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New Amsterdam boss addresses big Max and Helen moment

Photo credit: Virginia Sherwood - NBC Universal
Photo credit: Virginia Sherwood - NBC Universal

New Amsterdam spoilers to follow.

New Amsterdam's most recent episode, which aired on Tuesday night (May 18) in the US, saw Max Goodwin and Helen Sharpe share a whole bunch of intimate moments after being exposed to a chemical spill.

Now, the medical drama's executive producer David Schulner has teased what the scenes mean for the pair's relationship going forward, and how there's "nothing like your own mortality to put you in the right frame of mind" to finally act on unsaid feelings.

In the dramatic instalment, Helen (Freema Agyeman) stumbled across Max (Ryan Eggold) trying to patch the leaking pipe. The severity of the situation soon became apparent though, when he told her he couldn't see and Helen whisked her fellow doctor away to the decontamination shower where she washed and cradled him.

Photo credit: Virginia Sherwood - NBC Universal
Photo credit: Virginia Sherwood - NBC Universal

Related: New Amsterdam boss responds to character return in season 3 premiere

Later, Max awoke in a hospital bed to find Helen clutching her tasbih prayer beads next to him. Not remembering their conversation in the shower, Max asked what they discussed, to which she jibed: "You were there, weren't you?"

"I'm sorry. Sometimes it takes me a minute to remember what matters more than anything: you," he replied, before reaching out and putting his hand on hers, a gesture Helen reciprocated.

The sweet exchange was interrupted, though, when Max received a phone call informing him that his in-laws are looking to get custody of Luna.

"I felt like Max was ready [to take the next step] in Episode 10 on the rooftop with Sharpe," Schulner told TVLine. "She could not commit to Max in that moment [due to her wanting to focus on her relationship with niece Mina].

Photo credit: Virginia Sherwood - NBC Universal
Photo credit: Virginia Sherwood - NBC Universal

Related: New Amsterdam boss reveals season finale edits after cutting flu pandemic episode

"But I felt like Max was reaching out for the first time, only to be rebuffed by Sharpe when she said she was so glad they were friends, and that's all she could be at that moment."

“We know Max and Sharpe want each other, desperately, and now we just have to see if they can have it. But they're in it together, and we just have to see if it's going to happen."

Schulner also explained that they chose to have Max and Helen's shower scene be free of dialogue for two reasons: one, the water was too loud and the camera wound up not being able to pick up the audio clearly and two, the indecipherable chat moved him to tears in the edit.

"I made the decision to just rely on Ryan, Freema, [director] Darnell Martin and our cinematographer, Andy [Voegeli], to tell the story," he recalled. "I felt like Andy's camera was inside that shower with them. I felt like that camera was telling the story, and Darnell's direction and Ryan and Freema's acting, it was all I needed."

New Amsterdam airs on NBC in America, while Amazon Prime Video and NOW TV carry the show in the UK. It's also available on All4.


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