauren has major issues. But on the whole or rather, during my quick skimming of some posts, I’d day that anything that even mentions Max and Helen as a couple or even just Max in a slightly less than pleasant way, even in passing, is downvoted to hell.

I have seen some people criticizing the progression of their relationship and the fact that they’ve dropped them into this instant family without really discussing it or letting it play out naturally, but mostly it’s discussions about how their love is the love of all loves which is a little funny because the show itself doesn’t even support that argument. Personally, I think Max is too all over the place to ever properly settle and I hate how they dismissed the wife(and still do) in order to get him and Helen together, but I also think the couple has good moments.
 

The show just simply isn’t consistent with their characters at all. 
 

One thing everyone seems to agree on though, is that Floyd’s storyline is ridiculous and he and his boring girlfriend need to split. 

[judyri]

On 11/3/2021 at 10:28 AM, statsgirl said:

The ambulance driver, as well as going too fast, picked up a patient who not only lived outside the catchment area but didn't need to be in the hospital at all because Fuentes told the fire chief that if they didn't bring more paying patients , she would end the contract with them. This makes zero sense to me none the least because in my city, the ambulance has to stick around until the patient is processed and on a busy day that can take hours. Max said that it wouldn't help and that he solved the problem by buying a fleet of ambulances (🤯🤯🤯), Fuentes said that it was a good idea and wished she had thought of it.

How can a hospital administrator at a PUBLIC hospital incentivize NYFD/EMT??? With what? It helps us both?  Beyond ridiculous.  All of this is at the city level, no way she'd even be able to get this guy on the phone!  She can't break a city contract.

[judyri]

And another thing, even if the doppler screening program got cut, there's a ton of hospital in the NYC area, we are supposed to believe this is the only place?  And would Sharpe and the neurologist just deliver that bad news to a minor, without briefing the parent first?  That also seemed out of place/

Honestly, the writing is so bad.  I don't understand how it went downhill so fast.  I wonder now if the tv execs are sorry they locked into a 5 season deal.  

Edited November 6, 2021 by judyri
forgot something

[bros402]

16 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

I think in the second episode they said Helen and Max were leaving for London in five weeks and yet they are still here. How slowly is time passing in the NA universe? 

He's leaving in 2 weeks.

[izabella]

I guess I'm on my own, but I loved the little "mum" scene.  I thought they set it up nicely, with Max telling Helen earlier that Luna had asked if she could call Helen mommy.  And I thought he handled it well by telling Luna that she couldn't call her mommy because her mommy was in heaven, but Helen is there and could be called a special family name like in her home country.  It was sweet, and obviously a significant and heartfelt moment for all of them.

I wonder if they are trying to minimize the number of people who interact closely with the child actor who plays Luna because of COVID, and that's why we haven't been seeing Helen with her.  She's only been in scenes with Max, I think.  Even in the mum scene, they kept Helen on the other side of the room.

1 hour ago, judyri said:

And another thing, even if the doppler screening program got cut, there's a ton of hospital in the NYC area, we are supposed to believe this is the only place? 

 Maybe when the public hospital program ended, he didn't have insurance that would cover the testing elsewhere?

Floyd needs to run far and fast from the trainwreck that is Lyn's marriage.  If I have this right, Claude thought Lyn was unhappy and unsatisfied with just him as her husband, so told her he wanted an open marriage so she could be happier  Lyn thought he wanted, it so he could be with other women, so she didn't hesitate to get involved with Floyd.  Now, Claude is upset that she is with Floyd, and she is upset that he started this whole thing by opening up their marriage.  Meanwhile, Floyd is a fool to stay involved in their mess.

Edited November 6, 2021 by izabella

[Court]

Where can I find myself a Martin? Literally the only good thing about the episode. 

[bros402]

On 11/6/2021 at 12:22 AM, izabella said:

 Maybe when the public hospital program ended, he didn't have insurance that would cover the testing elsewhere?

That's what I have to assume - that they have that New Amsterdam Health Insurance that Max set up a few years back

But you think they'd have it somewhere - since testing a person who is known to have it is different from a screening

[possibilities]

I wish some show would do a story about a healthy non-monogamous situation. They do exist! But I guess I can't complain too much, because most shows mostly only portray dysfunctional monogamous relationships also. TV has somehow decided misery is entertaining and dysfunction is relatable. Sad!

I have never hated this show the way most forum posters here do. I see that the criticisms are valid, but I also see a lot of things I enjoy seeing, so for me I respect the frustration but am mostly enjoying watching it, despite them.

I do get annoyed sometimes, so I'm not complaining about other people's annoyance.

I thought the Mum scene was good, except for the timing. Luna will be very confused if things don't work out with Helen. But I guess that since Max and Helen have actually been close friends for years now, they think they can rely on each other to handle things in a good way, whatever happens. Luna could still have Helen as a mum even if Helen and Max separate. It's not like they just met and are in some unearned love bubble delusion about who the other is for sure. It's crazy, though, that apparently they haven't discussed much of anything before deciding to toss everything for the big move, as Max keeps telling us is the case.

If only Max was as creative and out of the box about funding as he is about spending, NA might not have financial problems. Also, any department head who has no idea what is happening with their budget as programs are cancelled and monies re-allocated is... horrendously incompetent-- HELEN!

Iggy not being in therapy to figure out how to not absorb all the emotions of his patients is unforgivable. Thinking winning an award would exempt him from that basic professional responsibility is pathetic. I like Martin, but he should b angry that Iggy hasn't been dealing with his issues, and also they both should have thought of a leave of absence instead of just quitting.

 

[bros402]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

I wish some show would do a story about a healthy non-monogamous situation. They do exist! But I guess I can't complain too much, because most shows mostly only portray dysfunctional monogamous relationships also. TV has somehow decided misery is entertaining and dysfunction is relatable. Sad!

I have never hated this show the way most forum posters here do. I see that the criticisms are valid, but I also see a lot of things I enjoy seeing, so for me I respect the frustration but am mostly enjoying watching it, despite them.

I do get annoyed sometimes, so I'm not complaining about other people's annoyance.

I thought the Mum scene was good, except for the timing. Luna will be very confused if things don't work out with Helen. But I guess that since Max and Helen have actually been close friends for years now, they think they can rely on each other to handle things in a good way, whatever happens. Luna could still have Helen as a mum even if Helen and Max separate. It's not like they just met and are in some unearned love bubble delusion about who the other is for sure. It's crazy, though, that apparently they haven't discussed much of anything before deciding to toss everything for the big move, as Max keeps telling us is the case.

If only Max was as creative and out of the box about funding as he is about spending, NA might not have financial problems. Also, any department head who has no idea what is happening with their budget as programs are cancelled and monies re-allocated is... horrendously incompetent-- HELEN!

Iggy not being in therapy to figure out how to not absorb all the emotions of his patients is unforgivable. Thinking winning an award would exempt him from that basic professional responsibility is pathetic. I like Martin, but he should b angry that Iggy hasn't been dealing with his issues, and also they both should have thought of a leave of absence instead of just quitting.

 

the show Single Parents actually had a decent non-monogamous relationship - it was played for laughs, though.

(at least I think it was good? it was a while back and I half-watched some of the episodes)

Edited March 5, 2023 by bros402

[possibilities]

I remember watching Single Parents, but I can't remember tha particular relationship story-- not doubting it existed, I just can't remember the details. There was also a show called "You, Me, Her" which was all about a throuple, and if I'm honest I've seen more than just those, but I can't remember their titles right this minute.