New Amsterdam - season 1 thread

Patrick Sun · 03-04-2008, 08:07 AM

Fox airs the pilot of "New Amsterdam" right after American Idol tonight in the 9 p.m. EST timeslot, and there's another new episode being aired on Thursday in the same timeslot. After this week, there are only 6 episodes of this show "in the can".

Basic premise - John Amsterdam is a homicide detective who's very good at his job, and some of the reasons why he's good at it has to do with him having been around the block (for over 400 years) due to an immortality spell that will go away in the event he finally finds his true love. Inevitably, life without true love is a lonely existence for John.

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Chris Lockwood · 03-04-2008, 05:44 PM

"It's like Angel without the vampires!"

TonyD · 03-05-2008, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Lockwood

"It's like Angel without the vampires!"

sounds good, i don't like vampire stuff.

i forgot to set the dvr, will it be on again.

i don't do online tv unless i really have to.

Inspector Hammer! · 03-05-2008, 03:33 AM

I just watched the pilot, it was okay, i'm just not sure the public can handle or even wants yet another show about an immortal crime fighter.

As for myself the only thing that I don't like about it is his motivation, he's basically just biting his time waiting to fall in love and then die...bummer. I don't know if I want to watch a show that has it's hero praying for death each week.

TonyD · 03-05-2008, 08:09 AM

biting his time?

i thought this wasnt a vampire show.

Henry Gale · 03-05-2008, 08:15 AM

I liked it and I'll keep watching but after 4 or 5 centuries of Manhattan I'd think he'd get a clue and move to Miami or Austin.

Shawn Shultzaberger · 03-05-2008, 09:29 AM

My wife, daughter and I watched it last night. Within about 30 minutes I was pretty much done with it. I just found it kind of boring.

However, my wife and daughter absolutely loved it and will be staying with it.

I really enjoyed "Journey Man" but can't get my head into "New Amsterdam".

Jason Seaver · 03-05-2008, 09:44 AM

One thing I'm reading is that it gets better in later episodes; the first was in a tough situation because it had to both be a "premise pilot" (establishing an origin story) while also demonstrating that it would work as a procedural. I almost wish they weren't going the police-procedural route with it at all, but you need something to hang the weekly story on, and the alternative is having a bunch of other supernatural things going on in New York... And as much fun as that can be, having John be singular is a nice choice, too.

(Although, honestly, if the local natives knew a way to be basically immortal, why the heck didn't they use it on themselves more rather than just on this one outsider? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense.)

I like it, though - it looks a lot better than Moonlight, for sure - and the show could be a lot of fun if the writers are committed to delving into New York's history.

Also, I don't think John's praying for death - he's world-weary and has had the time to grow philosophical. Growing old with the one he loves is likely the one thing he hasn't done, and he's ready. I like that he doesn't seem particularly tortured by his long life the way TV's other immortal detectives have tended to be.

ChristopherG · 03-05-2008, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Seaver

(Although, honestly, if the local natives knew a way to be basically immortal, why the heck didn't they use it on themselves more rather than just on this one outsider? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense.)

How do you know they didn't?

I like this show and think it has great promise. I will keep watching.

Greg Kettell · 03-05-2008, 10:57 AM

The show has some potential but I agree the pilot was somewhat bland. I really hope every case he gets doesn't hinge on something or someone he knows from his past, that will get old real quick.

I liked the bit about him continuing to building and selling authentic "antique" furniture for beaucoup bucks, but how did he get that desk through the narrow secret passageway to his workshop?

Chris Lockwood · 03-05-2008, 11:50 AM

> I liked it and I'll keep watching but after 4 or 5 centuries of Manhattan I'd think he'd get a clue and move to Miami or Austin.

Really- shouldn't he be retired by now?

Jason Seaver · 03-05-2008, 12:44 PM

He likely has retired from a number of jobs - it's neat that being a cop is apparently just his latest, not something he's been doing in one capacity or another for centuries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChristopherG

How do you know they didn't?

I suspect that if the Manhattan area were occupied by a tribe of immortals who were unkillable until they found their true loves (which can take centuries), the Dutch and later English would have had a harder time of taking and holding on to the place. I suppose that there are certain prerequisites to the enchantment that prevent it from being used on just anyone (can only be cast on one who has fallen by the person they were defending or some such), although I'm not sure I want them to spend too much time on the magical equivalent of fine print.