Times Iggy Made New Amsterdam Fans Cry
"New Amsterdam" is the NBC medical drama in which altruism takes center stage among the steamy romances and heartstring-tugging struggles between patients and doctors. It stars Ryan Eggold as Dr. Max Goodwin, medical director of the New Amsterdam Medical Center; Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe, head of oncology; and Tyler Labine as Dr. Iggy Frome, head of psychiatry at NAMC. Between their efforts to save their hospital, save their patients, and save their own relationships outside of work, there are many compelling storylines that keep fans coming back for more every week.
Dr. Frome, more affectionately known as Iggy by viewers, is a particularly big fan favorite. Being a therapist, he has some of the most emotionally driven storylines, seeing as human emotions are literally his profession. If you're in need of a good therapeutic cry but can't muster the waterworks on your own, taking a look back at some of Iggy's more emotional "New Amsterdam" episodes might be a good place to start. Bring tissues.
The time Iggy had to say goodbye to a vulnerable patient who was making progress
Season 1, Episode 20, "Preventable," starts with one of Iggy's patients, a young man named Avi (Elijah Richardson) causing a disturbance in class after he gets some bad news from his social worker. His mother wants to take him back to their hometown, a place where life is so toxic for Avi that it lands him in the psychiatric ward at NAMC. It's obvious that Iggy has worked long and hard with Avi to help him make a substantial amount of progress, which will be in danger of coming undone when he moves back.
Near the end of the episode, Iggy holds Avi's face and tells him to remember his therapeutic tools as they share an emotional goodbye, a heartfelt hug, and Iggy insists that Avi call him if he ever needs anything. Adding insult to injury, this tender moment is later sullied when the boy's social worker files a formal complaint against Iggy for improper conduct.
Fans on Twitter were lamenting that they didn't have an Iggy of their own, reflecting on how his relationship with Avi makes his life so much better. A fan and psychology major on Reddit went into lengthy detail about how Iggy does nothing wrong, implying that the accusation is contrived for the sake of drama. Either way, it's both moving and heartbreaking to see how it plays out in the episode.
The time Iggy saved a girl with down syndrome and fought for her rights
In Season 2, Episode 6, "Righteous Right Hand," all hell breaks loose after a woman named Kaye (April Matthis) crashes a church van near the hospital. Nobody is seriously hurt, but in the process of getting everyone checked out, they find out that Kaye's legal ward, Chante (Gigi Cunningham), is pregnant. Chante has down syndrome, which means that Iggy has to be careful with the delicate situation she's in. With the help of other doctors and legal experts, they find out that Chante had consensual sex with her boyfriend, but that she doesn't want to be a mom and requests an abortion.
Her guardian refuses at first, but when Iggy proves that she is of sound mind and is legally able to consent to the procedure, he sits down with both women to help them work out their differences and come to terms with the situation — which ends with a heartwarming embrace. At other moments in the episode, Iggy can also be seen going forward with secret adoption plans for himself and his husband. For Iggy, in particular, this episode is a bittersweet juxtaposition of Iggy helping family members who are at odds heal while he goes behind his husband's back to adopt another child. Despite all its complications, fans like @CannaMiss on Twitter both "cried and laughed" at all of the emotional ups and downs.
The time Iggy finally confronted his issues and started the healing process
Executive producer Peter Horton explained in an interview with TV Insider that Iggy's personality revolves around helping people — so being helped and asking for help with his own issues is a monumental task. Oh, the irony of Iggy being a therapist — and an effective one at that — who refuses to get care for himself. But that all changes when, for the first time ever, in Season 3, Episode 5, "Blood, Sweat, and Tears," he starts the process of getting help for his previously undiagnosed eating disorder.
The exam itself is minimally invasive from a physical standpoint, but not an emotional one. The look of despair on his face as he is poked and prodded is palpable. At the end of the scene, Iggy tries to break the tension with a self-deprecating joke about how his lifelong battle with his eating disorder is halfway over. Fans on Reddit like u/zealousspinach not only got emotional over it, but praised the show for its acknowledgment that people of all shapes, sizes, genders, and ages can suffer from the disorder. Likewise, @EDS_Zebra_Jayne on Twitter thanked the show not just for the emotional episode, but the actor himself for being brave and discussing his own real-life struggle with the condition.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).
The time he faced his stalker and had an existential crisis
Have you ever had to deal with a really bad case of the flu? Or marital problems? Or your stalker and former patient violating a restraining order, breaking into your home, and demanding that you give them therapy? All of these events happen to Iggy in Season 3, Episode 13, "Fight Time."
Iggy manages to outsmart his stalker by telling him a heartbreaking story (which turns out to be a complete fabrication) in order to gain his former patient's trust. Iggy then delivers a coded message to his husband, who gets the hint and calls 911. While he waits for the cops to arrive, Iggy lies again, swearing that he will go to the courthouse, revoke the restraining order, and resume therapy sessions with his stalker. As soon as Iggy peacefully convinces him to leave, the cops apprehend him and Iggy's husband comes rushing in, hugging him as he bursts into tears.
Later, while filling his partner in on what happened, viewers see Iggy feeling guilty about lying to his former patient, even though he has to do it to save his own life. His husband consoles him by congratulating him for finally putting himself first for once. Fans on social media were in tears, especially @theroyallmess and @Fated_Chance.
The time he delivered one of the best monologues of the entire series
In Season 4, Episode 10, "Death Is the Rule. Life Is the Exception," a deadly bacterial outbreak kills nine patients during the first 10 minutes of the episode. Iggy is tasked with delivering the bad news to the parents of a 17-year-old boy who succumbs to the infection. The parents are in denial at first, but then they start yelling and blaming each other after Iggy shows them proof.
While he's overwhelmed, Iggy isn't about to watch their marriage implode before his very eyes. He diffuses the tumultuous situation with a speech about how trauma brings people together — and how taking on their massive grief by leaning on each other for support is the best way to survive and overcome such a tragedy. The dialogue is so profound that "New Amsterdam" places his voiceover over snippets of the other characters in the hospital, implying to the viewer that his message of overcoming tragedy with the love and support of others isn't just a message for those two grieving parents.