Welcome to New York City in 1900. The Knickerbocker Hospital is home to groundbreaking surgeons, nurses, and staff who push the boundaries of medicine in a time of astonishingly high mortality rates and zero antibiotics. The newly appointed leader of the surgical staff is the brilliant, arrogant renegade Dr. John Thackery (Clive Owen), whose addiction to cocaine and opium is trumped only by his ambition for medical discovery and renown among his peers.

Into the all-white staff and patient hospital comes the equally gifted Harvard graduate Dr. Algernon Edwards who must fight for respect while trying to navigate the racially charged city.

Trying to maintain its reputation for quality care while realizing a profit, the Knickerbocker makes an effort to attract wealthy clientele, while literally struggling to keep the lights on.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, I finished watching the first episode of The Knick, I immediately thinking how happy I was to not live in the 1900s, and how far medicine has come in the 100 years since. In fact one of the medical issues presented is something I personally dealt with, so seeing how it was handled then… was a bit fascinating. While the show is a period piece, the issues, and characters could fit in the numerous modern medical dramas that have graced television. But the time period it is set in allows the show to explore a world that’s familiar yet so different.

The setting allows for a lot of interesting things beyond the limitations of medicine itself. Hospitals compete for patients, literally paying ambulances to deliver them to their doorstep. And those ambulances compete with each other to pick up those in need, literally fighting over them. Add in the issues of race, drug use, class, and it’s all a fascinating, and gripping mix.

The direction is wonderful, not really a shock when Soderbergh is involved. The use of color, and lighting stand out throughout the episode, creating a somewhat drab, and sterile world. The cast, headlined by Owen is also fantastic, playing the roles as you’d expect, and never crossing over the line of stereotypes. I personally couldn’t tell you how people acted in 1900, but there’s a consistency here in how the characters are portrayed that helps immensely.

I couldn’t tell you how accurate any of the issues, medicine, or world is, but it felt believable to me. I squirmed as medical procedures were done, I cringed at the racism, I was hooked on how different things were then. The first episode of The Knick is solid television, making me want to come back for more.

The Knick premieres August 8 on Cinemax at 10/9c.

Overall Score: 9

HBO/Cinemax sent Graphic Policy an early review copy for review as well as other items for promotion