A brilliant but deeply troubled surgeon navigates the rapidly evolving world of early twentieth-century medicine at a New York City hospital known as the Knickerbocker. His extraordinary skills in the operating theatre are matched only by his severe addiction to cocaine and other substances, which increasingly destabilises both his professional and personal life. The series explores the racial tensions, corruption, and crude yet pioneering medical practices of the era through an ensemble of doctors, nurses, and administrators connected to the hospital.