The Knick: The Complete First Season

In 2012, Steven Soderbergh announced that he was retiring from filmmaking. Apparently, TV didn't count, since he directed all 10 episodes of the 2014 debut season of The Knick, a Cinemax original drama set in a struggling hospital in New York City, circa 1900 (Soderbergh also shot and edited the show under the names Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard). Clive Owen stars as Dr. John W. Thackery, the brilliant and unconventional head surgeon of Knickerbocker Hospital (aka The Knick). Thackery is a forward-thinking doctor on the frontier of medicine in a financially-struggling institution; he's also a functioning cocaine addict. Medicine is progressing at a rapid pace at the turn of the 20th century and Thackery wants to be part of the vanguard, but the city is mired in graft, prejudice, and class division. Here, ambulance drivers compete for accident victims and claim a bounty for each one they bring to their institutions; a tough, tart-tongued nun (Cara Seymour) running the hospital orphanage secretly performs illegal abortions for the most benevolent of reasons (she's seen enough unwanted children); and a talented African-American doctor (André Holland) arrives after being trained by Europe's finest only to be shunned by the white establishment despite talent and drive second only to Thackery's. The Knick is an intelligent show with complicated characters, rich period details, and a compelling mix of history and fiction. Extras include cast and crew audio commentaries, and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)