‘The Knick’ Season 2 Finale: Heal Thyself?

Thackeray's self-surgery may seem incredulous but it is, in fact, based on reality. Dr Evan O' Neill Kane - also motivated by the need to show that general anesthesia was dangerous and sometimes unnecessary - performed an appendectomy on himself in 1921. He too used cocaine - as a local anesthetic. He too used a mirror so he could observe what he was doing. It was so successful, he was back operating on other patients in 2 weeks. About a decade later, he performed another self-surgery - to repair an inguinal hernia. At the age of 71. This was a more complicated surgery because of the proximity to the femoral artery, he didn't recover too well, and died of pneumonia a few months later.

Loved, loved, loved the show and Clive Owen. He's a real pro. The whole series was great and it could go on forever with the storyline as interesting as this. One thing that really fascinated me was the mall where everyone went to see all the new, freakish and outlandish exhibits. This was a real evolutionary time, so much was happening so very fast -- it must have been mind-boggling. And to think, I am only two generations away from a grandmother who came to the US at 13 from Ireland and worked as a domestic. How did they do it?

I love this show but I do not get Cinemax and the only way I could see it is when it was shown on another station. It is interesting about the history which led me to look up the history of the hospital and the doctor. Too bad I could not see it on Cinemax, but cannot afford another cable station. Please continue this show.

I'm a fan. More please.

I'm going through withdrawal. Anyone else? I need a fix; think I'll watch the two seasons over.
I keep thinking of Freud; also a cocaine user and possibly addict. And now we see an attempt at psychotherapy.

Amazing show, wish more people watched

One of the best shows my husband and I have seen on television. We were addicted from the first episode. Really hope it comes back for Season 3, with or without Thack.

Wonderful show, I subscribed to Cinemax short term just to see it. The problem is not enough people watch Cinemax, the rest of their programming is lame. They need to show the Knick on both HBO and Cinemax to give it an audience. Please don't kill the show.

Oh I hope there is a season 3! Love this show! Would love to see how the characters continue to develop.

The decision to be deliberately coy about Thack's death is an odd one given that Mr Soderbergh has stated in interviews that his demise at the end of season 2 was planned from the beginning. Perhaps if a new contract is worked out he makes a miraculous recovery. If not, I don't think the show will survive without Mr Owen. And given Mr Soderbergh's departure perhaps it shouldn't. It was wonderful while it lasted.

I hope this show comes back if only to allow Junia to completely screw Barrow out of his beautiful new apartment.....we were sure heading that way!

I loved the whole damn thing! I knew the father was killed by the son immediately. It will be interesting to see what the daughter does upon return from Australia! My vote is to bring it back!

The finest show I've seen on TV. There were flaws in the plot, but it didn't matter. I'm not a great fan of SS movies, but he showed me how a great film maker can adapt his talents to the smaller screen. I think only Ridley Scott has done this with "The Good Wife."

Am I the only one hoping the magic of TV can bring back Thack alive? No one pronounced him dead.

Thank you Mike Hale for the fun recaps!

I love the Knick and truly hope we get one more season.

Found a crumbling partial copy of the NEW YORK SUN @ a small-town junk store, dated March 12, 1913. Within the wadded scrap of newsprint was an ancient Eli Lilly Co. two ounce bottle that had once contained Morphine Sulphate. The headline read: KNICK LACKS THACK'S KNACK.
He didn't return.

A terrific show.

It was kind of ridiculous. If they wanted to go totally 'jump the shark,' they succeeded.

I figured Henry was guilty pretty quickly. He simply had the most motive.

I thought Edwards was a much fuller character this season, with both good and bad elements, instead of the super-hero-like figure of season 1.

I couldn't figure out why Cornelia would go to Australia (or very far away). She seemed ready to go with her husband on his oil adventure in Ohio or whatever. That would have been a better bet I think.

I think killing off Abigail only made sense if this is the last season. Otherwise, Chickering should have saved Abigail with the adrenaline and we would have been spared that ridiculous OR scene. If you like realistic gore, Hannibal was far better.

I can't believe that this phenomenal show was not popular with the public. I will be in mourning if it doesn't come back next year. There are many story lines to be explored.Barrow has cancer and Algie, due to his lack of eyesight can become a great psychiatrist. I also googled the self-surgery, and it indeed occurred. I read that Clive Owen only signed on for two seasons, so that is it with Thackery. Rest in peace. You are a fantastic actor and this is a fantastic show. Kudos to Soderbergh and the incredible cast and model makers.

For me, "The Knick" has been 'must-see TV' since the first season broke in August of last year. To see it disappear after just two seasons would be very sad. I recognize that a period show with the sort of attention to detail received by "The Knick" cannot be done on the cheap. Once in awhile, cannot art trump commerce? That said, if Soderbergh has decided he's done, the show might be best served folding up its tent. The writers, Amiel/Begler host a weekly podcast that recaps each episode. Week in and week out, they sing the praises of Mr. Soderbergh as the visionary of the show. If he can't commit to a third straight year, perhaps a hiatus is in order with the show returning as a periodic series of 90-minute "films" that catch us up on the characters in '03, '04, etc.

This was an era when women still mourned for some time when an immediate family member died. Yet, Cornelia was not in mourning for her father, in this episode. This would have been scandalous in 1901 New York Society.

Fantastic 2 seasons. If it were on HBO instead of Cinemax, I have no doubt the viewership numbers would be higher and a 3rd season would already be in the works.

"Tell me about them." Perhaps, psychoanalysis will have it's due given that Freud's Interpretation of Dreams came out in 1899 and Freud eventually made it to the US in 1909(Clark University).
This was a brilliant series and Soderberg's direction with compelling camera work was a real treat to experience as was the acting, time period portrayal and cultural habits of the day. I am happy that it lasted two seasons, let alone a potential third.

Self surgery isn't implausible, it's something that was actually done for the same reason that Thack did it in this finale. A quick Google search provides background for this storyline. Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane (a New York physician who seems to have some commonalities with our fictional Dr. Thackery) performed more than one self surgery including an appendectomy and a hernia repair, and in at least one instance did so to show the efficacy of local anesthesia. There are pictures of him doing the surgery and accounts of the procedure online. I realize that we are far removed from the early history of medicine in our modern healthcare morass, but from what I can tell the writers on "The Knick" have done their homework extensively; it's part of what makes the show so engaging. I thought this finale wrapped up the show nicely however, and I'm not sure we need to continue with a third season. The ending was perfect.

I thought far more than the self-surgery was implausible in this episode. Henry's seething admission of guilt and his too-sudden switch into stock-character Evil Monster Version 6 was too much. How many viewers were thinking, watching that play out, "Here is where Neely goes down the stairs"? Too obvious. Junia was way overplaying her stupidity: I hope that is a setup for her sticking it to Herman. And I do not believe that a character like Cornelia would swan off to Australia (perhaps an inside joke about that children's book where the kid constantly threatens to go to Australia -- "Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"?). I did like Thack's line, "This is all we are." And Algernon's Dr. Freud hat tip was a good close. But why throw in that major wrench about Cleary setting up Harry? Great filming choice there, though, focusing on his shoes in the confessional. The story was all over the place this episode!

"As you could have guessed, the writers finally went sentimental with Cleary and Dolan — after repeatedly rebuffing his proposals of marriage, she came to the breakfast table wearing his ring."

I don't think so! Clearly literally confessed that he ruined her life by ratting her out for his own selfish reasons, and "Harry" is going to find out and go ballistic (as well she should.)

Except for the lamentable waste of Algie on soap opera-style tangents, I really enjoyed this season.

Fantastic two seasons. Only show I've watched from start to end for two seasons. Wishing for season three.

I am devastated. I can't see the show going forward without Clive Owen, who had to have died. And the Knick has lost its funder and will become a city hospital. Wonderful show, and thanks to the Times for following it.

It would surely be somewhat of a crime to allow this wonderful series to just fade away. Sentimentality? I loved them all. Such a worthy ensemble. Television rarely has seen better. Indeed, here's hoping.

From the recap: Mr. Soderbergh orchestrated the horror-movie and medical-thriller aspects of the scene so well that you could gloss over the sheer insanity and enjoy the details ....

Hmm. Not so sure the word 'enjoy,' particularly given the details of that scene, describes my reaction. Watching Thack literally turn his own stomach elicited an oddly simpatico response in this viewer: mine turned, too. Enjoyable in the sense that though hard to watch, it was harder not to watch. One senses Soderbergh, smiling like a gargoyle, behind all of it. Pure genius!

If there is a season 3, and I hope there is, I think I'd particularly enjoy hate-watching John Barrow get his just rewards. He's as slimy a character as I've ever seen, and Jeremy Bobb plays him terrifically. And what were those spots showing up on his hands? Radiation burns from all the x-rays?

A terrific show, easily one of the finest on television, and certainly one of the most cinematic in terms of look and feel. The show is gorgeous and the production values are absolutely stunning.

Good recap. In modern Hollywood and TV drama, it's now allowed for the bad guys to get away with murder, literally and figuratively. Henry is obviously the literal example. However, I didn't see any indication Henry was responsible for the New York detective being called off the case. Credit for that goes to Barrows fellow club member who overheard the men's room confrontation.

The figurative examples were obviously Barrow, Gallinger, and to a lesser extent, Cleary. Gallinger,especially, left a bad taste in my mouth. However, in reality that's probably exactly how things would have turned out from his position of privilege. As to Barrow, it's likely that the spots on his hands weren't thanks to Junia but were early symptoms of cancer due to radiation exposure from his admitted multiple X-rays. So he and Junia's triumph will likely be short-lived. I actually thought his downfall would result from him foolishly putting everything in the shrewder than apparent Junia's name.

Cleary's malfeasance was more complicated. He cost Harriett her sisterhood but it can be argued she'll be better off for it.

What a great show. I'm doubtful there will be a Season 3. Even with the downbeat plot resolutions for the more sympathetic characters. I'm glad I was one of the relatively few viewers to find it.

I readily agree that Thack's last surgery was over the top but I still consider The Knick one of the best shows on television, ever. Deeply immersive, finely detailed, boldly assertive camera moves, Soderberg has raised the bar for what serial television is capable of achieving. A good story well-told.

Airing new episodes on Friday nights was a head-scratcher. Surely that never helped the show build an audience. Why Cinemax in the first place? Why not HBO? Anyone??

Thackery certainly took the proverb to its limit.

"Physician, heal thyself."