Max and Helen have been through a lot during New Amsterdam's second season. It all started with the fallout from that shocking Season 1 finale cliffhanger, which resulted in the death of Max’s wife, and Helen getting injured. Fast forward to the midseason finale, and Helen had her titles at the hospital taken away. In some positive news, Max learned his cancer had gone into remission.
Helen will have to deal with deciding whether to stay on at the hospital when New Amsterdam returns. I hope and think she will choose to stick around! As for her good friend Max, he finally started making headway in his grief over his wife’s death, which he had struggled to come to terms with throughout the early part of Season 2.
What is going to happen between Max and Helen when the drama resumes? It sounds like there's a lot for fans of the characters and their connection to look forward to! Teasing what is coming up between Max and Helen, New Amsterdam showrunner David Schulner told TVLine:
I will say that he can’t do this without Helen. And I think he needs her more than just about anyone in his life[.] And even if there were romantic interests or questions between them, would he really want to risk that friendship if it didn’t work? Whatever stuff they have between them, for me, it’s more powerful than a romantic relationship. It is truly a dependency and a gift to have someone in your life [who is] so supportive and someone who knows you so well. We put friendship on one side and we put romance on the other side, but I just think whatever they have between them transcends both.
Well, this is a slightly more hopeful update for fans of a Helen/Max pairing than they got when this season kicked off! After New Amsterdam’s Season 2 premiere, David Schulner had far less assuring news to share. At the time, Schulner emphasized the fantastic friendship that the characters share and indicated that bond would be the focus of their dynamic moving forward. Thus, friend-zoning the duo.
What a difference (roughly) half a season makes. A great friendship tends to be the cornerstone of a correspondingly strong romance, in my opinion. Max clearly needs Helen, and they make an incredible team. The question is: should they risk the friendship for something more?
If the friendship is so strong that they want to take that next step, then I think it should survive romance. Escaping the friend zone can be a risky move. However, something tells me that New Amsterdam will eventually take the leap and have Max and Helen explore their relationship further.
As for Max and Helen’s friendship, New Amsterdam’s showrunner hinted that they will be fully reconnecting soon with Max opening up to Helen again. On how the two will be moving forward, David Schulner told TVLine:
They’re back to being each other’s person. All the work she did, trying to get him to open up, has paid off, and he’s going to be as open with her as he used to be, knowing that the burden of guilt and grief is dissipating.
That sounds positive! While fans wait to see if something more comes from Helen and Max’s relationship, they can always enjoy their friendship. That bond will continue to develop when New Amsterdam returns. Of course, fans will continue wondering if something beyond platonic awaits.
Ever since New Amsterdam began, the incredible chemistry that exists between Ryan Eggold (Max Goodwin) and Freema Agyeman (Helen Sharpe) has been unmistakable. For the show not to explore Max and Helen on a romantic level in the future would, in my opinion, be bizarre at this point. It is a slow burn that should eventually sizzle!
Keep watching to see what happens between Max and Helen when New Amsterdam returns on Tuesday, January 14, at 10 p.m. ET on NBC. The medical drama’s return will be one of this winter’s premieres.
