The Knick: Interesting, intriguing and absorbing

Created by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, and directed by Steven Soderbergh, The Knick is a visually stunning depiction of life during the beginnings of medical surgery. Highlighting how much humanity has evolved, both technologically and socially, yet how much has also remained.

The Knick season 1 episode 2

The Knick has beautifully constructed imagery, from the sets and costumes to the lighting and composition, and is able to get you into the atmosphere of early last century while simultaneously conveying a certain feeling of familiarity. [...]

An interesting realization that comes with the series, is how much of medicine has actually been total guesswork and disorganized experimentation, in contrast with current much tighter regulations.

Furthermore, this show puts an emphasis on how pronounced the discrimination of both ethnicity and gender was. It showcases not only the existence of the discrimination itself, but the generalized social acceptance of such. We see Dr. Edwards (Andre Holland) being repelled by his colegues, while Cornelia Robertson (Juliet Rylance) struggles as a female representing her father.

The conflicts are extremely well constructed and accompanied by strong dialog. Finally, that is all tied together with the superb actors under Soderbergh's fine direction. The cast includes Clive Owen displaying his character's obsessions and personal conflicts with mastery, Andre Holland portraying an extremely charismatic character, without any shortcomings on the dramatic side either, and Juliet Rylance in the perhaps cliché role in a current context, but well fitting for the period the series takes place, of "a woman struggling in a man's world". Not to mention the rest of the cast, that is also solid, and adds to the polish of the show.

What do you think of The Knick? Share your thoughts in the comments bellow!