Robert is a domineering, showman surgeon - a rock star of his age - who is almost as brilliant as he thinks he is. He can pack out an operating theatre and take off a leg in 92 seconds. But after a botched amputation, Robert is put under pressure by the royal physician, Dr Hendrick. So John, a drug-addled dentist who is trying to create the world's first anaesthetic, convinces Robert to use potentially lethal ether in a prestigious and pioneering operation.
Caroline bags an invitation to meet her hero, Charles Dickens. William finds himself in an awkward position when he exaggerates how much of a fan he is - he hasn't read a single page. An excruciating evening ensues when William escorts Caroline to a dinner party at Dickens's house.
William stages a mock trial to cure a deluded patient, while Robert looks to advance his reputation by securing the backing of a wealthy female patron.
Caroline arranges for herself and William to meet a charismatic hypnotist at a local curry house for a demonstration of his powers.
Robert has a problematic patient – the Bishop of Lambeth needs his appendix removed or he will die. But he won’t agree to pain relief or surgery.
When William’s childhood friend Mina puts pressure on William to marry her, he has a difficult moral decision to make.
