Netflix’s ‘Death by Lightning’ brings the shocking assassination of 19th-century president James Garfield to your screen in a four-episode limited series that’s streaming now. Creator Mike Makowsky adapted historian Candice Millard’s 2011 book “Destiny of the Republic” into this surprisingly fun historical romp starring Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen. The show reveals how a troubled, impoverished man named Charles Guiteau became obsessed with Garfield and changed American history forever.
Why This Forgotten Presidential Story Deserves Your Attention
Remember those old-timey names from seventh-grade U.S. history class? James Garfield and Chester A. Arthur might ring a bell, but most of us didn’t learn enough about this tantalizing tale in school. The assassination happened just three months later after Garfield’s unlikely ascension to the White House, making it one of the most shocking moments in presidential lore. Unlike Abraham Lincoln, whose death everyone knows, Garfield’s story has been largely forgotten despite being stranger than fiction.
This historical drama proves American history is worth your time and offers a superb reminder that we need not look across the pond for fascinating tales. On the eve of our nation’s 250th birthday, amid our own political chaos and strife, understanding how we got here matters more than ever.
An All-Star Cast Brings the Late 1800s to Life
The absolute stellar cast transforms this rare series into pure viewing pleasure. Michael Shannon delivers an amiable and steadfast presence as the unassuming Republican congressman who unexpectedly wins the Republican nomination at the 1880 Republican National Convention. His straight-talking approach and Garfield’s stoicism anchor the entire production. Matthew Macfadyen, fresh from “Succession”, owns the series with his tittering, intense take on delusional political-wannabe Charles Guiteau.
Nick Offerman rocks an excellent mustache and sideburns as Chester A. Arthur, who totters about drunkenly in a top hat and tails. Bradley Whitford spits vintage insults as the shady James Blaine, while Shea Whigham plays stalwart Sen. Roscoe Conkling with menacing authority. Betty Gilpin rounds out the ensemble, and the entire cast is a joy to look at in their 19th-century getups before they utter a single word.
The Political Drama That Feels Disturbingly Modern
Garfield’s inspiring speech at the convention wasn’t supposed to end with his surprising nomination for president. The party was hopelessly divided between a corrupt conservative faction and more idealistic reformers, a split that feels ringing with contemporary relevance. Conkling and his crony Arthur represented the establishment power brokers who saw their control slipping away. To secure a narrow victory, Garfield made Arthur his vice presidential nominee in a deal that would have lasting consequences.
The corruption versus reform political drama would be worthy of an episode of “The West Wing” by itself. Garfield and Blaine attempt civil service reform while navigating backroom deals and power struggles. The show’s all-gas-no-breaks political drama approach keeps you engaged with its short, snappy, exuberant pacing, even as the serious subject matter deepens.
When Obsession Turns Deadly
The story becomes truly outlandish when Charles Guiteau enters the picture. This man who never fit in anywhere in his life becomes fixated on Garfield after the congressman’s unexpected victory. Guiteau starts popping in and out of the party’s campaign headquarters with abandon—something possible only because the Secret Service didn’t begin to protect the president until 1901. He tries to worm his way into Garfield’s circle, hoping to somehow profit from proximity to power.
Macfadyen brings a controlled kind of madness to this assassin, creating an odder, showier character that could easily overwhelm the narrative. Yet the actor and scripts are careful to never romanticize this murderer. Instead, they artfully present his mania as a foil for Garfield’s measured leadership. Spoiler alert: the man’s obsession turns violent, and the two actors are well matched in their brief scenes together, creating an unforgettable tension.
How a Bullet and Infection Changed History
The final episode takes on an appropriately more somber tone as Garfield fights for his life. Here’s where that trivia from the party becomes important: the bullet didn’t actually kill him. The infection that followed proved fatal, a detail captured in black-and-white photos of men with big beards and bigger sideburns surrounding the dying president. This absurd, uncanny truth reveals how medical ignorance in the late 1800s cost Garfield his life when he might have survived with proper care.
Why ‘Death by Lightning’ Outshines British Period Pieces
Hollywood loves a historical drama, but there’s an unconscious bias toward frilly dresses, prissy accents, and British history filled with kings, queens, and “Bridgerton” marriage markets. ‘Death by Lightning’ stands as an argument that our own past deserves equal attention. Following last year’s Apple series “Manhunt” about the search for Lincoln’s assassin, this Netflix production proves you can deeply enjoy American history when it’s told with style and a celebrated actor or two sporting fantastic facial hair.
The series’ self-assuredness and commitment to revealing the most fun aspects of this fall’s TV landscape make it irresistible. Creator Mike Makowsky, who previously worked on “Bad Education”, has adapted Millard’s work for the screen with intelligence and energy. Fear not if this sounds like a test of your sense memory—the show makes everything crystal clear while honoring the complexity of the era.