This 92% RT Period Medical Drama Is One of the Most Riveting Shows You'll Ever Binge

Medical dramas have been a quintessential component of the television landscape for generations, but the recent popularity of more grounded shows like The Pitt and This Is Going To Hurt suggest that there is genuine interest in the real challenges faced by those in overworked hospitals. If recent years have proven anything, it's that those who dedicate their lives to saving others often face extraordinary challenges, and aren’t given the credit that they deserve.

The Knick is an underrated show that examines the beginning of contemporary medical science at the start of the 20th century. While few fans of medical dramas would look to these shows for legitimate educational value, The Knick has been praised by both medical professionals and historians for its attention to accuracy. On top of this, it's an exceptionally addicting binge.

'The Knick' Is a Medical Drama That Examines the Origins of Modern Medicine

There is certainly a formula that many medical dramas adhere to, but The Knick is just as unconventional as one would expect from Steven Soderbergh. As a director who is interested in infrastructure and process, Soderbergh was the perfect person to examine the intersections between culture, wealth disparity, race relations, and religion during a time in which those who dared to test the limits of the human body actually felt dangerous. Although it has now become a more commonly accepted practice, the idea that Soderbergh would direct every single episode of the series, which conformed to his signature idiosyncrasies as a filmmaker, was virtually unheard of. The Knick may have been ahead of its time, but that doesn’t mean that it’s too late to hail it as an unrecognized masterpiece.

The Knick is only loosely based around accounts of the New York medical scene in 1900, where the fictional Dr. John W. Thackery (Clive Owen) is entrusted with serving the wealthy clientele of the Knickerbocker Hospital, all while developing his own research into human anatomy. Thackery’s arrogance and barely repressed addiction to cocaine has made him a volatile figure in the medical community, though he does find a surprising ally in Dr. Algernon Edwards (Andre Holland), a surgeon from Harvard. Edwards has faced the expected racism that a Black man would be hit with in a professional field at the beginning of the 20th century.

Clive Owen's John Thackery Is a Unique Anti-Hero in 'The Knick'

Thackery is a brash character, expertly performed by Owen, who does not have any sympathy for Edwards, even though he is vastly more qualified than any of the other candidates. However, Thackery needs those within the hospital who are willing to adhere to his strange methods, and forms a tense alliance with Edwards as they help to achieve each other's goals. The nature of a racially diverse staff at a high-end hospital speaks to many themes that were critical to this period in medical history.

Medical dramas tend to be rather soapy ensemble pieces that present robust casts of likable characters, but Soderbergh’s genius idea was to turn Thackery into a classic television anti-hero who has more in common with Mad Men’s Don Draper or The Shield’s Vic Mackey than he does with Dr. Robby on The Pitt. Thackery’s interest in the human body is based on intellectual curiosity, not a desire to serve others, which explains why he is so prone to making reckless decisions. On one hand, Thackery’s insular focus makes him a dangerous presence in the operating room, as he is willing to test the parameters of his abilities to make scientific leaps forward, and generally doesn’t have any respect for the privileged patients he’s asked to serve. On the flipside, Thackery’s suppressed emotions and objective medical assessments make him a genius who is not blinded by emotion, even if it sometimes takes Edwards’ presence to point him in the right direction.

'The Knick' Is Another 10/10 Masterpiece From Steven Soderbergh

The Knick benefits from the way that Soderbergh ensures that it doesn’t look or feel like any other show, and takes its time to incorporate high-profile cases into a serialized storyline. Soderbergh’s attention-to-detail is so astute that the camera may wander down the hallways of the hospital to catch up on various surgeries taking place, simply to explore the broader environment that Thackery is operating in. There are some visceral moments that showcase the surgeries in process, but the series finds something artful within the durability of the human body, allowing the viewers to experience the same affection for anatomy that illuminates Thackery throughout his journey. The series is also keen to point out that the show does not take place in a vacuum, and that hospitals have become battlegrounds for hot-button issues; not only does Thackery have to mask his indulgences due to the insensitivity regarding addiction treatment, but Edwards realizes that he’s tasked with saving people who would never offer him the same help had their roles been reversed.

The Knick’s cancellation was an unfortunate case of an untested network that wasn’t able to reach out to a potentially interested audience. The show aired on Cinemax when the premium network was trying to rebrand itself as the distributor of prestige drama content, but was unable to effectively advertise its complex premise, despite earning great reviews. It’s a disappointing case of the show being a few years too early, as the dawn of the streaming wars made it more common for cinematic directors to make expensive, ambitious shows for services like Netflix and HBO Max, where they were given immense creative control.

The Knick’s conclusion was crushing because the show had teased an exciting future for itself, with rumors still persisting about a potential continuation with Holland as the lead. Although Soderbergh has made great shows since, like Full Circle, The Knick is up there with Ocean's Eleven and Out of Sight as being one of the best things that he’s ever made. The lost potential of The Knick is still upsetting, but the two seasons that do exist are waiting on HBO Max for Soderbergh fans, television buffs, and anyone that’s interested in a great story.