New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 12 Review: Anima Sola

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Ladies, to your corners! 

It was as close to a knock-down, drag-out fight as our 'Dam fam can get on New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 12 with the tension between Bloom and Helen. 

It was too difficult to bear. 

Lauren's Secret - New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 12

In the battle between two of the Dam's best doctors, there were no correct sides to choose, unless it was that of the patients. In the end, Helen had to do what was best for Bloom and the patients, so she reported Bloom. 

The truth of the matter is that it was long overdue, and it should've happened a while ago. Addiction is serious by itself, but when we're talking about a field where lives are dependent on someone being at their absolute best, there is no room or place for someone abusing any substances. 

Related: New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 11 Review: A Seat at the Table

Lauren has been trying to downplay her addiction to Adderall, and the thought process is that it is a prescription, and it's only Adderall, but a bad habit is still a bad habit. She posed a threat to herself. It's something that the series has shown a couple of times now. 

Lauren: You know, you and I are working together like this. It's not going to work.
Helen: You're right.

There was no getting around it, and it was a relief when Helen broke down and told Max the truth. It was a melancholic moment as well. She didn't want to turn on her friend, and it wasn't a matter of doing it out of spite or retaliation. Helen is concerned, and she has reason to be. 

Helen may have overdone it with her constant questioning of Lauren and riding her case so often, and she did overstep when she went through Lauren's belongings, but Lauren has a real problem. 

At no point did Lauren consider the position Helen was put in, and Lauren has not fully faced her problem. She is still defensive about it, which is not a good sign. That may be part of the reason Helen knew she had to tell Max about it. 

No Trust

A mature person who knows that they have a problem and is working towards rectifying it the correct way wouldn't have told her work colleague, the head of oncology, at a hospital, that she should stay on the other side of the hospital so that they wouldn't have to cross paths. 

Not only is that immature, but it's unrealistic. Regardless of her feelings about Helen and how hurt and betrayed she felt, they have to work together. Period. 

If she were processing how serious her issue was, she could have understood Helen's perspective and took the loss. It's not fun when someone loses trust in you or your abilities, but if you know you've given them a reason to, then you have to make due. 

Helen: Max.
Max: What's wrong.
Helen: I've, um. I've been round and round in my head but I can't see that there's any other way.
Max: Helen.
Helen: This is very difficult. I think that I need to report an impaired physician.
Max: I've already taken-
Helen: Max, I'm talking about Bloom.

 It's unfortunate that Helen had reason to second-guess Lauren. It turned out Lauren was right about the handful of Hurricane Maria survivors who flooded the hospital with their throat issues. In addition to Lauren's addiction, she couldn't vocalize why she knew it wasn't Hunter's disease beyond having a gut feeling. 

The moments Lauren shared with the "brother" of Miguel were special. This show does a fantastic job at incorporating cultures and diversity in such an authentic manner that it could bring tears to your eyes. The importance of el Santo was beautiful, and it was something that Lauren needed. 

Maybe it's something she can hold onto while facing the aftermath of the truth being out. She had to know she was on borrowed time. Casey had been covering her for a while, and that couldn't last forever.

Addiction - New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 11

Where was Casey, anyway? I missed his presence, and it seems like Helen took over the burden of harboring Lauren's secret from him.

Thankfully, we can move on from here because Max couldn't even have his radiation without someone calling for him to mediate between the two women. Chemo is taking a serious toll on Max, and it's difficult to witness him in such a worn date state, but the series lightens the mood. 

Related: The Resident Season 2 Episode 11 Review: Operator Error

It was hilarious when Max busted into Helen's office and proceeded to describe his vomit in vivid detail without noticing that Helen was on a conference call with doctors from another country. Those poor doctors probably thought the American doctors at New Amsterdam were buffoons! 

Max is Nauseous

He wasn't spared from Henry's criticism as well. It was a fair enough point for Henry to make after having his ability to do his job challenged. The man had been performing surgeries for four decades, and he was not ready to give it up. 

Iggy made the right call talking to Max about it, and it was so sad that Henry had to come to grips with not being able to do something that he loved doing. 

How many times do you see the same narrative of a seasoned professional being set out to pasture or referred to as a relic or a dinosaur? 

New Amsterdam's take on this common issue was so refreshing that it was moving. They didn't opt to cast Henry aside like old news. 

It's your experience that's irreplaceable, not your hands.

Max

They showed Henry respect -- as an elder and as someone seasoned. They honored him and his experience. They gave him a new position where he could thrive and pass on the knowledge he spent years acquiring onto other young surgeons who have come behind him.

Related: Get HBO via Prime Video Channels for Addictive Dramas, Hilarious Comedies & Hit Movies!  

It was incredible and sweet. If that didn't get you dabbing at your eyes or sniffling, then the case that provided us with another dynamic duo probably did the trick. 

We got a Floyd and Kapoor pair-up, and it was as excellent as all the others. I couldn't help giggling in glee when Floyd and Kapoor were sneaking into the other hospital to perform surgery. 

FloJay -- Tall/Edited - New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 12

Technically, Floyd wasn't lying. He's so adorable because he did not want to lie, so he had to keep finding creative ways to deceive without outright lying. 

At least him walking in the other cardio head's shadow worked to his advantage. 

It crushed my spirit when they went through all of that and Marilyn couldn't see. I thought that was it, and she wasn't going to be able to see her daughter, and it broke my heart. 

It's OK, baby because in my head and my heart I see you perfectly.

Marilyn

All she needed was a few drops, though, and she saw her daughter for the first time. Damn you, New Amsterdam for giving us all the freaking feels! 

OK, my loves, what did you think of this installment? Was Helen right to tell Max the truth about Lauren? Were you surprised at Henry's outcome? Hit the comments below! 

You can watch New Amsterdam online if you didn't cry enough the first time. 

Anima Sola Review

Editor Rating: 4.7 / 5.0
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Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 (40 Votes)

Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.

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New Amsterdam Season 1 Episode 12 Quotes

Lauren: We were friends.
Helen: We still are.
Lauren: How?
Helen: You asked for help. Let me help you.

Oh my God, what is the medical term for barf my face off?

Max