NEW AMSTERDAM: Ryan Eggold on Directing ‘Two Doors,’ Max’s Quest to Save the Hospital From Veronica

NEW AMSTERDAM star Ryan Eggold steps behind the cameras for the Tuesday, February 22 episode, “Two Doors”—a wildly different experience than his first time directing the medical drama for the February 2020, pre-pandemic, hour, “Sabbath.”

“Working with this family of writers and actors and crew, it’s like second nature by this point; it’s such joy,” Eggold explains. “It’s so easy, because I’ve been with this family for four years now. And that part of the job—the creative work of directing and telling the story working with Aaron [Ginsburg], who wrote this episode brilliantly—is very easy and very fun and very simple.”

“Working within the confines or the challenges of COVID and all the precautions that we take there [is not]—and there are a lot of challenges that come from that, unfortunately,” he continues. “And they’re certainly not unique to us. That’s just the world we live in and trying to make television in this age. [There were a] lot of challenges…from locations falling through, to the actors being stuck somewhere, to just a lot of logistical challenges.”

Things aren’t exactly easy for Eggold’s character, Max, who finds himself fighting an uphill battle in “Two Doors”: After returning back to New York, Max was horrified to see how far New Amsterdam had fallen. And with Reynolds (Jocko Sims) blowing up the secret group, the Resistance, Max realized he had to fight to save the hospital from Veronica (Michelle Forbes). Unfortunately for Max, with no job in the hospital itself, he has to find a new way to save the day.

“Max is obviously willing to go to the ends of the Earth for the things that he loves and people he loves and what he wants to accomplish,” Eggold teases. “I don’t think he has a fully formed plan of how to get this hospital back and restore the care that he thought this hospital was about. But I know that he’s gonna go for it. And he’s going to pour every ounce of everything he’s got into making that happen.”

With limited options at his disposal, Max seeks out another job. “It all starts with this [possible] Urgent Care [position],” Eggold previews. “He’ll do whatever it takes, I think. And with the support of Helen, who said, ‘You’re not going to lose me. Go in there and do what you got to do,’ I think that just gives him all the strength he needs.”

And though Helen has returned to London and the couple are physically apart, “it’s a great episode for them,” Eggold gushes.

“They’re trying to connect, and struggling to do so,” he acknowledges. “They’re playing phone tag, and they’re missing each other, and they’re dealing with time changes; one person getting off work and the other being in bed. All of the challenges of that distance—[but] then finally they get the opportunity to connect, and it is worth it in the end. I think now Max and Helen are realizing the challenges this distance is going to bring.”

NEW AMSTERDAM, Tuesdays, 10/9c, NBC

RELATED:

• NEW AMSTERDAM: Tyler Labine Teases Reynolds Being ‘In The Doghouse’ and a ‘Topical’ Case for Iggy
• NEW AMSTERDAM Exclusive Clip: Meet Genevieve Angelson’s Dr. Mia Castries
• NEW AMSTERDAM: ‘Talkin’ Bout a Revolution’ Photos
• NEW AMSTERDAM Boss David Schulner Shares Even NBC Didn’t Believe the Show Would Go Through With its Biggest Twist
• NEW AMSTERDAM Boss David Schulner Explains Why Veronica is Sticking Around
• NEW AMSTERDAM Post-Mortem: Jocko Sims Teases Malvo’s Bombshell Causes Reynolds to ‘Start to See the World Differently’
• NEW AMSTERDAM Post-Mortem: David Schulner Teases the Midseason Finale Twist ‘Changes the Show in a Big Way’
• NEW AMSTERDAM: Jocko Sims Previews the Hospital’s Deadly Superbug in the Midseason Finale
• NEW AMSTERDAM Post-Mortem: Jocko Sims on the Ramifications of Max and Karen’s Big Swing
• NEW AMSTERDAM’s Jocko Sims Previews the Fallout of the Hospital Shake-Up
• NEW AMSTERDAM Post-Mortem: Tyler Labine Previews the Hospital’s Reaction to the Sharpwin Twist
• NEW AMSTERDAM Season 4 Premiere: ‘More Joy’ Photos
• NEW AMSTERDAM Post-Mortem: Ryan Eggold and Freema Agyeman Break Down the Big Sharpwin Moment
• NEW AMSTERDAM: Ryan Eggold and Freema Agyeman Preview the Unconventional Season 3 Finale
• NEW AMSTERDAM: Jocko Sims and Frances Turner on Reynolds and Malvo’s Chemistry and Connection
• Ryan Eggold Previews NEW AMSTERDAM’s Timely VBAC Debate
• NEW AMSTERDAM Says Goodbye to a Series Regular
• NEW AMSTERDAM: Ryan Eggold Previews Max’s Reunion with Luna
• NEW AMSTERDAM’s Jocko Sims on Reynolds’ Return: ‘No One’s Safe’
• NEW AMSTERDAM’s Ryan Eggold on the Season 3 Premiere Twist: ‘We’re Not Invincible’
• NEW AMSTERDAM: What You Need to Know About the Season Premiere
• NEW AMSTERDAM’s Ryan Eggold Previews Max’s Search for a ‘Fundamental Kind of Change’ in Season 3

Follow @GiveMeMyRemote and @marisaroffman on Twitter for the latest TV news. Connect with other TV fans on GIVE ME MY REMOTE’s official Facebook page.

And be the first to see our exclusive videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made through links/ads placed on the site.