The Knick

In 1900, John W. Thackery, a brilliant yet tortured doctor working at the Knickerbocker Hospital in New York, ascends to the role of chief surgeon after the unexpected departure of his mentor, J.M. Christiansen. Though Thackery wants Everett Gallinger, his own protégé, to take over the assistant chief position, Cornelia Robertson, daughter of the hospital's major benefactor, insists he hire Algernon Edwards, a talented black doctor who trained in London and Paris. Edwards encounters enmity and resentment on his first day at the Knick, but his desire to remain prevails after joining Thackery, Gallinger, Dr. Bertram "Bertie" Chickering, Jr. and Nurse Lucy Elkins in the operating theater for a daring surgical procedure.

Already fuming over the hospital's faulty new electrical system, Thackery tasks Herman Barrow, the Knick's crooked superintendent, to deliver more cadavers so that he and his team can test out novel surgical procedures. With more patients dying, Edwards offers to share a procedure he learned in France, but is rebuffed by Thackery and Gallinger. Robertson addresses a typhoid-fever outbreak; Elkins is taken into Thackery's confidence; Sister Harriet breaks a taboo. Edwards finds an alternative way to perform his duties.

Thackery weighs performing surgery on a former flame, and orders Gallinger and Chickering to experiment on pigs. Barrow goes to extremes in order to pay off a debt and recover a missing tooth. After a bad day at work, Edwards takes out his frustrations at a local bar. Robertson is relieved when her pleas about treating a patient with typhoid fever are finally heard.

Edwards forces Thackery's hand during surgery, angering Eleanor. In recovery, Abigail regrets her past choices involving Thackery. Cleary and Sister Harriet strike one deal, then another. Bertie's father, Dr. Bertram Chickering, Sr., scolds his son for his career choices. Lucy learns of Thackery's secret life.

Barrow looks to pay down a debt by treating one of Collier's wounded men at the Knick, and tries to convince Captain Robertson to invest in a new Edison invention. Still marginalized by Thackery, Edwards attempts to improve on a hernia surgery. Everett and Eleanor fear for their baby's health; Cleary and Sister Harriet visit Chinatown.

After testing out a new procedure, Thackery and Bertie vow to reverse a series of failures in the operating theatre. Euphoric after helping Speight, Cornelia finds herself less than enthusiastic about her status as the future Mrs. Phillip Showalter. Thackery entertains a salesman's pitch; Everett considers how to help Eleanor with her grief; Barrow haggles over used merchandise. Edwards finds his clinic, and his career, in jeopardy after a surprise encounter.

The stabbing of a cop by a black man stirs up racial tension on the street and in the Knick, forcing Thackery and Edwards to take action. Everett returns to work and a changed OR; Barrow fears for Junia's safety; Cornelia is impressed with Edwards' ingenuity; Lucy is escorted home.

Already on edge due to a city-wide run on cocaine, Thackery worries that Dr. Levi Zinberg a Jewish surgeon and inventor, will steal his spotlight at the next New York Surgical Society presentation. Bertie continues his courtship of Lucy while staving off his father's persistent demands that he leave the Knick. Cornelia, Speight and Bertie go to court in an attempt to keep "Typhoid Mary" Mallon quarantined. Gallinger tries to get Eleanor to move past her grief.

A late-night crime sheds unfavorable light on the Knick, forcing Robertson to come up with hush money. Lucy goes to extremes to get drugs for an increasingly desperate Thackery, whose plea for an advance from a seller of patent medicines falls on deaf ears. Gallinger despairs as Eleanor's behavior becomes more erratic; Cornelia and Edwards proffer different solutions to a shared dilemma.

Refusing to collaborate with Dr. Zinberg on blood-transfusion research, an increasingly paranoid Thackery pushes himself to the limit, and beyond, in an effort to "solve the riddle" and beat his rival. Cornelia and Edwards arrive at a crossroads; Barrow trades one creditor for another; Lucy requests Bertie's help. With the Knick in the midst of yet another crisis, Robertson calls for a vote.

As Barrow and The Knick prepare to move uptown, Dr. Edwards lobbies the hospital board to be appointed permanent chief of surgery in Dr. Thackery's absence. Though his suspension has been lifted, Dr. Gallinger refuses to return as Edwards' subordinate, so he heads to Cromartie Hospital in hopes of getting Thackery to return to work.

Dr. Thackery sets his sights on a return to The Knick - a request that doesn't sit well with the board. After a shocking discovery, Cornelia enlists Cleary to do a dirty job, for a price. Bertie makes a change; Robertson pushes a new subway initiative; Barrow drives up construction costs; Lucy is surprised by an unexpected visitor from home.

Thackery enlists Edwards to help him test a new hypothesis. After rejecting Robertson's advances at The Knick, Lucy learns that confession isn't always good for the soul. Young journalist Genevieve Everidge works on a story about one of Thackery's rivals. Cornelia is dismayed by the limits of her husband's (Tom Lipinksi) sympathies; Barrow faces a new adversary at Tammany Hall; Gallinger is intrigued by a discussion of eugenics at a class reunion; Edwards deals with a surprise visitor.

Abby's worsening condition persuades Thackery to test out his novel syphilis treatment. Edwards comes clean to Opal, but does not get the response he expects. Cleary makes a last-ditch effort to raise funds for Harriet as her date in court arrives. Bertie undergoes physical training; Barrow loses a sponsor; Gallinger's prejudices are reinforced; Cornelia probes a suspicious death; Lucy laments her lot in life.

A subway explosion leads to an influx of patients at The Knick, but little margin for profit. Pursued by Henry, Lucy takes to heart advice from one of Ping Wu's girls. An addict's misfortune gives Thackery an ideal test case for his latest theory on addiction. Bertie submits his adrenalin research to Zinberg ; Cornelia gets a new clue in Speight's death; Barrow repays a debt but gets no credit; Genevieve charms the Chickerings; Harriet finds herself a boarding-house pariah.

Faced with a quandary, Bertie decides to take matters into his own hands at Mt. Sinai, enlisting Algernon to help. Thackery investigates the efficacy of hypnosis, and takes an interest in a pair of conjoined twins. Lucy lobbies Henry for a gala invitation; Cornelia visits the brother of a deceased immigrant with ties to Speight; Gallinger dines with an unwelcome guest; Barrow previews a new home for Junia ; Harriet agrees to make a change.

Fighting his nerves, Thackery readies himself to attempt to separate Zoya and Nika in front of a packed audience. After getting a surprise gift from her father-in-law, Cornelia attends a gala charity ball for the new Knick with other familiar guests. Barrow gets rid of a threat; Opal spoils the Robertsons' good mood. Algernon gets a long-overdue spotlight in the surgical theater, but complications ensue.

Thackery introduces a new kind of cure to his inebriation ward. Brockhurst demands the return of his "girls." Gallinger's relationship with his wife and Bertie's relationship with Genevieve move in surprising directions. Cornelia presents evidence of the company's wrongdoing to Henry. Barrow's troubled marriage comes to a head. Thackery performs plastic surgery on Abby.

Thackery's connection to Captain Robertson, and how the doctor arrived at The Knick, is revealed. The conflict between Edwards and Gallinger comes to a head after a medical-board hearing regarding Gallinger's vasectomies. Cleary and Harriet launch a joint business venture; Lucy shares memories with her father; Barrow confronts the rising costs of living well; Cornelia and Henry weigh the cost of a family crisis.

Thackery eschews Zinberg's advice at Mt. Sinai and opts for a dramatic, and risky, alternative course of action. Cornelia confronts Henry about his role in the family business; Barrow defends his actions at the hospital construction site; Gallinger considers a job opportunity; Cleary refuses to give up on Harriet.