An Engaging Look Into "New Amsterdam"
New Amsterdam based on the creator Dr. Eric Manheimer’s memoir is a medical drama, which tells the story of Dr.Max Goodwin , who becomes the new medical director of the oldest public hospital in America. Dr. The author of Goodwin wants to change the fulfilled pattern by going round and round in circles but to achieve the fantastic results for those patients in need. Lack of funds and people overworking at the hospital make it the epicenter of different social issues, and at the same time, the play offers both drama and elements of realism that give the audience a picture of contemporary healthcare. As Dr. Goodwin struggles to manage her professional life as well as her personal life, new Amsterdam provides good content that makes the viewer interested even from episodes one. The series is focused on the themes of ethical dilemmas, the occurrence of public health emergencies, and the authors’ work experiences as healthcare professionals. Filled with sincere passion, it focuses on the humanitarian aspects of the profession, two qualities that can come from adversity. It maintains this tone throughout, providing the series with the emotional core that keeps its viewers engaged.
Ryan Eggold reprises his role as Dr. Max Goodwin smoothly, and stands out as charismatic and empathetic in front of the cameras. The cast of the series consisted of Janet Montgomery, Jocko Sims, Tyler Labine, and Freema Agyeman and all of the actors seem very convincing as medical personnel. Their communications enrich the emotional tone and drama inside the hospital, as well as, the camaraderie and tension are based on real-life situations.
The series is developed by different directors including Michael Slovis and Darnell Martin; therefore, the difference in styles became an advantage in addressing the issues of pacing and emotional build-up of the show. It also succeeds at capturing the kinetic environment of a hospital while leaving room for drama, heart, and focusing on character development, though they pack a lot into an hour.
The song of New Amsterdam adds depth to the main plots and doesn’t overshadow main scenes making them even more emotional. One does not get an ostentatious feeling, which primarily helps the dialogues and narrative to take center stage and enhance the drama. Steady cams and dynamic angles diversify the picture making the life in the hospital vivid when closer to reality, while the close-ups illustrate the feeling of the main characters.
The series are really marked by rather bright and vivid scenery of the hospital, which makes the picture in it natural and interesting. First, the realistic set design, although the show is fictional, the environment and the hospital were created to make the audience relate to the story tighter.
Secondly, while using special effects are relatively rare and, as a rule, used only for creating practical stunts, making the medical scenes look more impressive and realistic. One thing I love about the show is that it does not demand your attention on the glamour of the effects, instead you are able to follow the story and the changes in the characters.
The editing of New Amsterdam can be seen as smooth and intentional. The series does a good job of handling a number of stories and subplots while never making the audience confused for a second. Increase and decrease of tension corresponds to the level of realistic drama of work in a hospital and does not allow the viewer to get bored in between episodes, but at the same time allows the main characters to reveal themselves. It is sharp and effecting often overlaid with high stakes emotion and motivated intelligence that could not be ignored.
There are improvements here, there that show that New Amsterdam excels in several areas and yet, it sometimes dips into clichéd melodrama, which is a dime a dozen in network dramas. Some of the storylines may look cliched and character development can seem forced at times, the basics do not take away much from the show.
New Amsterdam is a thought-provoking drama show that focuses on the healthcare system while simultaneously providing the viewers with entailing storylines of the characters. The series evokes viewer’s emotions provoking empathy and generating knowledge and its important message embodies the determination and hard work of healthcare workers. With the characteristic of being realistic and sensitive, it is really a representation of the struggles in life within the hospital setting.
