233 – The Knick, “Mr. Paris Shoes”

Welcome back to The Knick, ladies and gentlemen. When last we met, we were introduced to Dr. John Thackery (Clive Owen), a surgery pioneer in turn-of-the-century (the 20th century) New York City. Thack – as his closer acquaintances call him – finds himself the head of the surgery staff after his mentor, Dr. Christiansen (Matt Frewer), is driven to suicide by his gruesome – and often deadly – profession. Thack isn’t as clean as he would have his co-workers and patients believe; his brilliance is driven by a dependence on cocaine, and his fragile mental state is not improved by the introduction of a black surgeon (Andre Holland’s Dr. Algernon Edwards) to his staff. For all intents and purposes, that’s The Knick.

190 – The Knick, “Pilot”

Steven Soderbergh famously retired from filmmaking after his 2013 film Side Effects. In the time since that announcement Soderbergh directed Behind the Candelabra, a highly-acclaimed HBO-released feature based on the life of Liberace. And now, in August, Cinemax will be airing The Knick, a 10-part series about turn-of-the-century medicine starring Clive Owen. Soderbergh directed each of the ten episodes in a process not unlike that of a 10 hour film. It seems Soderbergh just can’t stay away from the filmed medium – indeed, he has recently taken to referring to his “retirement” as more of a “sabbatical.” This is good news for fans of cinema, but there is always the chance that The Knick may be the last we get from the prolific director.