There are spoilers ahead for the last two episodes of “New Amsterdam” on NBC, which are called “In the right Place” and “How can I help?”
“New Amsterdam” has officially come to an end, as has the episode titled “How can I Help?”. and shows how doctors get together and do everything possible to save the mother’s life. They pulled off an almost impossible operation at the cost of Max not being able to take Luna to the mermaid parade before they moved to Geneva so he could get a job at the World Health Organization. The series didn’t end with Max asking a whole new crowd how he could help, but Goodwin was giving a speech: an unexpected flash forward revealed that an adult Moon had become the new medical director in New Amsterdam!
Executive producers David Schulner and Peter Horton told CinemaBlend about the unexpected finale and Max’s moment that didn’t make it to the finale. Young Luna spent most of the episode upset that her father didn’t take her to the mermaid parade, until he finally explained that everyone had to come together to save someone’s mom. He promised that she would never remember that day anyway, but in the end it wasn’t like that. This will be the day she realizes she wants to become a doctor, which will lead to the final scene of an adult Moon taking her father’s former place as medical director.
David Schulner, who also co-wrote the series finale, talked about how the show got into the finale for the adult Moon, saying:
Before we started season 5, we knew this would be our last season, which is a gift and a curse, right? You don’t want to be canceled, but the best way to be canceled is to be aware of it and be able to plan for it. So my 11-year-old daughter said one morning at breakfast, “What if Luna comes back as the head doctor when she gets older?” And I said, “Okay, 11-year-old girl, leave a letter to me, please.” I said, “That’s not going to happen, but thank you for your time.”
“New Amsterdam” was officially canceled back in March 2022, when season 4 was still airing. The positive thing was that there was still one full (albeit shorter than usual) season with thirteen episodes that needed to be brought to an end. Apparently, the first person to support the adult Moon was none other than David Schulner’s daughter! Since she wasn’t a full-time screenwriter at the age of 11, Schulner wasn’t immediately on board, but she wasn’t the only one who presented this final scene. EP continued:
Then, a week later, one of our screenwriters, Laura Valdivia, emailed me exactly the same ending. And I thought: “Okay, maybe I’ll think about it now.” Then, a week later, I was on set with [the writer] Erica Green, and she said: “Call me crazy, but what if Luna returns as medical director at the end of the show?” So, in three weeks, three different people presented me with the same ending, and I thought: “I think it’s the final!” [laughs] He was pulled off the air.
If three people independently came up with the same ending, how could the executive producers go for something else? Unsurprisingly, actor Joko Sims described the end of the series as “a wonderful ending that presents a nice, beautiful bow to our wonderful journey.” Schulner continued:
It’s interesting because you end up where you start. We started with Max in this audience as the new medical director, so it really made sense to end up with someone else taking over the job.
After it became known that Max was moving to Geneva, a new medical director was inevitable for New Amsterdam. Few fans probably predicted that Max’s final scene would actually just be a quiet moment with his daughter, and she would end up getting the last scene of the show. According to executive producer Peter Horton, Max had to make a choice at the last moment:
After all, the woman he chose was his daughter. He’s going to be her father, in all the ways he knows he wants to be and needs to be for her. It’s a choice.
While Max’s relationship with Wilder was going well, and he even revealed to some extent his former affair with Helen, there was only one person he could give preference to over everyone else: his daughter. The finale ended before showing what their life is like after they leave New York, but I like to imagine it included at least one mermaid parade.
Of course, Max’s final scene with Wilder left the door open for him to come back someday, and there were no hard feelings about him leaving. Whether he actually ever was, is a gap that New Amsterdam just didn’t fill. When I asked the executive producers if there was an answer to the question of whether he was back or not, David Schulner said:
I know what I’m thinking. In fact, we shot the ending, which more accurately pointed the arrow to this or that conclusion, but it’s much better when the audience can participate in it.
There was a finale that would have shed more light on Max’s future after his departure from New Amsterdam as medical director, but it was eventually cut. According to Schulner, letting viewers present their own script works better than giving a tough answer one way or another. Peter Horton shared another privilege of not answering every question unequivocally:
It’s also a small subtle message to the network if you ever want to bring it back. [laughs]
New Amsterdam had happy endings in the series finale. Gabrielle decided to stay in New York with Reynolds, and fans saw the whole family gathered together, looking much happier than in the previous memory. Iggy and Martin remarried each other, justifying Tyler Lubin’s high hopes for their relationship. Bloom reunited with her sister at an AN assembly after getting a clearer idea of the new life (and new apartment) she wants to build for herself. Even Daniel Dae Kim appeared for the last time as Dr. Kassian Shin!
Wilder’s future was a little less clear, but she seemed more or less resigned to Max’s decision. In addition, despite the fact that the series did not have enough time to tell a lot about the adult Moon, I think it’s safe to say that she will not become a medical director, like Veronica Fuentes, in season 4.
As for whether New Amsterdam will ever return to NBC… well, fans can always hope. Ryan Eggold has already starred in a new TV show, so he won’t be away from the small screen for too long. Whether or not you’re happy with the finale, you can return to the full stream of New Amsterdam with a Peacock Premium subscription and find new viewing options in our 2023 TV premieres schedule.
