New Amsterdam Episode 1 Review

New Amsterdam is a television series airing on Fox. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau stars as the lead character, Detective John Amsterdam. John is a brilliant New York homicide detective who also happens to be immortal. He was gifted with immortality by an Indian Woman for saving her life. John will remain immortal until he finds his soul mate. Warning: my review contains spoilers.

I wasn't originally going to watch the series because I read an article that the show was pretty much a copy of Peter Hamill's book, Forever; and that the TV series wasn't giving Peter Hamill any credit. I am not particular fond of writers stealing from other writers but since I don't know the whole story I decided to give the series a chance. Plus Fox did a great job with their advertising commercials, definitely made me want to watch the series.

The pilot episode aired on March 4, 2008. I was very impressed with the show and can't wait until the next episode. The show was a nice mixture of drama, action, history, and a touch of romance. I found the man character very interesting. I also like how the show gives you just a touch of John's past without overloading you on his history.

The episode begins with John being introduced in modern day New York working a homicide case. Flashbacks are nicely paced throughout the episode explaining his curse and showing bits of his past. John is pretty much a know-it-all sarcastic cop but still very likeable. He meets his new partner Eva Marquez, who isn't thrilled to be his new partner because she really wants to be in narcotics and not homicide. John pretty much tells her not to worry because his partners never last more then two weeks. Apparently John has a death wish that doesn't sit too well with his partners. Of course the viewers know that he has a death wish because all he really wants to do is find the love of his life so he can finally die. I'm sure he will be singing a different tune when he finally gets his first grey hair.

The case John and Eva are working on involves a murdered socialite. The murderer is not the main suspect and of course John knows this because he is brilliant. Hmmm, his brilliance is starting to get on my nerves. John knows New York like the back of his hand because he has lived there for the last four hundred years. Only one person knows that John is immortal, a bartender friend. But it wouldn't take long for anyone else to figure out he isn't quite normal if they would just listen to him. He is very glib with his comments and there are pictures of him throughout the years everywhere. I guess he is going with the idea of "hiding in plain sight."

Back to the story, John confronts the main suspect in the subway and is confusing him with his glib comments when all of a sudden John has a heart attack and dies. We, the viewers, are given the impression that the love of his life is now in his radar and he is feeling it in his heart. The potential love of his life is a doctor who tries her best to save him but he dies and is whisked a way to the morgue. Of course he wakes up in the morgue and somehow manages to make it home without anyone seeing him leave. This was the only inconsistency that drove me crazy and is actually still bothering me. The doctor and the hospital staff don't know who he is and of course they are perplexed by his missing body. Apparently we both missed something. How did no one i.d. him? I know he had his gun, badge and probably wallet on him when he died in the subway. Don't nurses usually look through a person's belonging to see who to notify when someone is rushed to the hospital? Don't the EMT's collect the belonging and stick them somewhere safe? Didn't anyone notice his gun or badge? So how did he get all his stuff back? No one noticed a naked dead guy running around the hospital? Perhaps I am over analyzing again. Anyway, somehow magically John is back home with his stuff, solves the case, intrigues his new partner, and finally spots the doctor on a subway camera.

I really did like the episode even if my sarcastic remarks give a different impression. The show was fun, refreshing, and intriguing. So that means it won't last on the networks. Darn it. I hate getting sucked into a TV series and then having it cancelled just when it gets good. This is why I prefer movies over TV. Perhaps Fox will shock me and actually bring the show back next season. I can only hope because New Amsterdam is a great show. I give the episode 5 out of 5 stars.