Pilot Review: The Knick

The Knick (Cinemax)
Premiered August 8 at 10pm

I saw posters for this show around New York City a while ago and thought it looked very intriguing. It seemed to me like much more of a crime thriller than the historical medical drama than it apparently is, but that’s only because initial advertisements didn’t have the doctors all suited up and ready for surgery. I had high hopes for this given how much I like Cinemax’s “Banshee” and also the reputation of one Steven Soderbergh, who lent both his endorsement and his directorial skills to the pilot. It’s possible that this show will turn into something good, but for me this felt like a very dull, very British series. Many shows, like “Boardwalk Empire” and “Game of Thrones,” start off being a little denser than they ultimately turn out to be, but I still found this one on par with other recent historical bores like “Turn.” I did like the music used during the introductory carriage ride, which made it seem like a sleek period thriller rather than the result that I saw play out over the course of the next hour. It’s no surprise that it comes from composer Cliff Martinez, who worked on the music for “Arbitrage,” “Drive,” “First Snow,” “Narc,” and “Traffic.” It’s good to see Clive Owen in a TV role, though I do tend to prefer him either when he’s extremely charismatic and charming or when he’s fully confident and in charge. Neither is the case here, and this show seems very interested in specific medicine and science, but I’m not sure it has the makings of a show that’s worth watching week to week.

How will it work as a series? The hiring of Dr. Edwards promises much drama in successive installments, especially since he’s made it clear that he wants to stay. John’s drug dependency should also prove temperamental. While I’m sure there’s much that could make for meaty plotlines, this show needs to work on captivating its audience with a bit more energy.
How long will it last? Following the trend set by the likes of Starz and Netflix, Cinemax opted to renew this show for a second season over a month ago, so secure in its success that it didn’t feel the need to find out how many people would watch it. That worked for Netflix but not for Starz. I suspect this show will do just fine; the only question is whether I’ll still be one of the people watching.

Pilot grade: C