In 1900, the surgeons and nurses at the Knickerbocker Hospital in New York push the boundaries of medicine in a time of high mortality rates and zero antibiotics. Chief surgeon Dr. John Thackery pioneers new methods in the field while harboring a severe cocaine addiction.

Thackery’s absence, a lack of affluent patients, and financial missteps have led to a decision by the hospital’s board to shutter the downtown location and move uptown, while everyone grapples with both personal and professional challenges.