New Amsterdam's Executive Producers Open Up About The Possibility Of Helen Sharpe's Return

Contains spoilers for the Season 5 premiere of "New Amsterdam"

One of the best things about NBC's "New Amsterdam" has always been its phenomenally written characters brought to life by a stellar cast. Led by Ryan Eggold as medical director Dr. Max Goodwin, he and his colleagues at the titular hospital have navigated medical bureaucracy in favor of optimal patient care for four seasons with the fifth and final season currently airing. One of the most endearing characters on the show is Dr. Helen Sharpe, played with warmth and urgency by Freema Agyeman. Goodwin and Sharpe's relationship provided some of the show's best moments, and the duo were even preparing to tie the knot at the end of Season 4.

This was not to last, however, as Agyeman revealed in a July 2022 Instagram post that she would not be returning to "New Amsterdam" as a regular cast member for its final season. But predictions about her possible return as a guest star have been floating around since then. And now, executive producers David Schulner and Peter Horton have finally opened up about the possibility of Dr. Sharpe's return to the series.

"New Amsterdam" fans have no doubt been hoping that the Season 5 premiere would address Sharpe's absence from the show, but this did not happen. Instead, the episode picked up with Dr. Goodwin and associates carrying on with work normally. We do get a scene where Max reads a letter sent to him by Helen, but Sharpe does not explicitly make it clear as to why she left (via TV Insider). TV Insider spoke with David Schulner and Peter Horton about Sharpe's Season 5 absence, which they noted was at the request of Freema Agyeman, who left the show because she was ready to move on.

The producers were then asked if viewers will see Freema as Sharpe at some point in the final season and Schulner stated, "I would say you may not have seen the last of Helen Sharpe. That's all I'll tease. So stick around and find out." This is promising news that suggests we'll see her on the show again in some capacity, but there could be caveats to this possible return. 

Later in the interview, they were asked about Max's need to find closure regarding Dr. Sharpe, and David Schulner answered, "I think that's the Episode 1. I think that journey is needing answers. And then at the end of the episode, knowing that you might never get them and that has to be OK. It was Helen's journey as much as it was Max's." No matter how it happens, it is highly likely we will see the character again.