Why The Knick Killed Off Clive Owen's Dr. John Thackery In Season 2

Cinemax's period medical drama "The Knick" absolutely shocked fans when it killed off lead Clive Owen's Dr. John Thackery at the end of Season 2 — so why did Steven Soderbergh and the creative team behind the series decide to make that move? Believe it or not, the bold choice to kill Thackery off was always a key part of Soderbergh's plan for the show.

As Soderbergh explained to The Playlist in 2015, he wanted to simultaneously end Thackery's story (and yes, the self-surgery was always part of the plan) and leave the series himself at that point, alongside Owen. That would then open the door for a new director to come in and shape the story with all-new elements for Seasons 3 and 4. Soderbergh envisioned a future where every two seasons, there would be a changing of the guard.

"They don't have to shoot it the way I shoot it," the filmmaker explained. "They don't have to score it the way I score it. They don't have to cast who I've cast. They have maximum freedom to come in and just go, 'I want to wipe the slate clean.'"

At the time of the Season 2 finale, "The Knick" director Steven Soderbergh wasn't sure if having the creative team change every two seasons would mean entirely different takes within the previously established world, or if the show would make a hard left turn. But he and creators Jack Amiel and Michael Begler were still actively brainstorming for the show's next incarnation, as well as drumming up lists of potential filmmakers to take over.

"The key obviously for us is to keep that sensation of a medical drama that audiences haven't seen before," Soderbergh told The Playlist. "As we sit down and talk about three and four, I feel good about where this can go. I think we have some ideas that are strong."

The last episode of "The Knick" Season 2 aired in December 2015, and despite the fact that the creative team was actively interested in helping to shape the show further, Season 3 of "The Knick" never came to fruition, and the show was officially canceled in March 2017. The network cited a desire to make more space for action dramas, but there's no denying that part of the show's spark died along with Dr. John Thackery at the end of Season 2.