Essential Workers

## Episode Chronology

**"Essential Workers"** is the second episode of the third season on NBC drama series *New Amsterdam*, and the forty-second episode overall. It aired on March 9, 2021.

## Synopsis

Dr. Reynolds makes a surprise return to New Amsterdam to save his former colleague and friend Dr. Kapoor. Dr. Frome and Dr. Bloom come to blows about obesity and constantly eating in the Emergency Department.

## Plot

Floyd is back in hospital; security asks him for his last name and gives him a “visitor pass.” He goes over Vijay’s file and tells Max that he can’t operate, his numbers are not even compatible with life. Max says that is why he has to fix the valve. Floyd says the virus damaged the heart muscle.

Max says he is dying and needs surgery. Helen says the virus hit them hard, it hasn’t been easy. He says his hospital only had three deaths, she says they were spared, she wishes they were. Iggy can hardly stand; Lauren goes to see him see what is going on. When she gets there, she sees him dizzy, she says Gladys was right, he should go home. He tells her that he hasn’t eaten, that’s all; then he says for two or three days.

Helen sees Ella, she is sitting in a chair and says she is not getting up until Vijay is out of surgery, she is having leg cramps and Helen tells her it sounds like she is in labor.

Max is called to the dispensary, they caught the guy who has been stealing Oxy, his name is Paul Argento, an orderly who has been working there for thirteen months. Paul says he has been stealing the drug for his mom, Brenna Argento’s condition, she has stage three bone cancer. Max finds out that her oxy was pulled by her doctor, and he says it is Max’s fault because he sent a letter to all the doctors and told them to cut how much oxy they were prescribing.

Karen goes to see Max regarding the opioids, she tells him that by giving Brenna the drug, he is breaking his own rule. Max says sometimes things look good on paper, but they have to help patients who are in pain.

Helen tells Ella that after taking tests, she is going to have a baby today. Ella is trying to relax; she is nervous and asks Helen how this is happening. Helen wants to call the family to be with her, she says she only has Vijay and he promised to be there with her. She had a plan, a perfect plan and now it is gone. Helen clears her afternoon; she tells Ella they are going to have a new plan.

Iggy tells Lauren that he is fine, it is just a cleanse and whatever she thinks this is, it isn’t. She asks him if he has a stash, some people go on a binge after fasting like this. She finds some snacks and pastries in a door, there is a note on it that reads, *“don’t eat you fat pig!! You’re disgusting!!”* He tells her it’s alright.

Vijay is in surgery; Floyd can’t believe he was even in the hospital at his age during the outbreak.

Max has a web meeting with patients who needed opioids and the hospital said no. He apologizes to them and says their policy on pain meds ends now. All patients will get the meds they need. He says they just have to drop by the hospital once a week to get them because they are highly addictive, and the hospital wants to make sure they are not being abused. Everyone is upset, they all hang up on Max.

It is time for Ella to get her epidural, Helen starts talking to distract her. Helen tells her there is a man that she is attracted to and when he tried to touch her hand the other day she had this weird feeling. The epidural doesn’t work, Helen tells her she is too far along, she is going to have to do this on her own.

Iggy sits down with Lauren, he tells her that his father struggled with his weight every day and he didn’t want him to struggle the same way. So at an early age, his father took an interest in his way, around the third grade. He would make him go on crash diets, skip meals, take his shirt off so he could take pictures on the wall near the gym in the house to track his progress. And, if he ever walked by him, he would slap his gut and tell him he had a lot of work to do.

This one time, he was in middle school, he hated everything about himself so he tried to hang himself. Ironically he was too fat for the rod in the basement that he tried to hang himself from him. He says he has conquered a lot, but he looks at these notes to remind him that he no longer has to stand around with his shirt off and have others judge him.

Floyd is walking down the hall when Max sees him and tells him that he heard that he pulled it off today with Vijay. The police walk up to Max and tell him that he is under arrest for writing seven hundred oxy prescriptions, each one over 100 milligrams and distributing them by bike messengers. Floyd gets a message about Vijay, his heart is stopping, Floyd runs.

Karen gets Max out, they are not pressing charges because he is an essential worker, but she had half a mind to leave him in there. She tells him that he ignores reality. She says she is glad that he is helping people, but he has no idea where these drugs are going. And, opioids are not always pain medication, they are the drugs that kill people.

Lauren chases Iggy in the hall and shouts “people die from what you are doing.” He calls her into a room, she apologizes for making a scene. She says she knows the truth is difficult. He says he is on the Jimmy Kimmel diet and she almost killed a patient because she is a drug addict, not the same. She tells him that he is out of line. Gladys knocks on the door, they tell her to come back but she says it is regarding Vijay.

Floyd tells Lauren, Max, and Iggy that the clip fell, tore through the valve, he has to open his chest and put in another valve. He called them all there in case Vijay doesn’t make it, he thought they would want a moment with him. Meanwhile, Ella is in labor, Helen is still with her and the contractions are peaking. Ella is crying. Vijay opens his eyes, he tells Iggy to look after Ella and the baby. Helen tries to calm Ella, she holds her hands and tells her she got this, she can do this. Iggy tells Vijay not to be silly. Vijay says please and Iggy says yes.

Lauren apologizes to Iggy. Iggy says Vijay thinks he is a good father, and what is he doing to his kids by having this eating disorder, he starts crying. Lauren tells him that he is going to continue suffering until he stops. She tells him to talk to a therapist, it saved her life. They hug.

Vijay is in surgery, Lauren, Iggy, and Max are watching from above. At the same time, Ella has delivered her baby. They are about to restart Vijay’s heart, they did it. BP is dropping, the heart valve is not holding. Vijay sees his wife, she gives him fruit for strength and tells him that their grand-daughter needs him. Vijay is back. Ella takes her baby into her arms. Helen says happy birthday little one.

Max tells Karen that he has a way to solve their opioid problem, they can watermark them, that way they can’t end up on the street.

Helen goes to see Cassian and reaches out for his hand, he touches her face.

Floyd is sitting in front of a wall that has a tree painted on it and in memoriam, all the New Amsterdam’s staff that they lost due to the pandemic.

## 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* Daniel Dae Kim as Dr. Cassian Shin
* Megan Byrne as Gladys Miller
* Dierdre Friel as Ella
* Keren Lugo as Dr. Diana Flores
* Debra Monk as Karen Brantley
* Erick Betancourt as Security Guard McAdams
* Nora and Opal Clow as Luna Goodwin
* Marvin Avila as ICU Nurse Ocampo
* Shadrack Boakye as Messenger Braden
* Kimiye Corwin as Dr. Jan Matsudaira
* Mahalet Dejene as Anesthesiologist
* Ray DeMattis as Patient Carl
* Greg Jackson as Patient Terrence
* Jax Jackson as Patient Luol
* Candice Jean-Jacques as Brenna Argento
* Sam Kebede as Messenger Carter
* Naaji Sky Adzimah as Patient Rosalee
* Brian Lucas as Patient Rodrigo
* Makia Martin as Patient Denise
* Arash Mokhtar as Dr. Aldo Vartka
* Shaquita Smith as Anesthetist
* Esteban Suero as Paul Argento
* Krystal Torres as Agent Douglas
* Erikka Walsh as Agent Sully

## Multimedia

### Videos

New Amsterdam 3x02 Promo "Essential Workers" (HD)