NBC’s New Amsterdam, Now in the fourth season of its series, they are still as awake as ever but are now starting to acknowledge it.
At the end of last week’s episode, it was revealed that Dr. Veronica Fuentes (Michelle Forbes) is taking over to replace Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) as the new medical director at New Amsterdam Hospital when he moves to London. And, on the October 12 episode “Seed Money,” the audience is meant to see her for the ruthless and unlikable person she is.
Max is a bleeding-heart Max and Veronica is a “corporate shill,” who is “ruthless”, corporately motivated, and completely lacking in the New Amsterdam spirit.” When New Amsterdam receives $10 million in land, they lash out and must decide what to do with it.
They check out the land and it’s in a clearly underprivileged neighborhood, where people don’t get the medical care they need due to the time, cost, and distance. In the most serious example, one man they meet doesn’t have his Type 2 diabetes in check and ultimately needs to get his foot amputated. The culprit looks to be the high amount of fast food “Chicken O’Cluck” restaurants, rather than more healthy options. Max thus decides that he’s going to use that land for a grocery store, and one that’s non-profit.
Veronica’s true colors come out when she not only reveals to him she’s going to be selling the land to the highest bidder, to a company that will put in more Chicken O’Cluck locations, when he leaves, but she explains why she was brought in, saying, “I have never in my entire career replaced a successful medical director.”
Veronica, New Amsterdam has a deficit in the quarter of 21 millions under your leadership. It amounts to $84 million per annum. Covid has dried up your most profitable revenue streams and profits margins overall.
Max: A lower profit is better than a higher level of care. Why would you want to use the money?
Veronica, But it’s not the same for all of your patients. Unfortunately, many white patients have been left out by your attempts to eliminate systemic racism.
Max: Maybe amplifying the voices of other people is so dangerous?
Veronica: Max, your lobby looks like a progressive piñata just exploded. You can find so many memorial plaques, and many poetic, apologetic poems. You might even get a check-up at Bernie Sanders rallies.
Max: And if money is all you care about, then why don’t you just turn New Amsterdam into a private hospital and shut the doors on anyone who can’t pay enough to live?
Veronica, I’ll take it into account.
Max: This is a great idea.
Veronica says: I have a bunch of great ideas for New Amsterdam. It will be sold to the highest bidder and that amount of money will go into our endowment.
Max: That’s great, not one cent will go towards patients, research, or the construction of new facilities.
Veronica: Already have an offer.
Max: Who?
Veronica: Unifell. Huge corporation. They might be the parent company to Chicken O’Cluck. But, I’m not joking. They are looking to construct a factory. That’s what does it mean? This means more jobs for the local community.
Max. They eat the food they are dying from.That’s not something I would do.
Veronica, Max: You don’t have to. I’m gonna wait you out, and then I’m gonna undo every bloated program, every underfunded clinic, and everything that you’ve built on very shaky ground. The bottom is coming.
There certainly are plenty of examples of how “progressive” the show has been throughout its four seasons. But, if the villainous Veronica is bringing the issue up, viewers can be sure they’re meant to dislike her criticism.
In other news, Dr. Reynolds (Jocko Sims) gushes about being in “a blossoming and healthy polyamorous relationship.” Also, he was involved in the following storyline: A white mother adopted a daughter with biracial characteristics and took drugs to try to get her lighter skin. She explains to her family the microaggressions that she experiences from living in an all-white community.
Reynolds: Do you remember what she did at the tournament? A bigoted official didn’t believe Carrie was with her team when she tried to rejoin them, and then her coach dismissed her experience of the encounterYou can read more. We called it an honest mistake.
Father: [Scoffs] It sounds like Coach Jessa was clumsily trying to handle an awkward situation.
Reynolds: Yes, however, in the end, She racially gaslits your daughter
Finally, in an unrelated scene, another character bemoans, “I’m saying we all know that when women are disruptive, let alone women of color, they’re labeled crazy or difficult or a [whispers]Bitch. And when Max does it, he’s a maverick with dimples.”
If you could, it would be wonderful. New AmsterdamVeronica led a less woken generation. Although she’s the villain here, I for one root for her.
Conservatives are fighting back Contact the show’s sponsors for this episode to let them know you don’t appreciate such a one-sided perspective: Capital One; Subway; Geico; McDonald’s; Apple; United Healthcare; Ford Motor Company; and American Express.
