Pilot Review: New Amsterdam

New Amsterdam (FOX)
Premiered March 4 at 9pm

FOX’s new drama series about an immortal cop is about what you would expect. Flashbacks to protagonist Amsterdam’s previous life surrounded by Indian healers are quite strange and feel out of place, and the sight of Amsterdam jumping down onto a horse to chase down a fugitive headed for the subway is ridiculous at best. The gimmick might work, if Amsterdam stopped at some point instead of continually mentioning the fact that he has had 609 girlfriends or that he had his last drink in 1965. There is no way people can take him seriously – they must think he is a crazy fool. Vampire Mick on the similarly-themed “Moonlight” is a lot better at concealing his identity. Amsterdam, for his part, gets far too easily frustrated while interrogating suspects. You would think after a few hundred years he would get used to dealing with liars and long-winded cases. The repetitiveness might be getting to him, since he is honestly quite an unlikable character who has few noticeable good qualities, besides of course a dogged pursuit of the bad guys. Additionally, in those hundred plus years, Amsterdam might have been better able to conceal his accent (actor Nikolaj Coster Waldau is Danish). He completely ignores his sidekick, who makes her presence known by simulating conversations with him which are predictably annoying. It seems like she is being set up to be written off quickly (like Marguerite Moreau, who left “Killer Instinct” at the end of the pilot). She may have to go, especially if she is so loud and obnoxious (this is where someone like Sarah Shahi’s character on “Life” would come in handy). The supposed introduction of Amsterdam’s true love who will make him mortal could work, and it could be interesting. The show, which is otherwise essentially a generic crime drama, prides itself on the fact that its central character has been around for a long time and that he really knows where to find anything and everything. Especially in an ever-changing place like New York City, that idea is unrealistic. Obviously this show is not supposed to be based around real-life, but a montage of Times Square photographs from 1870 to the present is not going to make viewers forget that this show is lacking.

How will it work a series? Is anyone still watching “Moonlight”? If so, they should like this one, even though Amsterdam’s immortality is never quite explained. Eventually other characters will have to realize that he is immortal.
How long will it last? I do not think this will find an audience, and should die quietly at the end of its seven-episode order, especially with FOX bringing back new installments of returning shows in the coming weeks. “Bones” seems delayed a bit too much, and could easily come back much earlier if this show fades fast.

Pilot grade: D+