Wonderful Surprises

"Wonderful Surprises," the fourteenth episode of *The Knick* overall and the fourth of its second season, aired on Cinemax on November 6, 2015. The episode was penned by the series' creators, Jack Amiel and Michael Begler, and directed by executive producer Steven Soderbergh. Set in early twentieth-century New York City, the show follows the staff of Knickerbocker Hospital as they grapple with the era's medical limits. The central figure is Dr. John Thackery, the surgery chief, who juggles cocaine and opium addictions with his drive for medical breakthroughs and his standing among colleagues. In this installment, Thackery makes a desperate attempt to cure Abigail as her health declines, while Edwards confronts the return of his wife.

The plot sees Edwards (André Holland) and Opal (Zaraah Abrahams) clashing over his concealed marriage. She refuses a divorce and intends to move in with him. At a dinner with the Robertsons, Opal notes that she and Edwards could sit with them, but his parents, both servants, cannot. Embarrassed, Edwards takes her to a Harlem nightclub, where they dance and seem to reconcile. Elkins (Eve Hewson) assists Dr. William H. Mays (Ben Livingston) during surgery, but Mays accidentally catches fire from a malfunction and survives. Thackery (Clive Owen) notices that A.D. has brutally beaten Elkins. He wants to intervene, but she tells him her father has already left for West Virginia, having made a fortune in New York. Overwhelmed, Elkins visits Sister Harriet (Cara Seymour) and confesses she is done living with abusive men and wants to move forward. Chickering (Michael Angarano) learns his mother has an esophageal tumor and intends to cure her, despite Dr. Zinberg (Michael Nathanson) calling it impossible. Barrow (Jeremy Bobb) meets a Tammany Hall boss to discuss protection, securing a deal for 15% of his profits. While walking, Eleanor (Maya Kazan) is accosted by an Italian-American child beggar, who is jailed, where Gallinger (Eric Johnson) punches him. Phillip (Tom Lipinski) tells Cornelia (Juliet Rylance) he is leaving with Hobart (Gary Simpson) for Ohio to check on an establishment. She then joins Cleary (Chris Sullivan) in a plan to help Harriet, who has no lawyer.