Death by Lightning

Matt Roush says...

A fascinating and tragic chapter in largely forgotten American history unfolds in a gripping four-part historical limited series dramatizing the regrettably short post-Civil War presidency of James A. Garfield (Michael Shannon), a gifted orator who pledged to reform and weed corruption out of government. The series juxtaposes this humble man’s unlikely and rather reluctant rise to national leadership with the pathos and downward spiral of Charles Guiteau (Succession’s Matthew Madfadyen), a delusional madman with an unfiltered sense of self-importance who begs to be noticed by people in power. Dismissed as “an opportunist and a pest,” Guiteau embarks on a narcissistic crusade to save the nation that culminates in Garfield being shot, later dying from incompetent medical treatment. The two leads are tremendous, including in their sole encounter (when the president would meet personally with office-seekers), and the excellent supporting cast includes Betty Gilpin as Garfield’s independent-minded wife Crete, Nick Offerman as his blustery vice president Chester A. Arthur, Bradley Whitford as his trusted Secretary of State James Blaine and Shea Whigham as his nemesis, the ruthless New York Senator Roscoe Conkling.

What's Worth Watching (Nov 6)