I've heard it said that there are really no new plot ideas, only twists on existing ones, and it is those twists and the talent involved that make a TV show really work. New Amsterdam is testing this theory, bringing several ideas into one package. The real question for viewers is, are there enough twists on old ideas and talented people involved for this show to earn the word “New” in it's title?

New Amsterdam is about a New York City cop, John Amsterdam (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), who has an interesting past – 400 years of it. In 1642 John saved a Native American girl from being killed when her village was massacred by soldiers, and she in turn not only saved his life, but made him immortal. He will never age, until he meets his one, true love. Then, he will become mortal again. John has seen both the people and the city he loves grow and change around him, and it is those experiences he brings to his (current) work as a homicide detective. In the first episode, John experiences a heart attack, leading him to believe that he has finally come into contact with “the one”.

When I look at the aspects of this show, I see part detective show, part supernatural, and part romance. Each episode has a homicide that has to be solved, by John and his partner Eva Marquez (Zuleikha Robinson). In this aspect, it is like many cop shows both past and present. However, what has the potential of making this aspect fresh is the lifetimes worth of experiences that John brings to the investigation that other cops cannot. While the supernatural aspect of this show is not necessarily like what most of us think when we hear that word, we see it in each episode's flashbacks. These flashbacks show us parts of John's past that relate to the situation in the present, and actually help him to solve the case. It is intriguing to think of the pieces of John's personal history and how he has the unique opportunity to not only learn from it, but us it in ways that no other human being can. One twist that plays into the supernatural aspect is Omar (Stephen Henderson), John's son. While they are father and son, Omar was born in 1941, and has naturally aged and now looks more like John's father than his son. Their relationship in the “present” seems to have evolved into that of age-old friends, but it is definitely a different dynamic than normal parents and children. As for the romance, well, many shows have that, but the real question that will come into play here is if the woman who “saved his life”, Dr. Sara Dillane (Alexie Gilmore) really is “the one”. John certainly thinks that she is, but he has been looking for this person for 400 years, and had many loves in his life. This brings the age old question of if there really is only one true soul mate for each person, and does that make other loves any less real. From what I have seen in the first few episodes, John really did love those he has been with in his past, but he has to keep searching. While some of us wish we could live forever, John has found how truly hard it is to see those around him grow old and die, and he is ready to find “the one”, if only to become mortal himself. If that is the case, is it truly love?

Looking at those three major aspects of the show, it is indeed similar to other shows. Two in particular come to mind, Forever Knight (1992-1996) and Highlander (1992-1998) which to be honest is one thing that scared me when I first heard about the new show – I didn't want this new one to be just a re-tread of these shows. Right now, for me, the jury is still out on if New Amsterdam is enough different from these shows to truly stand on it's own. I think it has the potential, if it can just live up to it. I do like how the past and present tie in together for John, and if they can keep that going, that can help make things interesting. I particularly like the relationship between John and Omar, and I hope they explore this more in future episodes.

The creators/writers are trying to give us the twists, but what about the talent?  Nikolaj Coster-Waldau seems to me to be a bit above average, and does a good job playing in the different eras required by the flashbacks. However, I worry that he is not enough of a break-out star to get the attention needed for the show to survive. One thing possibly going for him is that he looks like a cross between Aaron Eckhart and Scott Bakula; however this could be bad, if it draws comparisons to Quantum Leap because of the aspect of visiting different eras. Zuleikha Robinson and Alexie Gilmore both seem to be only average to me. Perhaps that will change in future episodes as both of their characters begin to explore their relationships with John and we learn more about them. For me, the standout of this group is Stephen Henderson. It must be difficult to play a character that is a combination friend and son to someone half your age, and I believe he does it very well. We see the love and concern Omar has for John, balanced with the obvious emotional strain of the uniqueness of the relationship that they have.

So, what is my verdict? I think the show has possibilities. The direction they seem to be taking it in these first six episodes is positive, and I believe enough different that the promise is there. The real question in my mind is will the writers continue to pursue the unique qualities of this premise, or will it fall into being another cop show. Right now, I'm going to keep watching. I'm not ready to put it on my “must buy” DVD list, but I'm also not ready to put it on the scrap heap. I encourage viewers to give it a chance. Is it truly”new”? Very little is, but what may turn out to be new is the ways these old aspects are explored. Only time will tell.

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