A look at the professional and personal lives of the staff at New York's Knickerbocker Hospital during the early part of the twentieth century. Every day they must deal with lack of funding, personal conflicts, egotism, racial tensions, personal vices, drug addiction, affairs, closed minds, dated nigh-medieval medical techniques and them and their experimental new techniques being misunderstood by most, in order to keep the hospital going and give the ill the help they need. The pressure is enormous and leaves its mark on the souls of most of them.
I cannot get enough of this show, it is extraordinary in so many ways and I am restlessly awaiting the start of season 2. As a long time health care professional, I especially enjoy all of the "modern technology" of the era, that today we just take for granted. The Knick really does have something for everyone - sex, drugs and a rock star chief of staff, to name a few. I like to describe this show as a health care history lesson, on a massive dose of steroids. The peak into the medical and clinical protocols of the day are just as intriguing as the systemic administrative practices that are questionable at best. I only wish more people knew about The Knick so I could discuss each week's episode over and over again. Hurry up with season 2!