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| Clive Owen |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
If there is one big takeaway from the first 10 minutes of Cinemax's new series The Knick, it is that we should all be more grateful to be born decades, maybe even a century, after these events. From prolific director Steven Soderbergh comes a drama focusing on the surgical practices of New York in 1900. If there's anything to be gathered from the introduction to this world, it is that science used to be more primitive and cruel. A c-section operation is shown in graphic detail forcing viewers opposed to surgical operations to turn away. It doesn't get better when it is also revealed that the main doctor, Dr. Thackery (Clive Owen) is a drug addict who injects into his foot. This is a world of madness and in the premiere, we are introduced to the men who plan to improve science.
Consider this series a spiritual cousin to Masters of Sex. However, where orgasms and human sexuality allow for personal growth and humor, The Knick is more risky. People's lives are in Thackery's hands and science's primitive state will not guarantee that a surgery will go right. In fact, the opening c-section doesn't end well. With a dead baby now on their record, Thackery declares to his coworkers that they will keep working until they get it right. In fact, after the series makes its startling declaration, it remains relatively tame and free of graphic nature, choosing to focus on Thackery and the organization that resides at The Knickerbocker. There's plenty of obvious elements at play, including desire for growth and the hostile racism placed on the new black doctor named Dr. Edwards (Andre Holland). If nothing else, the show works well on an authenticity level.
This may help because of Soderbergh, who became a renowned Oscar winning director. He was experimental to the medium and continually made intriguing work. Then he "retired" with his final film Side Effects, which was a delightfully clinical and sadistic film about modern medicine. In ways, it informs a lot of the techniques present in The Knick. From the convincingly grotesque surgery scenes to the authentic New York streets, there's a sense that this universe feels lived in. Even the cinematography, which shifts between bright oranges to represent unease and pale, dark walls to represent seriousness, it feels more confident (and stylized) than the average series. In fact, the only thing that may take some adjustment to understand is the anachronistic score provided by long time collaborator Cliff Martinez. His electronic music pulsates through the ether like drugs through Thackery, but it doesn't quite feel like an ingenious alteration yet. If nothing else, it at least gives it a defining quality.
Along with Soderbergh, it also helps that the story is itself a rather fascinating journey into a lesser known subject. Many could argue why a show about medical science in 1900 is crucial, but The Knick answers that quickly. The world was terrifying and life was more fragile. The surgeons were in many ways just as clueless and experimental. Through the pilot, the exploitation of what goes into an operation is engrossing in the same ways that Masters of Sex made human sexuality into something personal and plot progressing. It doesn't just use the graphic content to shock or pervert the audience. These scenes create visceral attacks that justify the need for change. If nothing else, The Knick quickly reassesses the notion that history was a "simpler time." It may have been, but can you imagine the benefits of a little complexity in surgical and medicinal practices.
In terms of quality networks, Cinemax ranks admittedly low compared to HBO or Showtime. In fact, there hasn't been much cause for alarm over anything that the channel has aired in recent years. The Knick definitely is setting out to change that in ways that are aggressive and interesting. Not only do they have a prestigious director at their helm, but this is a story that in a singular episode feels profound and rich with context and commentary. It looks visually appealing and maybe even can make people care about Cinemax as more than some random TV channel that airs movie reruns.
My only issue so far is that the show's characters feel... clinical. Conceptually, it is an intriguing premise and the events portrayed have a lot of merit. However, with exception to a few eccentricities, Thackery isn't necessarily a deep character. He does have a brute presence that makes him demanding, but the dialogue doesn't quite strike insight yet. All of it plays straightforward, allowing the practices to take centerfold for the episode. There's no empathetic characters yet and the universe feels rather simple. It basically feels like the first act to a better show that will continue to push surgery into a strange, new world.
I feel like this show could be important not only in Cinemax's recognition, but also because of its subject matter. It is taking the period piece in new directions and creating something exciting. Beyond the costumes and the strange music, The Knick has insight to an important part of American history. It isn't all that beautiful and the squeamish must beware when watching the series. However, the rest of the series holds up to these fleeting moments of graphic nature. If the series can make compelling characters and elevate Soderbergh to something more interesting, this may also help to make the rise of auteur TV along the lines of True Detective. Over the next 10 episodes, this will hopefully be answered and give us a reason to believe that life has been better now than it ever has been.
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