As faithful readers of this blog can likely relate, I binge watch... Everyone does it these days. It is how television has evolved. I'm currently working through The Knick after finishing the first season with the virvor of a fangirl with a new obsession.
The series, which takes place in and around The Knickerbocker hospital in Manhattan during the early 1900s, is hard-hitting in its' story lines, to its graphic (and highly researched) depictions of medical procedures of the time. The first season premiere opens in the operating theater, where we watch the shows doctors perform a cesarean section on a woman with severe pregnancy complications. The scene is slow and deliberate as the men attempt to extract the fetus within their predetermined time limit, and the camera is not shy in showing the physical gore of surgery. The scene is not for the squeamish. It’s bloody. We’re talking Game of Thrones level blood. However, the moment is handled with the scientific distance of a medical drama.
Viewing from an aesthetic perspective, the series is a work of art. Every frame is like a painting, with meticulously crafted, period specific sets and costumes. The Knick is another example of what is being called the Golden Age of Television. The larger budgets and greater freedom granted to cable (and streaming) shows propels them into another level above the series’ airing on the basic network channels.
In my weekly “I Want Him on My TV More” segment, The Knick is filled with a highly talented cast (Clive Owen shines as Dr. John Thackery). A standout for this writer is actor Michael Angarano, who plays Dr. Bertram “Bertie” Chickering Jr. The youngest of the doctors, Bertie spends much of the first season in wide-eyed admiration of Owen’s Thackery. As the first season progresses, and the developing character dynamics become clear, Angarano gets to flex his acting chops. Isolated and alienated from his former mentor, the young doctor is finally is able to find the voice he’s repressed for much of the series.
Michael Angarano is far from a newcomer to Hollywood. A former child actor, he’s been onscreen since he was very young. After an initial moment of “Where do I know that guy?”, a quick IMDB search showed that I’d recognized him from the 2003 sports drama Seabiscuit in which he played a young Red Pollard. He’s also appeared in the award winning film Almost Famous. While Michael Angarano is not a new face on screen, his work in The Knick shows his growth and development as an actor. His career is definitely on an upswing, and I’m excited to see where he goes next.
For those of us without a highly premium cable subscription, it's easy to miss this little show. Cinemax has always been a dream, but never a reality, for yours truly. However, the first season of the period medical drama is available on DVD, and the season two just became available for download on iTunes. So, if you aren’t watching, definitely check out The Knick.
Viewing from an aesthetic perspective, the series is a work of art. Every frame is like a painting, with meticulously crafted, period specific sets and costumes. The Knick is another example of what is being called the Golden Age of Television. The larger budgets and greater freedom granted to cable (and streaming) shows propels them into another level above the series’ airing on the basic network channels.
Michael Angarano is far from a newcomer to Hollywood. A former child actor, he’s been onscreen since he was very young. After an initial moment of “Where do I know that guy?”, a quick IMDB search showed that I’d recognized him from the 2003 sports drama Seabiscuit in which he played a young Red Pollard. He’s also appeared in the award winning film Almost Famous. While Michael Angarano is not a new face on screen, his work in The Knick shows his growth and development as an actor. His career is definitely on an upswing, and I’m excited to see where he goes next.
For those of us without a highly premium cable subscription, it's easy to miss this little show. Cinemax has always been a dream, but never a reality, for yours truly. However, the first season of the period medical drama is available on DVD, and the season two just became available for download on iTunes. So, if you aren’t watching, definitely check out The Knick.
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