There’s one word that comes to dominate the events of tonight’s The Knick, and despite the episode’s title, and that baroque last scene, it’s not “dad.” The hour is indeed replete with paternal dynamics, whether it’s the bookending acts of terrible fathers and fathers-in-law, or the way one of the show’s figurative father-son relationships comes together, before quickly being put in jeopardy. Throw in Gallinger’s chance at redemption through adoption, and Thackery’s success in succeeding his own father figure, and “Start Calling Me Dad” seems to serve up its operative word right in the title.
Making its debut in American theatres this Friday, Hector and the Search for Happiness could be just the ticket for those wandering souls already feeling stifled by the onset of fall, and the start of a new school year. The film stars Simon Pegg as the eponymous Hector, a depressed psychiatrist who sets off on a globe-spanning adventure to find out what it is that makes people happy.
The circus has been John Thackery’s preferred metaphor for describing what goes on in the Knickerbocker hospital, but it wasn’t until this week’s The Knick that we finally got to see the dog and pony show. “They Capture the Heat” is a full-on carnival act compared to the rest of the season, featuring five medical emergencies, two family members in peril, gun totting thugs under the big top, an aborted abortion, and for the grand finale, Thack learning how to ride a bike. Put simply, tonight’s episode was kinda bananas.
