I've Rewatched This Perfect Medical Drama 3 Times – Now It's Finally Blowing up on HBO Max

I've never liked soapy medical dramas like Grey's Anatomy. I like my medical dramas dark, raw, and physically hard to watch.

That's why my top pick will always be The Knick, a series so realistic that it sometimes resembles body horror. Although Steven Soderbergh's show received rave reviews from critics, it never became a hit.

However, it seems that more and more people are discovering this gem. The Knick recently broke into the top five most-watched shows on HBO Max, and here's why you should pay attention to it, too.

What Is 'The Knick' About?

New York, 1900. Medicine is on the verge of great changes brought about by electricity and industrialization.

However, before these new methods could be mastered, someone had to endure failed operations, complications, and conflicts with the church.

At Knickerbocker Hospital in New York, that someone is Dr. Thackery (Clive Owen), a talented doctor and inventor with a cocaine addiction. He is a true fan of his craft and capable of performing real miracles on the operating table.

'The Knick' Is a Realistic, And Sometimes Even Shocking, Medical Drama

Were you shocked by the nudity and close-ups of the process of birth in The Pitt? Forget about it. The first episode of The Knick features two surgical scenes that would make anyone with a weak stomach feel uneasy.

A botched C-section and an intestinal operation were filmed by a camera that couldn't blink or turn away from the surgical table. Don't say you weren't warned.

Dr. John Thackery Is One of the Best Roles of Clive Owen's Career

At the center of this chaos is Dr. John Thackery, played by Clive Owen. He is a rare antihero who is so charismatic you can't take your eyes off of him.

We are introduced to him without any unnecessary ado: Thackery is on his way from a Chinese opium den to the hospital, injecting cocaine into his leg in a carriage.

The authors of the series were inspired by the biography of the famous surgeon William Stewart Halsted, the father of modern surgery, who introduced blood transfusions and invented rubber gloves.

Clive Owen brilliantly handled the role inspired by such a great personality – this is one of the best roles in his long career, if not the best.

And believe me, Clive Owen has never looked hotter on screen. Never.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Knick'?

• The Knick has 92% from critics and 96% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 8.4/10.