New Amsterdam 's Ryan Eggold Sounds Off on Unaired Pandemic Episode, Coronavirus & Season 3
The lost episodes of New Amsterdam.
Back in March, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, NBCUniversal ruled that production for TV shows would be suspended across the company. Thus, the popular medical drama ceased production and found itself with a shorter 2nd season.
The season became even shorter after show runner David Schulner chose to shelve one of the unaired remaining episodes. Why? Because the episode's storyline followed the hospital's response to a deadly flu pandemic hitting New York City.
At the time, Schulner told Deadline that the world needed "a lot less fiction" and "a lot more facts." Yet, as we were re-watching the seasons on Peacock, we couldn't help but wonder what would become of those lost episodes.
And we weren't the only ones! During an exclusive chat with E! News, New Amsterdam star Ryan Eggold revealed that he had "that same question" for Schulner.
"I think a lot of those episodes, unfortunately, will probably get—there were only a few, I think we had three more to shoot and we stopped on that third to last one before we shut down," the 35-year-old actor told E!. "I think some of those storylines will spill into season three. Some of it will get lost."
As he continued, Eggold discussed the shelved episode, which he described as "very effective" and "very real." Almost too on the nose, as New Amsterdam guest star Daniel Dae Kim—who was to be introduced in the pandemic episode—and other crew members tested positive for COVID-19.
"It was a little scary and they didn't want to air it at the time to further scare people," The Blacklist alum continued. "And to rally together instead of being afraid. That may air in the future. I know that David plans to tackle this pandemic that we're all living through on the show. I don't know exactly how it will manifest, but I know that they will reflect that when we start season three."
In regard to incorporating the coronavirus into New Amsterdam, which was renewed for three more seasons in January, Eggold said he hopes to see a narrative that accurately tackles people's experiences.
"I hope that we can tell that story in a way that is reflective of people's experiences, and not make light of it nor make it unnecessarily heavy," he relayed. "I just hope that we can discuss it in a way that is genuinely reflective of people's experiences. I know a lot of people have had a lot of heartbreaks, and a lot of people have had a lot of triumphs too, and I think those are the stories that we want to get into."
Eggold especially feels that way as he saw how the pandemic affected health care workers.
"Not that we're totally out of the woods, but just that when it first hit, I know it was so demanding and taxing on these folks," the 90210 actor expressed. "I think that is a story that is worth telling that is filled with ups and downs and a lot of heart and a lot of struggle and I think that's a story that we can all relate to right now and want to see reflected on a show."
Yet, Eggold speculated that season three won't "solely focus on the pandemic."
He shared, "Not to speak for David and the writers, but I do think it will begin there and then grow beyond that and, sort of, get into more the ramifications of this and the residual effects of dealing with this pandemic. And of course, on a personal level, because at the end of the day, we want to watch these characters and see how it's affecting their lives. I haven't gotten the first script and I'm very excited to see for myself."
New Amsterdam is available for streaming on Peacock.
5 Things You Didn't Know About Your New TV Crush, New Amsterdam's Ryan Eggold
(E!, NBC and Peacock are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)
