Williams and Walker (The Knick)

Lore & Background

In the episode, Dr. John Thackery prepares to separate conjoined twins Zoya and Nika, while the hospital staff attends a ball. The ball features a performance by vaudeville comedians Bert Williams and George Walker, who perform in blackface. The act draws laughter from the crowd but angers Opal, who later questions August Robertson about why there is no place at the Knick for Dr. Edwards while such a mocking act is allowed. Meanwhile, Cornelia discovers that August paid guards to allow diseased immigrants into the country rather than return them, and she is confronted by Hobart, who berates her for not being present for her husband Phillip. Thackery visits a tombstone he purchased for a girl he failed to save, and later watches Edwards perform a surgery that is sabotaged by Gallinger, who secretly administered extra curare, causing the patient to nearly die before Gallinger steps in to save him.

Reader's Guide

The episode is significant for its thematic exploration of racism and progress in early 20th-century medicine. The vaudeville act by Williams and Walker serves as a catalyst for Opal's confrontation with August, highlighting the hypocrisy of the hospital's benefactors. The sabotage of Edwards' surgery by Gallinger underscores the racial barriers faced by Black physicians. Critics praised Soderbergh's direction, particularly a continuous two-and-a-half-minute shot during the ball sequence, and the episode received a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The episode also marked a 77% increase in viewership from the previous episode.

Did You Know?

• The episode was seen by an estimated 0.347 million household viewers.
• The vaudeville act features Bert Williams and George Walker performing in blackface.
• Gallinger sabotages Edwards' surgery by applying extra curare, causing the patient to nearly die.
• Thackery spent $65 on a tombstone for a girl he failed to save during surgery.