NEW AMSTERDAM – My rating: 8.5/10

New Amsterdam is a new medical drama about a hospital that is breaking all the rules to service it’s patients, NOT by the book.  New Amsterdam is based on the book, Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital by Eric Manheimer. 

Its opening episode is an attention getter when the hospital’s new director and Chief of Medicine, Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold)  fires the entire cardio-thoracic surgical department because of their statistics.  Max’s aim is to reform the neglected facility by tearing up its bureaucracy and provide exceptional care to patients.  Dr. Floyd Reynolds (Jocko Sims) becomes the new head of cardio-thoracic surgery and is in a semi-quasi relationship with Dr. Lauren Bloom (Janet Montgomery).  Dr. Iggy Frome (Tyler Labine) who is the chief of psychiatric is dealing with a teenage patient who feels completely abandoned.  In the meanwhile, Dr. Goodwin has a secret that he puts into the hands of the Chief of Oncology, Dr. Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman). Lastly, Dr. Vijay Kapoor (Anupam Kher) is a seasoned physician who is called upon often to help resolve unknown or rear deceases.  Max has a pregnant wife, Georgia Goodwin (Lisa O’Hare) who is having a difficult time with carrying their baby to full term, not to mention they are not fully seeing their relationship eye to eye, thus had been living apart.

As time goes on, the episodes get better and the plot also enjoys a more seasoned flavor.  I have read many of the critic’s reviews of New Amsterdam and the results were not good.  Some were down right cruel.  I disagree with the critics, as I really like this new and exciting medical venture.  Most critics agree Freema Agyeman is wasted in a boring, mediocre part where I think she is the most exciting character casted.  I’ve been enjoying each episode as they air hoping for a home run because I really like Ryan Eggold from the Blacklist and Freema Agyeman from Sense8.  I’m hoping to see a lot more of them.  It’s also interesting to see what the writers have in store for this hospital.  Most of the critics don’t think New Amsterdam will make it past the first season but NBC has ordered a full 22 episodes.  I recommend New Amsterdam, so check it out!

SENSE8 – SEASON 2 (2017) – My rating: 9.5/10

The second season of Sense8, a science fiction drama is created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski.  If you think my previous review that defined Sense8, season 1, as great — you’re in for a treat, because season 2 is even better.  I didn’t think Sense8 could get better, but it did.  This is a remarkable series.  If you didn’t see season 1 you will need to see it first or you will be totally lost. All 8 characters come together once again to form a Cluster of life changing telepathically shared relationships that’s unlike anything you’ve seen.

You will also need to read my first review of season 1, which outlines Sense8’s purpose.  Season 2’s plot continues with Milton Bailey/Whipers (Terrence Mann) seeking out the 8 sensates for reasons I will not reveal, hoping to whet your appetite. Obviously, I’m truly a fan of this series and highly recommend it.

Siting creative differences, Aml Ameen has been replaced by Toby Onwumere who will take over the role of Capheus “Van Damme” Onyango, otherwise all other actors remain the same as in season 1 but with many new additions.

THE MAIN EIGHT SENSATES

Capheus “Van Damme” Onyango (Toby Onwumere), is a matatu driver in Nairobi. Capheus is a passionate fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme and is trying to earn money to buy AIDS medicine for his mother.
Young Capheus (Gabriel Ouma).

Kala Dandekar, (Tina Desai) is a university-educated pharmacist and devout Hindu in Mumbai who is engaged to marry a man she does not love.
Young Kala (Yashvi Puneet Nagar).

Lito Rodriguez, (Miguel Ángel Silvestre) an actor (still in the closet) who has a Basque background living in Mexico City with his lover, Hernando.

Nomi Marks, (Jamie Clayton) a transgender woman “hacktivist” and blogger who lives in San Francisco with her girlfriend, Amanita. Nomi was born Michael but changed her name to Nomi, which stands for “Know Me”.
Young Nomi (John Babbo) (then called Michael).

Riley Blue née Gunnarsdóttir, (Tuppence Middleton) is an Icelandic DJ who is living in London while trying to escape a troubled past.
Young Riley Gunnarsdóttir (Katrin Sara Olafsdottir).

Sun Bak, (Doona Bae) is the daughter of a powerful Seoul businessman and a burgeoning star in the underground kickboxing world who is plagued by a corrupt sibbling.
Young Sun (Jane Lee).

Will Gorski, (Brian J. Smith) a Chicago police officer haunted by an unsolved murder from his childhood.
Young Will Gorski (Maxwell Jenkins).

Wolfgang Bogdanow, (Max Riemelt) a Berlin locksmith and safe-cracker who has unresolved issues with his late father and participates in organized crime.
Young Wolfgang (Lenius Jung).

OTHER SENSATES

“Whispers”, (Terrence Mann) a sensate who turned against his own kind and who leads an organization determined to neutralize sensates.

Jonas Maliki, (Naveen Andrews) a sensate from a different cluster who wants to help the newly-born cluster of sensates.

Angelica “Angel” Turing, (Daryl Hannah) a sensate from an older.

FRIENDS

Felix Bernner, (Maximilian Mauff) is Wolfgang’s best friend and partner in crime. He is not a sensate.
young Felix (Chiron Elias Krase).

Hernando Fuentes (Alfonso Herrera) is Lito Rodriguez’s lover and a professor of art.  He is not a sensate.

NOTE:  Sense8, season 3 has been CANCELLED. According to a Netflix statement, “the audience was simply “not large enough” to support the show’s vast production costs”.    You can see the 2-1/2 hour finale movie, which is currently streaming on Netflix.  It’s a whopper of an ending.  Check it out!

THE BIG SICK (2017) – My rating: 8/10

Didn’t think I’d like the Big Sick, but I was wrong — The Big Sick was a great romantic comedy.  A comedian from Pakistan and a White girl living in Chicago meet, fall in love and all hell breaks loose.  It’s a pretty good concept and it’s based on a real life couple’s story.  Everything about this film was good.  We get to see how stubbornness, tradition and love can work together for the greater good while teaching some valuable lessons.

Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) is a standup comedian (for real) who drives for Uber in the day and performs standup at a Chicago comedy club at night.  Also, Kumail is Pakistani and very close to his family and family traditions, NOT.  Being a Muslim immigrant, his parents set him up with many Pakistani women, thereby emulating their Pakistani tradition of an arranged marriage.  However, after meeting Emily (Zoe Kazan), (not a Muslim) heckling him while sitting in the audience of the comedy club, they began a relationship that turned into more than they meant for it to be. Of course, Kumail didn’t tell Emily about his parent’s pursuit of never ending Pakistani women for the grand prize of his hand in marriage.  As their relationship grew closer, Kumail’s parents began to wonder if their son was crazy, especially when they set him up with the most desirable, beauty on a long waiting list of eligible bachelorettes and he still didn’t bite.

 From this point, Emily has to learn if there’s any future for her with Kumail but first she gets terminally ill and her parents, Terry Gardner (Ray Romano) and Beth Gardner (Holly Hunter) show up and develop their own relationship with Kumail, which doesn’t go well in the beginning.  We are hanging on the edge of our seats because we won’t know the outcome of Emily’s illness or whether her parents finally accept Kumail or not.  Additionally, there’s Kumail’s parents, Azmat (Anupam Kher) and Sharmeen (Zenobia Shroff).  What happens when they find out about this non Pakistanian relationship?  Can Kumail survive being thrown out of his family or do they forgive him?  There’s a lot going on in this movie — I urge everyone to see The Big Sick, it’s delightful, funny and entertaining.  It gives us to an opportunity to revisit some of our  long standing traditions to determine if “maybe it’s time for a change”.

 

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