The Knick has been cancelled, and it's news that comes as a disappointment to fans, although not necessarily a surprise. While the show was critically acclaimed, the series had not aired a new episode since December of 2015, and had that finale not been so crazy, the world might have forgotten about it. Unfortunately, as fans hoped the Steven Soderbergh series would get just one more season, it appears the writing has been on the hospital wall this whole time. No Season 3 is on the way.
In terms of viewership and ratings, The Knick's Season 2 outperformed other premium cable programs like HBO's Getting On (which was canceled) or Starz's Da Vinci's Demons (also canceled) but fell well short of competing against those networks' top-billed programs at the time The Leftovers or Ash Vs. Evil Dead. It wasn't a real ratings winner for Cinemax, but at the same time, it was really one of the only original series the network had.
Variety reports that there were talks for a Season 3 and 4 that would have skipped ahead 20 years between seasons to cover the advances of modern medicine, but as more time passed actors and director Steven Soderbergh got tied up in other projects. Eventually, Cinemax brought both Outcast and Quarry into the fold, presenting another road for the network to pursue with programming. More shows are in development, but none have Clive Owen's mustache involved.
It wasn't until actor Chris Sullivan very recently offered the following up on the show's status that would press more outlets to seek out additional information:
Yeah, I've heard it's done. They were gonna try [to do a third season], but I've heard it's done.
Speaking of those other shows, Quarry is similar to The Knick in that it had a favorable Season 1 from critics, and a willingness to continue, but hasn't received word about the future since its October finale. On the other hand, Outcast (developed by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman) was renewed for a Season 2 before its series even began. While it's possible that Cinemax could've possibly combined The Knick and Quarry for a back to back return down the road to increase viewership, Outcast (which has set viewership records for the network) is starting its Season 2 April 3rd. One would think if Cinemax was trying to bring back The Knick for a Season 3, bringing it in after Outcast would've been the way to do it. It's all a lost cause now, though.
So yeah, it sucks we won't get more Clive Owen, but at least now we have some closure on The Knick. Perhaps the following weeks will present us with a Soderbergh explanation about what a Season 3 for the series could've contained, or maybe some company like Netflix is looking to revitalize it. I'm rooting for that option, as you can never have enough quality television, and The Knick does have a script ready to go for more. We'll keep you updated on any miracle scenarios where The Knick lives again, but until then you should probably move on and find a new series on our midseason premiere guide or Summer premiere schedule.
