“Death by Lightning,” a historical drama miniseries about the presidency and assassination of James A. Garfield, was released on Netflix on Thursday, Nov. 6. Directed by Mike Makowsky and based on the book “Destiny of the Republic,” it is a look at how Garfield reached office and how one delusional man took that away.
The viewer isn’t expected to know who Charles Guiteau is coming in. In fact, the opening scene involves a jar containing Guiteau’s brain falling out of a box inside a government facility. The worker, upon picking up the jar, openly questions who Guiteau is (a bit more explicitly, I might add).
To clarify, Guiteau is the man who shot Garfield and was later hanged- you wouldn’t be blamed for not knowing that off the top of your head. The fact of the matter is that Guiteau never entered the pop culture zeitgeist in the same manner as the individuals who murdered Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy. In many ways, the show is an attempt to amplify the legacy that the real Guiteau was seeking through his actions.
That’s not to say that Makowsky paints Guiteau in a positive light. Actor Matthew Macfadyen’s portrayal shows Guiteau to be an utterly pathetic man. He is a pathological liar who would rather brown nose his way into a spot in Garfield’s administration than work his way up through honest means. He is also delusional, deciding to assassinate Garfield when his low-impact campaigning for the president results in nothing more than a thank you.
In contrast, Garfield is presented to be an exceptionally humble man who holds an altruistic view on how America should be ran; he views himself to have no greater importance than any other individual. It is a perfect juxtaposition to Guiteau, who views himself as special and above others who have accomplished far more.
One objective that the opening scene inside of the warehouse — especially the worker’s reaction to the jar — accomplishes is that it sets an underlying tone of humor. That tone provides a light in what would otherwise be a rather straight telling of history inside of a dark setting and atmosphere.
Another standout performance is that of Nick Offerman as then-Vice President Chester A. Arthur. Offerman, who put on 20 pounds and wore a fat suit to portray Arthur, is often the comic relief to the discomfort provided by Macfadyen’s Guiteau. Their scenes often involve Offerman playing a drunken Arthur who is more interested in finding sausages than in listening to Guiteau’s political proposals, and he is known to use vulgar language at inopportune moments. He is also Roscoe Conkling’s (Shea Whigham) right-hand man inside of the Stalwart faction of the Republican party, often taking care of Conkling’s dirty work in New York and later the White House.
When sober, Arthur is often shown to be angry and loud. However, Offerman shows his range in the second half of the series as signs of sympathy and responsibility begin to seep through. This is especially true after Garfield was shot, as he begins to realize that he will have to step up and become a person of his own convictions. He rebuffs Conkling’s suggestions for further corrupting politics in the White House. While the series is not 100% accurate to history (very few historical retellings are), the real Arthur would likely be pleased with that ending, as his most widely regarded act as president was the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883.
As a whole, the show does a great job in providing a piece of history that has otherwise largely been overlooked. The show’s cast keeps the largely politically-focused material interesting from an entertainment perspective. It’s a fast paced telling that finds a balance between the amount of information given and the smaller details within and, because of that, sheds light on Guiteau as a historical figure that history forgot.
Rating: 4.2/5 Stars