One thing we can all agree on is that The Knick is goddamn bleak. Between the rampant classicism, racism, misogyny and shameless corruption of the era, it’s hard to find a beacon of hope amid the dark portrayal of an era defined by inequality and a rigid class system. However, amid a show where women are imprisoned by their marriages, a nun faces a 20-year prison sentence for helping women procure reproductive health services, and a mentally ill wife is “treated” via the removal of all of her teeth, every now and then The Knick delivers a well-timed laugh.