‘The Knick‘ by Steven Soderbergh ended its second season in a way that made fans certain something big was coming next. The period medical drama story felt unfinished, if not abrupt, with the gruesome passing of its lead, Dr. John Thackery, while performing a surgery on himself. That was the time for mad genius, right? The world certainly looked ready to grow in a new direction.
Now, Steven Soderbergh has finally shared what he planned for Season 3. The cancellation feels even more disappointing because he already had a bold idea in mind.
Why The Cancellation Of ‘The Knick’ Still Hurts
Part of the frustration comes from remembering how unique ‘The Knick‘ was. Steven Soderbergh didn’t just direct the show; he shaped almost every detail of it to showcase the prejudices, corruption, and revolutions in the surgical field. He shot every episode himself, used natural light, and often handled the camera, giving the series a raw and gripping look that stood out on TV.
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Even with all this creativity, Cinemax cancelled the show after Season 2. And the timing hurt because Soderbergh was already thinking about the future. He wanted the show to reinvent itself every two years with a new setting, new cast, and maybe even a new filmmaker each time. He prepared ideas for Seasons 3 and 4, but the network decided to move toward genre shows instead.
During a Reddit AMA, Soderbergh said he missed everything about working on ‘The Knick.’ He explained that he felt nervous in the beginning because the shooting schedule was extremely tight, but the team quickly found a rhythm. Clive Owen as Dr. Thackery sank his teeth into the role of a tormented genius.
Both seasons were finished in 73 days each, and Season 2 felt faster because the world was already built. We got to witness the price of medical advances such as X-ray machines and caesarean births, racism among doctors and patients, drug abuse by those who are supposed to save lives, and a complete institutional shift in New York’s hospitals. Soderbergh added that Season 1 took up a lot of mental energy since they were creating the universe from scratch. And by Season 2, he could focus more on trying new shot ideas.
The Unmade Season 3 Idea That Could Have Redefined The Series
In that same AMA, Soderbergh finally revealed the creative swing he had planned for Season 3. Soderbergh said Season 3 would have jumped forward to 1947, a huge change from the early 1900s setting we know. He also insisted that the whole season be shot in anamorphic black-and-white. It’s a bold artistic choice he joked about that might have killed the idea at the network level.
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This plan was a full creative reboot, something brave and exciting. Hearing how clear his vision was makes the cancellation feel even worse. So, the show didn’t end because it ran out of ideas; it ended right before its most daring chapter. It was like learning about a door that was already built but never opened. Maybe the impact of World War II and changing politics would have come into play. Conscientious experiments would have dictated the game, but definitely, it would have been an eye-opener about the medical profession.
Thinking about what Season 3 could have been, the new time period, the black-and-white style, the complete reset, makes the loss sting more. TV rarely takes risks like this, and ‘The Knick‘ was one of the few shows willing to try. Even though Soderbergh has moved on to other films, his ideas for the show will always remind us just how special it was.
