Michael Shannon Delivers Haunting Performance in netflix’s “Death by Lightning,” a Quirky Take on the Garfield assassination
Washington D.C. – โค Michaelโ Shannon’s portrayal of Charles Guiteau, the disgruntled office seeker who assassinated Presidentโ James A. Garfield โขin 1881, is drawing critical acclaim as Netflix’s limited series “Death โby โLightning” concludes its run. The nine-episode drama, based on Candice Millard’s non-fictionโค book Destiny of the Republic, offersโข a darkly comedic andโฃ surprisingly โpoignant exploration of the events surrounding the tragedy, with Shannon anchoring โthe series โฃwith a performance โฃdescribed as both unsettling and captivating.
“Deathโ by lightning” โdoesn’t shy away from the bizarre details ofโ Guiteau’sโค characterโ and motivations. A self-proclaimedโฃ political genius, Guiteau believed โฃheโข was owed a diplomatic post for his (minimal)โฃ support of Garfield’s presidential campaign. When hisโ demands went unmet, he became โคconvinced Garfield โฃwasโ an obstacle to the nation’s destiny and resolved to remove โhim. Shannonโ embodies โthis delusional grandiosity with aโ chilling intensity, bringingโ a disturbing humanity to a figure frequently enough relegated to historicalโข footnote status.
The โขseries also features aโข standout performance โขfrom Nick Offerman asโ Chester A. Arthur,Garfield’s Vice President. The review notes Offerman’s portrayal as a “spiritual partner toโ drunk ron Swanson,” yielding significant comedic moments. However, it alsoโฃ highlights a deeper exploration of Arthur, โa man often dismissed โas a “blunt instrument”โ who may have possessed a “refined โขsoul.” The reviewer praises Offerman’s performance, stating, “allowing the same thing to occur for โ Death by Lightning โwould be an equally egregious crime” in reference to โคpast Emmy snubs.
Beyond Shannon and Offerman, the cast โฃincludes Zeljko Ivanek โas Dr. D.W. Bliss, the physician tasked with treating โขGarfield’s wounds, and supportingโ roles filled byโ Whitford, Whigham, Vondie curtis-Hall as Frederick Douglass, andโค Barry Shabaka Henley as Blanche Bruce. However, the review points to some uneven integration of historicalโ figures, notably Kyle Soller as Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln and Garfield’s Secretary of War, who is given no lines ofโข dialog.
The series’ pacing also receives some criticism. While theโ assassination itself is depicted, the review notes that “Death โby Lightning”โข “rushes through Garfield’s โฃdeath,โ which was famously and relevantlyโค unrushed.” Garfield’s agonizing 2.5-month struggle following the shooting,a period marked by pioneering medical attempts to save his life,is glossed over in favor of a quicker resolution.
Despiteโค these shortcomings, the review ultimately champions โ”Death by Lightning” asโ a compellingโ and often humorous examination of a pivotalโ moment in american history, โฃdriven byโ a remarkable central performance from Michael Shannon. The series concludes with the reviewer admitting to being left โhumming “The Ballad of โคGuiteau,” a testament to the show’s lasting impact.