‘New Amsterdam’s Ryan Eggold Teases Max & Helen’s New ‘Challenge’ As He Faces A ‘Crossroads’

Max Goodwin just couldn’t stay away from New Amsterdam. HL spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Ryan Eggold about directing the latest episode and the struggles for Max and Helen coming up.

Max Goodwin is determined to get New Amsterdam back on track after Veronica Fuentes’ massive changes. During the February 22 episode of New Amsterdam, Max was determined to take Veronica down. After several obstacles, he managed to unite those who were part of the resistance at urgent medicine. HollywoodLife got EXCLUSIVE scoop from Ryan Eggold, who directed the episode, about what’s next.

“I think Max is, obviously, at a real crossroads and torn between New York and London and his personal life and this hospital and trying to sort of make it all work,” Ryan said. “I think he made the choice, finally, to put his love life and Helen first and his daughter and take this plunge and go to London and everything, but now I think that decision is sort of catching up with him as he sees some of the damage that’s happening at the hospital. And, of course, completely disagreeing with almost everything that Veronica does. I think he’s realizing he misses New Amsterdam, and that he’s got to get back. He’s about to do everything he can to make things right and to get back into this hospital and right the wrongs.”

While Max is busy back in New York, Helen is still in London. She told him to go back to New Amsterdam and come back to her after he’d saved his friends and the hospital. Ryan noted that he hopes Helen makes some trips to New York “for Max’s sake.”

He continued, “In [episode] 15, they’re across the country and trying to connect. They’re struggling and playing phone tag and it’s tricky. I think that’s going to be a challenge for them coming up. How do they navigate the reality of living in two different places and how do they reconcile that? I don’t know if they know that answer yet.”

At the end of the episode, those that were part of the resistance teamed up to help Max. This included Bloom, who was fired by Veronica. Bloom showed up in the final moments to ask Max a very important question, “How can I help?”

“I love that that phrase has become this phrase that moves throughout the episodes and throughout the characters and that lands at these hopefully poignant moments in the show,” Ryan said. “For me, that was one of my favorite moments. I wish I had more Janet [Montgomery] in my episode, first of all. I had her for a day because she’s just coming back to save the day. Janet is so crazy talented, and as a director, just everything that you want in an actor in terms of preparation and execution and just crushing it. But that line was really fun, and then the look back at Max just being moved by all these people actually showing up, and Reynolds who just had the argument with, showing up for him for the hospital. We did a handful of takes on her line, and there was just one that just had that magic. I think that’s the one that’s in there.”

The actor admitted that Max’s crusade to save New Amsterdam is proof that he can’t leave the hospital behind, even though he made the decision to move to London.

“I think he finally chose to put his own happiness first, which I think is something that he probably hasn’t done a lot in his life. So it’s good, but now, I think it was an overcorrection,” Ryan told HollywoodLife. “He sort of regrets having let go of the hospital. And it’s like, maybe there’s some way to have both. I think his greatest fear was losing Helen in the process of this, so when she gives him the green light and it’s like, ‘I got you and I’m not going anywhere.’ I think that’s all the strength he needs.”

The February 22 episode marked Ryan’s second time directing an episode of the show. “It’s a really exciting, new thing for me,” he said. “I’ve made some short films and one feature film and now two episodes of this show. It’s just a new space to learn and play. It’s especially fun doing it in my home of New Amsterdam with these people that I love that are so talented, generous, and kind. It’s just a great family. It makes it really easy.” New Amsterdam airs Tuesdays on NBC.