A scene from the second season of The Knick. Photo / Supplied
A scene from the second season of The Knick. Photo / Supplied
Life is a struggle for pretty much everyone as season two of The Knick begins.
Not that New York City in 1900 was ever going to be a barrel of laughs for anyone in the medical profession, but under the direction of Steven Soderbergh, everyone and everything connected to TheKnick seems to be enduring some pretty visceral, rough circumstances.
Doctor John Thackery (Clive Owen) is missing in action after the events of season one - as it turns out he's rapidly decaying under the weight of his cocaine and heroin addictions, his personal demons in struggling with the patients he's lost, and is slowly going off his rocker.
Algernon Edwards (Andre Holland) is trying to deal with the prejudice against him as he takes over as Chief of Surgery and finding his skills greatly compromised by a detached retina.
Everett Gallinger is trying to look after his mad, fragile wife who now has no teeth, while also trying to work out how to bring Thackery back, Sister Harriet has been arrested after her abortion clinic was discovered, and Cornelia Robertson is struggling in San Francisco, hating her husband and her marriage.
Meanwhile, The Knickerbocker Hospital is supposed to be moving uptown to try to attract more affluent clients, and stay afloat in testing times, but hospital administrator Herman Barrow is getting himself into ever deeper financial trouble.
Things are looking grim indeed, but The Knick remains one of the most electrifying, vivid, and artistic period dramas on TV.
Clive Owen returns as Dr John Thackery in the second season of The Knick. Photo / Supplied
When: Thursday, 8.30pm Where: Soho What: Grim and gritty period drama
