Thoughts On New Amsterdam’s Immortality
The plot of immortality could wear thin on a person in light of some of the 
other TV series we’ve seen that didn’t fare so well. However, New Amsterdam offers a look into the soul of a man, via his memories, the memories of a city, and how a person deals with them. John Amsterdam (portrayed by (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a New York Detective, is immortal.
The most profound impression of this show thus far is this: John Amsterdam is not a hero, and he’s not special, he’s just a man, who happens to be immortal. The writers of the show, in this way, are playing it smart by letting John just be John.
In the first episode, the flashbacks of the Indian girl placing the curse on John seemed a bit compelling, and it shows that from the beginning, he’s always tried to do the right things. With each episode, I am more drawn into the story and the life of John. John’s bravado and unconcealed angst about his immortality are symptoms of a loneliness that no living person can actually imagine.
From his conversations and relationship with Omar, to the story of what seems to be his most prolific love affair thus far, this show has something that transcends any sort of tepid series about immortality.
The references to certain music (Omar’s performance of Nature Boy) and literature are also something that makes this series unique. Wouldn’t we all like to think that if we lived to be hundreds of years old, we’d also continue to do what we can to help society? Or would we be so jaded, that those types of things didn’t matter anymore?
Although John is an immortal, was he dealt the better hand of immortality, as he is able to father children, and in that way, he’s not completely alone? Then again, he could be more alone, in that he lives on after his family is dead. In this way, immortality can be truly horrifying. Just like John, New Amsterdam is in a class all by itself.
New Amsterdam airs Mondays, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT on Fox
Photo Cr: Eric Liebowitz/FOX © 2008 Fox Broadcasting Co.
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POSTED IN: Horror & Paranormal Television, Horror Themes, Immortality, New Amsterdam
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