The Knick

Premise

In New York City in 1900, the Knickerbocker Hospital operates with innovative surgeons, nurses and staff who struggle against the limitations of current medical understanding and practice, in effort to minimize morbidity and mortality. Dr. John Thackery (partially based on historical figure William Stewart Halsted), the new leader of the surgery staff, balances his cocaine and opium addictions against his ambition for medical discovery and his reputation among his peers. Dr. Algernon Edwards, a Harvard-educated black American surgeon (probably based on the historical Daniel Hale Williams and Louis T. Wright) who trained in Paris, and is much more qualified than any other candidate, must fight for respect among the all-white hospital staff, as well as in the racially charged city. While struggling to keep the lights on, the hospital attempts to attract a wealthy clientele, without sacrificing quality care.

Main

Production

Production for season 1 began in September 2013 in New York City. Dr. Stanley Burns, founder and CEO of The Burns Archive, served as the on-set medical adviser on the series, and worked closely with production and the actors to make the hospital scenes realistic and authentic to the period. Images from the Burns Archive became important references for everything from the antiseptic atomizers in the operating theater to an early X-ray machine, to the prosthetic worn by a recurring character.

Jack Amiel and Michael Begler wrote the majority of the first season episodes, and Steven Soderbergh directed all 10 episodes in the first season. Soderbergh was also the director of photography and editor, under his usual pseudonyms Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard, respectively.

After the conclusion of the second season on December 18, 2015, it was announced that Cinemax had ordered a script for the season three premiere and a season outline, with negotiations for a third season. In a December 2015 interview with director Steven Soderbergh, he confirmed that Dr. Thackery dies in the season two finale, and that it was all planned from the beginning, and Clive Owen only had a two-year contract for the series. Soderbergh also said, "I told them [Cinemax] that I'm going to do the first two years and then we are going to break out the story for seasons 3 and 4 and try to find a filmmaker or filmmakers to do this the way that I did. This is how we want to do this so that every two years, whoever comes on, has the freedom to create their universe." However, Soderbergh decided, depending upon what those futures seasons were, he would like to direct them. "We always envisioned The Knick in two-year increments and with the idea of annihilating what came before every two years. The network was excited about that and said that sounds cool. I just met with [writers Jack Amiel and Michael Begler] yesterday. We're building our idea of what three and four might look like, to get ready to present [to the network]. It's pretty extreme, but I think it should be. If we can achieve what I'm hoping, story-wise, then I'd like to keep going. What I hope will happen is that we will figure something out that I'll feel like I have to do this".

Reception

The first season of The Knick scored 75 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 37 "generally favorable" reviews. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an 88% "certified fresh" critics rating with an average rating of 8.5 out of 10 based on 60 reviews. The website consensus reads: "The Knick is sincere, emotional period television that takes a down-to-earth, no-holds-barred approach to vital topics". After the first season aired, IGN reviewer Matt Fowler gave it an 8.6 out of 10 score, saying "The Knick was impressive, intense television - with fascinating, oft-gruesome topics brought ferociously to the forefront by Soderbergh's adept hand. It was hard to watch at times, both due to gore and pure depressing content, but it was always thought-provoking and incredibly well-rendered."

The second season has received critical praise. Metacritic scored it an 85 out of 100 based on 16 reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave the second season a 100% rating with an average score of 8.2 out of 10 based on 20 reviews, with the critical consensus "The Knick delivers an addictive second season with stunning visuals, knockout performances, and disturbing moments adding up to a period drama that's anything but dated."

Home media

The first season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on August 11, 2015. The set contains all 10 episodes, plus three audio commentaries by cast and crew, and two-minute behind-the-scenes featurettes for the episodes. The second season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on August 2, 2016. Bonus features include several behind-the-scenes looks at the costumes and sets, including the extravagant ball constructed for the seventh episode, "Williams and Walker", as well as audio commentaries with cast and crew.