All good things must come to an end, and that includes beloved hour-long medical dramas. And so it’s a little bittersweet that the fifth and final season of New Amsterdam is now streaming on Stan, with new episodes dropping weekly.
Created by David Schulner, New Amsterdam stars Ryan Eggold (The Blacklist) as Dr. Max Goodwin, Medical Director of the titular New York City hospital, one of the oldest in the United States. Over the past four seasons we’ve watched Max struggle to whip the ageing institution into shape, dragging it into the 21st century and developing a romance with Head of Oncology and Hematology Dr. Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman of Doctor Who), which looked set to climax in a rooftop wedding at the hospital last season.
But, as fans already know, the wedding never happened, with Helen messaging poor Max from London that she wasn’t coming, and shippers mortified to realise their beloved “Sharpwin” was no more. Agyeman will not be returning this season… or so we’re told (if Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan could return for the Neighbours finale, we live in a world of limitless possibilities).
So, this final run of thirteen episodes starts with Max heartbroken and trying to put his life back together—perhaps new Head Oncologist Dr. Elizabeth Wilder (Sandra Mae Frank) will put some spring back in his step?
Elsewhere, it’s drama as usual: chief head shrinker Iggy (Tyler Labine) is on the outs with husband Martin (Mike Doyle) again, and so too are Head of Emergency Dr Lauren Bloom (Janet Montgomery) and Dr Leyla Shinwari (Shiva Kalaiselvan) while cardiac surgeon Floyd Reynolds (Jocko Sims) is wrestling with having made contact with his long-absent birth father. Add in all the usual high-tension medical emergencies and you’ve got a recipe for an engrossing final season at New Amsterdam, so fans had best get on it, STAT.
