The Island

## Episode Chronology

**"The Island"** is the ninth episode of the second season on NBC drama series *New Amsterdam*, and the thirty-first episode overall. It aired on November 19, 2019.

## Synopsis

When an inmate comes in with an entirely preventable illness, Max, Sharpe, and Iggy head directly to the source - Rikers Island. Meanwhile, Bloom struggles with her recovery, and Reynolds gets news that could change his life.

## Plot

Max waking up to his baby daughter, Luna crying. He picks her up but notices there is something wrong with his throat; immediately going to the hospital, going for a scan but told it is probably allergies as the air quality in the city is awful; but he is panicking. Floyd wakes up to Evie sleeping beside him, he kisses her trying to convince her to stay in bed, which she feels it will just take a few days and she should be okay.

Lauren is happy to see Zach Ligon, saying she feels good from all the morphine in her system. She feels with her tolerance, the meds are not even affecting her. He jokes that she looks ravishing and if she believes him than she is incredibly high and tells her the party is over as he removes the IV pump from her room.

EMTs arrive in the ED with a patient, Martha Randall from Rikers Prison, Casey and Vijay take her into an exam room. She is unable to lift her leg; making her panic and she is recommended to an OB/GYN who learns she has toxic shock syndrome from keeping a tampon in for over 9 days. He is furious that she is not the first patient coming from Rikers with this and immediately goes in search of Max.

Meanwhile, Max arrives at a meeting with Karen Brantley and Helen. He doesn’t think that Helen should have to run out of town for being arrested in a “flophouse”. Karen reminds him that she broke the law and she will have disciplinary action written up by the end of the day. Mac confronts her about not telling him, but he tells her she should burden him… always! Kapoor comes in and along with Helen, they explain how they need to get to Rikers and help their patients. Iggy gets the 911 and rushes over to them, learning this is all about Rikers. Max tells Casey to gather medical equipment with all the female hygiene products into a van; they are going to Rikers to give these women proper care!!

They go through all the various security gates with COs not looking too impressed that they are there; giving them strict orders and having the K9 unit checking all medical equipment. Max thanks them for having them as the guard has zero interest in helping them, since the mayor answers to the doctors but not to the prison guards. Max apologizes for going over his head, saying they’re there for basic check-ups on all the 600 women inmates. He said if they are to donate tampons, no problem but if Martha had a problem she could have went to medical there; Helen is furious and confronts him, causing max to ask her about what happened to play nice? They witness how COs are holding down a prisoner as they are escorted to the examination room.

He is very ignorant introducing him to the medical staff, saying the staff from New Amsterdam is there to show them how to do their jobs. It is a tiny room, with no privacy for pap smears or medical exams or anything for mental health. He says their problem is about $5 a day for healthcare and they had an overdose this morning that is half of today’s cash gone and it’s not even lunchtime, but if they can improve things he will be the first to thank them, if not; he will be the first to contact the Mayor about it.

At new Amsterdam, Reynolds is dealing with the overdose as Lauren wakes up in excruciating pain. She demands a pill, so Zach says she is only allowed 4 pills per day. He insists that she waits one hour before she takes the pill, she agrees but keeps staring at her phone for the time. Martha is in the scanner as Kapoor asks her questions to manage her pain level. She talks about her son, informing Kapoor that it is better if her children don’t come to see her because people will use that to their advantage. Kapoor informs her that she needs to have surgery on her brain due to toxic shock syndrome.

At Rikers, Iggy introduces himself, saying he is setting up shop in the consulting room free of charge; there is a bit of banter between him and an inmate named Pearl and CO Sanchez threatens her with a write-up. Iggy approaches Pearl and they have a conversation about the COs. Sanchez writes her up for continuing to talk to Iggy, then has her physically removed from the room, causing Iggy to speak up as he was the one who initiated the conversation.

Max sets up in the cafeteria to help all the inmates and the Warden rushes in, angry and orders the COs to shut them down. Max says this is an improvement, but the Warden informs him he is breaching protocol; the exam room is small for a reason as he only had enough COs to cover them in there. Helen asks if they can get through the red tape but he informs them it will take at least a month. Jackie Conner, an inmate orders the inmates to certain areas and Max thanks her.

Martha, in the meantime, is in a procedure with Kapoor and Reynolds; the procedure was a success and Kapoor wants to inform her family but the guard says that isn’t possible as it would be a security risk for them to know she is not in the prison. Kapoor doesn’t understand as she almost died.

Iggy finds Pearl in her cell, apologizing as Pearl explains that Sanchez has something out for her. She tells him to leave it alone as Sanchez has always been mean; informing him that she has been mean since second grade. Iggy goes to see Sanchez, who reminds him the inmates cannot see her go soft because that would end her career. He insists that it feels personal between them.

Lauren struggles, constantly looking at her phone but manages to sweat it out, but when she looks for the pill the cup is empty. She screeches as she tries to sit up and find it.

Max is quite happy with Jackie, telling her to look him up when she gets out as he has a job for her. She jokes, telling Max that she isn’t there for chit chat and he needs to take out the garbage. Max’s throat is irritated but Helen tells him that his face is not swollen. An inmate interrupts them, saying her girlfriend needs help as she has some intense issues. She informs them she is in solitary, where max and Helen are told they cannot bring in their medical tools to treat Charlie.

Max and Helen cautiously walk into Charlie’s room, introducing themselves, saying that her girlfriend, Desi asked them to come to see her. She is pulling her hair, causing Helen to ask if she is pulling it out or if it is coming out on its own. Charlie smacks max’s hand, telling him to not touch her and she orders them to back up, questioning them on laughing at her. She says she only laughs at them and gives a really sinister laugh as she violently shoves Helen out of the cell and the guard quickly locks the steel door.

Lauren continues to press the call button, OR nurse Aimee Kamoe, tells her that it won’t get her there any quicker. Lauren needs another pill, saying someone must have come in there and taken the pill. She asks her to test her blood and all she is asking them is to replace one little pill. She screams at her so Aimee says she will call Zach. Lauren apologizes saying she is in pain.

Max and Helen attempt to figure out what is going on with Charlie. Max realizes Charlie’s issues are not psychological and refuses to leave when the guard tries to push them out. Iggy welcomes Sanchez and Pearl to meeting with him, Sanchez says she is there because she has to and Pearl admits she is only there because the door is locked. He wants to help them navigate through their past issues. Pearl has no idea why they are no longer friends as Sanchez finally says she hooked up with a loser, Justin causing them to not spend time together as friends. Pearl admits Justin would hit her if she would spend time with her friends, something Sanchez didn’t know. She reveals that getting infractions makes her feel like she is right back with Justin. Sanchez says that is her job but Iggy says they are both being controlled by men. The two women begin talking, but Sanchez can only be inmate and CO as Iggy says they can look at each other and acknowledge there is more to who they are. They face each other, both holding back tears in silence.

Max and Helen return to Charlie’s cell. He asks her to focus on his eyes and tells him that she can’t see the eyes. They test her, and believe she has a brain tumor that is pressing on her optic nerves and this is also causing her to behave this way; so it is not her fault. She is startled to learn she is not crazy, but sick. He says they are taking her to New Amsterdam and she is going to get better; she agrees.

Kapoor tells Martha to stay strong as her surgery was a success, but before she can leave he needs to perform a scan on her that has radiation and tells the guards they need to stay outside. He brings her into the room where her family is. They tell her to quietly hug her and Kapoor smiles at the reunion, as brief as it is.

Floyd comes to see Evie at her office, kissing each other. He knows she needs space but is just really excited that she is home. She tells him that San Francisco offered her a job position and he is shocked to learn that she is considering it even though she loves him.

Max rushes back into the cafeteria where there is a full-on fight between the women. Max shoves past the guards as he attends to the wounded and Jackie is seriously wounded. Helen calls for a couple ambulances.
Zach comes to see Lauren when she tells him that from one addict to another; so the only way he can be certain she didn’t take it, is if he did. He feels she is being an addict by blaming another for their mistakes. Lauren is left confused, tears down her face.
Ella (Dierdre Driel) comes to see Vijay Kapoor, saying he wants to offer her support as being a helpful grandparent. Ella sits down, explaining she has OCD that was diagnosed 12 years ago after she was hospitalized, saying she is off the meds right now and has been taking to Dr Frome because she doesn’t know if she can be a mother, but he tries to reassure her. She feels if she needs to be a wonderful mother, she needs to put her child first. She has a plan to move back in with her parents in Idaho. He is shocked but felt it was a wise plan.

Max continues to deal with his throat issues but learns from his scans that the tumor is gone and his throat is only like this because of allergies and he is in remission; something he finds hard to comprehend after all the hard times. He finds Helen, who says the Warden has surprised her as they have asked them to come back. The Warden is a results guy and he got results today as Rikers could be part of their med school rotation. She thought Max would be more pleased but he seems distracted. He asks Helen if she is okay, as she excuses herself but she says she will burden him if he will burden her.

Max reveals he is in remission, she cries how wonderful but wants to know why he isn’t happier. He doesn’t know. Helen tells him that she is off to see Karen to get his wrist slapped. She doesn’t need him to go with her as he feels he doesn’t need her at the moment either. Max stands outside the hospital as Georgia appears saying this is what he was waiting for; to be better. He only wanted to get better for her but she doesn’t get to know. She tells him there is nothing he can do to change this nor to bring her back. She says it is okay for him to say the words, so he struggles but says she is not there, but he is and still is. He acknowledges that he won’t see her anymore but she tells him that every time he looks at Luna he will see her. He nods and bows his head before he walks away.

Helen finds Karen who has reached a decision. The Riker’s plans are no longer hers to make as she is stripped of her title and her duties as Deputy medical Director; something Helen was not expecting. Karen walks out of the room.

As they are wheeling in the overdose inmate, she begs them to not return her to Rikers because she has turned State’s Witness and she has never done drugs before. She pleads for them to get her out of the hospital as someone is trying to kill her. Jackie opens her eyes and nods to another inmate as they all eye the guards. Casey is busy speaking to one of the COs when another patient is brought it. The guard is called over to the inmate who pulled something out of her hair.

## Cast

* Janet Montgomery as Dr. Lauren Bloom
* Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe
* Jocko Sims as Dr. Floyd Reynolds
* Tyler Labine as Dr. Iggy Frome
* Anupam Kher as Dr. Vijay Kapoor

Guest Starring* Margot Bingham as Evie Garrison
* JJ Feild as Dr. Zach Ligon
* Dierdre Friel as Ella
* Lisa O'Hare as Georgia Goodwin
* Alejandro Hernandez as Casey Acosta
* Ana Villafañe as Dr. Valentina Castro
* Debra Monk as Karen Brantley
* Jennifer Betit Yen as OR Nurse Aimee Kamoe
* Olivia Khoshatefeh as ED Resident Yasmin Turan
* Marinda Anderson as Dr. Valerie Jessup
* April Hernandez Castillo as Inmate Dominique
* Shamika Cotton as Martha Randle
* Murphy Guyer as Warden Hughes
* Susanna Guzman as C.O. Sucia Sanchez
* Shawna Hamic as Inmate Charly Yarborough
* Nikiya Mathis as Pearl
* Ivory Aquino as Inmate Fran Meale
* David Chen as CO Green
* Drae Campbell as Inmate Dezi Nelson
* Patrick Cann as Correction Officer
* Lissa Escudero as Paramedic (credited as Lissa Danshaw)
* Dwelvan David as Guard Mashburn
* Matthew DeTitta as CO Lopez
* Cori Dioquino as Nurse Eddie
* Lisa Ferreira as Inmate Suzan
* Heather Girardi as Guard Leonard
* Alexander Martin Jones as Burly CO
* Idalia Limón as Inmate Adrienne
* Selena Nelson as CO Harris
* Dina Pearlman as CO Roberts
* Maria Elena Ramirez as Dr. Rae Proctor
* Michiko Sasaki as Rikers Physician

## Multimedia

### Videos

New Amsterdam 2x09 Promo "The Island" (HD) Fall FinaleBloom Suspects Ligon Stole Her Meds - New Amsterdam