More Joy

"More Joy"

Season 4

Episode 1

Information

Airdate

September 21, 2021

Viewers

3.72 million

Written by

Michael Slovis

Directed by

David Schulner

Episode Chronology

Preceded by	Followed by
Death Begins in Radiology	We're in This Together

"More Joy" is the first episode of the fourth season on NBC drama series New Amsterdam, and the fifty-fifth episode overall. It aired on September 21, 2021.

Synopsis[]

Max and Sharpe wake up to a new, more personal dynamic. Iggy calls upon an old contact to help with an explosive situation at the hospital. Bloom begins a tricky dynamic with her new Emergency Department residents, and Reynolds finds himself in an awkward position with Dr. Baptiste and his wife, Dr. Lyn Malvo.

Plot[]

Max and Helen finally gave in to their feelings for each other after he removed his wedding ring, and they make love in her apartment.

THREE WEEKS LATER – Max is walking with his daughter, Luna, at the Welcome back picnic at New Amsterdam Hospital. He drops her off at the daycare, checking up on the renovations happening in the hospital. He meets with various staff members, discussing what has happened over the last 18 months. Iggy reassures staff that as their new psych residency director, they will be spending a lot of time together with real patients, and he is there as their teacher, mentor, and protector.

Lauren introduces herself to her new residents with doughnuts, insisting they do not come to her with their personal problems and do not complain about their schedule. Mark Walsh will inform them if they have screwed up, and if she is the one who has to tell them they messed up, they will know it is super bad. She tells them to grab a doughnut and get to work, while also revealing that Resident Leyla is her girlfriend.

Floyd walks into the ER, joining Claude Baptiste, who calls him his "partner." Claude insists that Floyd should find a way to make things work with the woman in his life, but Floyd tells him it is not that simple. Meanwhile, Max informs Sandra that he doesn’t want her to focus so much on his schedule anymore and wants her to focus on joy and finding it, as that is what this new beginning is all about. Suddenly, the alarms sound. Max comes outside to find everything on fire and a massive explosion. He orders everyone to leave, looking shocked.

Max is kissing Helen’s back, asking if this is even real; he is afraid to even say it, feeling there is now a future as Helen tells him she should have never let him in. Max flashes back to the present with the FDNY, who informs him that the fire was arson, and whoever did this knew the layout of the hospital, so there were no cameras. Max is confident that it is someone who worked there. Sandra walks in, saying Max has a meeting but he wants to reschedule, but it doesn’t change the doctor’s mind.

Dr. Bloom meets with her patient Brandon, informing him that he has gout, but he is in denial, saying he is an athlete and in shape. She acknowledges him as an athlete she has bet against; however, their conversation is interrupted when another patient, who had fallen off a fire escape while taking a selfie, enters. Lauren scoffs that they are less than a year away from needing their own selfie wing. Lauren praises her girlfriend while lecturing the rest of the residents, which doesn’t sit well with several of them. Meanwhile, Floyd discovers Lyn scrubbing in, despite his instructions to help her; they both feel irritated that he had to put an end to their indiscretion.

Max walks with Iggy, requesting that the psychological department create a profile of the arsonist. Iggy says the specialist isn't on staff and visits a prison patient.

Max flashes back to when he was in bed with Helen, asking her to talk to him. She says that when he talked about the future, it made her sad. She felt so exposed in London, but in a positive way; it made her realize how much of herself she had concealed when she moved across the ocean to America. She is determined not to repackage her belongings. He suggests she take some time off while she's crying. She tells him she needs to go home for good.

Back at the hospital, Max walks into his office to find Elizabeth Wilder there. He reveals that he is trying to replace Dr. Helen Sharpe in oncology, which shocks her, as she deeply admires Helen. Max acknowledges that these are significant responsibilities to assume. Max is surprised to learn that Dr. Wilder has an impressive resume, if not even better than Helen’s. He is very glad she waited out the fire and immediately hired her. She is surprised and tries to keep up as her translator tries to keep up with his hands as she is deaf.

Iggy shows the fire photos to Mary, who wants to go to the site but refuses. He insists he is not trying to shrink her; he is only trying to protect her. He begins to gather up the pictures as she says he is trying to protect her from the only thing she loves. He asserts that the fire is not an act of love, but rather a manifestation of rage, and they have reached their destination. She asserts that the accelerant is homemade, indicating an educated individual, and explains the arsonist's gender based on the distance thrown and the uneven fall. It was evident that the accelerant, which was of medium grade and originated from Northern Europe, was thrown with great strength.

Lauren calls for Trauma 1 and requests a surgical consultation when Brandon returns to the ER, stating he has taken the prescribed medications. In the OR, Floyd and Lauren attempt to figure out what went wrong, thinking he might have overdosed on the medication. Floyd follows Lyn down the hall, saying they need to talk personally, but they are disrupted when there is another explosion in the hallway, forcing them to the ground.

Max tries to reason with Helen as she asks him to leave. He feels compelled to fight for this, having waited so long for it, but she reveals that the clinic where she brought her mother needs a medical director, and they are eager to have her on board. He believes they can become frequent flyers and make their relationship work. He now feels like he has found her and humiliated himself in front of the entire neighborhood, shouting that he loves this woman and saying he doesn't care as long as she promises they will try. She asks about Luna, and he says she is young enough that she will love the adventure. He promises that if she doesn’t say she will try, he will run naked through the streets. She admits that she loves him, and he passionately kisses her.

Dr. Wilder rushes over to Max as he is dealing with another explosion with FDNY, insisting that they shut off all oxygen tanks and ensure that all fire doors are latching. She says she will take care of it. Iggy has some information available, but it's not definitive. Max asks Claude to reschedule any surgeries he can, while Lauren reports that Floyd and Lyn have only minor scrapes and bruises. Lyn is grateful that Floyd was there, as he explains that he only wanted to apologise, but all he thinks about is her when he is with her husband and vice versa when he is with her. She says it is difficult for her because she believes her husband may like her even more than he does. Floyd says something has got to give.

Lauren deals with the ED when Leyla approaches her, furious that she revealed their relationship and that she shouldn’t be treated like everyone else as she is a fully licenced doctor. Lauren apologizes, attempting to implement her program, mindful of the adage that one's health is only as good as their secrets. Something dawns on Lauren, and she bolts from the room, thinking she knows what is going on with her patient.

Iggy brings the prisoner into the fire site; she knows he disapproves and is afraid of her. He says he is only afraid of the damage she has done to her psyche. She doesn’t buy it, questioning why he stopped practicing, saying if he tells her why he quit, she will tell him who set the fire. He lies, and she calls him out on it. She pushes his buttons, wondering when the white knight stops trying to save everybody—only when he stops believing people can be saved. He demands that the police take her away. According to her profile, the arsonist is in pain and is trying to erase something. Iggy informs Max, who is intrigued by the connection between the two spaces. Max realizes where the next target is and runs to the new daycare, demanding that everyone get out.

Max sits with Helen, looking at their schedules, both finding it very difficult and calling it crazy. Helen feels they shouldn’t do this now, as it is ruining their present time together. Max insists things are going to work, as Helen says she wants it to really work but looks unconvinced.

Meanwhile, Max walks in and finds the arsonist, Clive, pouring paint thinner all over the place. He is furious that Max asked him to paint over a “graveyard”, the rooms that were the COVID units where his wife died. Max informs him that the third COVID unit houses the daycare centre, where his daughter resides, and he should refrain from attempting to burn it down. The police arrive and arrest Clive as Max looks on, heartbroken.

Iggy meets with his residents, and he needs to correct something he said about protecting them. He admits he cannot protect them. No matter how much they prepare or set boundaries, there will always be patients who consume them. They will scare the hell out of them; this job comes with a hefty price tag—a piece of their soul. He shares about Mary W, a 60-year-old psychopathic pyromaniac, and how she is being transferred to the ward because she wants their help. He no longer sees patients, but they do, and when he asks if anyone is interested, everyone raises their hands. Iggy is pleased.

Lauren confronts Brandon about his mishandling of the dosage. Brandon admits that no one cared about his education, as he was only a meal ticket because of his ability to play ball; no one cared about his dyslexia. He couldn’t read. Lauren gives him a card so he can recognise her phone number when she calls, and she reveals that it is her job to fix it once his problem enters her ED. When she exits his room, she screams at Leyla for making a mistake, causing her to smile.

Floyd has returned to the OR, and Claude insists on resuming his playlist. The two collaborate effectively. Max walks with Dr. Wilder, explaining all the problems in New Amsterdam, feeling it’s okay if she wants to bail. She admits she would love to work there, but she cannot replace Dr. Sharpe. Her advice is to not let go, but her time there was certainly memorable. Max smirks. He stands on the roof when Helen joins him. She tells him her flight was sad, upsetting, and lonely. He says he wants joy, and she is his happiness. She inquires if he has found a replacement for her, to which he confesses that he hasn't, but he might have found someone to replace him, and he intends to accompany her. She is overjoyed with his decision and the two kiss.