New Amsterdam returned to NBC with a Season 5 premiere that showed viewers that the medical drama could still be joyful and celebratory despite the absence of Freema Agyeman as Dr. Helen Sharpe effectively bringing an end to the Sharpwin relationship. 





The episode did find a way to give Max  and fans some degree of closure via a letter that she wrote to her former fiancé with Agyeman making a voice cameo to narrate and make it feel truly real. Speaking with Cinema Blend executive producer Peter Horton explained how the actress reacted to Helens role and lending her voice for the letter. 


In the letter Helen made it clear how much her  dearest Max and  sweet Luna meant to her and that she sees her actions in the Season 4 finale  available streaming on Peacock as  unforgivable. But she also made the point that her problems that kept her in London and from marrying him were real and she could not just get rid of them. It took Max the better part of the episode to realize that trying to fix her problems for her did not help but he might not have been able to make it that far without her letter narrated by Freema Agyeman. 


While executive producer David Schulner opened up about dropping clues throughout Season 4 that everything was not alright with Helen since they knew that Freema Agyeman was leaving she was still happy to help with the Season 5 premiere. EP Peter Horton explained the logistics of getting her voice work for the letter, and how she responded to the request: 


The actress was back in England, but the show did not need her on set back on the American side of the pond for her narration of the letter. According to Horton she was  gracious and  enthusiastic when they reached out and the result was fans getting some answers from Helen in her own voice. Even if the split is not what Sharpwin fans were hoping for Helens love for Max came through in Agyemans performance.