wgingery
I bailed out after just two episodes of Season One. I didn't like ANY of the characters; Soderbergh's dialogue is incredibly clumsy and undramatic; the acting is wooden; the staging is unnatural. . . . need I go on?Wait, one thing more: it's tainted with the smug sense of superiority to the past common to so many modern shows: why don't these stupid, bigoted people see things the "right way." Anachronism Alert: back then, no one addressed you by your first name, except family (and very close friends). The custom then was to use the last name - Smith, Jones, for example - preceded by a title, if justified, like Mr, Mrs, Miss, Dr, Professor, etc. Today this persists only in the armed forces. Excess "familiarity" was a serious breach of etiquette.On the meagre plus side, the settings and costumes are interesting. So beware when you take characters with contemporary attitudes and set them down in the past. Unless you have something new to say (which "The Knick," unfortunately, does not), you simply subject them, bare of support or context, to the critical gaze of the audience and expose how thin, tired, trite, clichéd and boring they are.
SnoopyStyle
It's turn-of-the-century New York at the Knickerbocker Hospital. Dr. John Thackery (Clive Owen) is the aggressive chief surgeon and a drug addict. Dr. Algernon Edwards is a black surgeon struggling against racism in this exclusive field. Herman Barrow is the manager struggling with the finance. Lucy Elkins is the supportive young nurse. Cornelia Robertson is one of the directors from a wealthy family. Dr. Bertie Chickering is a young surgeon at the hospital.This is an unique vision from Steven Soderbergh. There are some out-there surgical scenes. The characters are compelling led by the terrific Clive Owen. I also like Eve Hewson. It does falter from covering too many characters and their side stories. Nevertheless, this is unique television. Somewhere along the negotiations, Soderbergh is unable to come up with an agreement. The show definitely deserves to continue despite the specific ending to the second season finale.
hazysistersunshine33
I am kind of hooked this one. Someone compared it to Boardwalk Empire meets Gray's Anatomy. It's better than both put together. I just love Clive Owen more and more every time I see him. He is brilliant in this. It's one of his best rolls and he has had some good ones. All the acting is first rate. The sets and costumes are accurate and thought out. They've definitely don't their homework. I'm sure a lot of it isn't completely accurate, but they do take actual historical things and infuse them pretty ingeniously into the plot. Plot lines include the first hook up of electricity, African American civil rights, wars that were going on, and even Typhoid Mary. They also have a lot of experimental drugs, equipment, procedure, operations etc. Things are invented along the way that save people lives in the end, but on the backs of a lot of casualties. A lot of it is sad and horrifying and makes you really glad you live in this time with all our medical advances. They use Cocaine and other drugs we know today are highly addictive and dangerous on everything. One scene involves removing all the patience teeth to cure their "ailment". If you have any interest in history, you will me enthralled. I just watched season one and I can't wait for season two.
