Death by Lightning: The Assassination Thriller That Hits Like a Freight Train – Shannon and Macfadyen’s Haunting Performances in a Forgotten Chapter of American History

LOS ANGELES – November 18, 2025 – I thought I was ready… but nothing could have prepared me for Death by Lightning, Netflix’s four-episode historical drama that’s rocketing up the charts and leaving viewers in a state of shell-shocked awe. Premiering on November 6, this limited series from creator Mike Makowsky—based on Candice Millard’s 2011 book Destiny of the Republic—isn’t just a retelling of President James A. Garfield’s 1881 assassination; it’s an emotional ambush that punches you in the gut, twists the knife, and then lingers like a bad dream. Starring Michael Shannon as the reluctant 20th president and Matthew Macfadyen as his delusional assassin Charles J. Guiteau, the show has sparked a frenzy of tears, gasps, and desperate pleas for more. “I sat frozen when the credits rolled—staring, processing, trying to breathe,” one viewer confessed on X. This isn’t a series… it’s a reckoning.

The story unfolds like a Greek tragedy wrapped in Gilded Age finery: Garfield (Shannon), a humble Ohio congressman thrust into the White House after a razor-thin 1880 election, dreams of a corruption-free America and civil rights for freed slaves. But lurking in the shadows is Guiteau (Macfadyen), a failed lawyer, con man, and self-proclaimed prophet who believes his rambling stump speech won Garfield the presidency—and thus owes him a consulship in Paris. What starts as pathetic petitioning spirals into obsession, culminating in the gunshot that changed history. Directed by Matt Ross (Captain Fantastic), the series masterfully balances intimate character studies with sweeping political intrigue, from Garfield’s bedside vigils to the cutthroat machinations of rivals like Roscoe Conkling (Shea Whigham).

Shannon’s Garfield is a revelation—a stoic everyman burdened by quiet genius, his weary eyes conveying the weight of a nation’s promise and peril. “He’s not the larger-than-life Lincoln; he’s the relatable reformer who could’ve been,” Shannon told Variety, drawing from Millard’s research on Garfield’s log cabin roots and abolitionist fire. Opposite him, Macfadyen channels Guiteau’s unhinged charisma with chilling precision, transforming the assassin from footnote villain to tragic fool. “Guiteau’s not evil incarnate—he’s a man convinced destiny owes him,” Macfadyen explained, his portrayal evoking Succession’s Tom Wambsgans crossed with a deranged televangelist. The duo’s sole meeting—a tense Oval Office plea—is a masterclass in simmering dread, Macfadyen’s oily desperation clashing against Shannon’s restrained empathy.

The supporting cast elevates the epic: Betty Gilpin as the steely Crete Garfield, Nick Offerman as the reluctant VP Chester Arthur, Bradley Whitford as scheming Secretary James Blaine. Filmed in period-perfect sets from New York’s Gilded Age mansions to the White House replica, the visuals—lensed by Larry Smith (There Will Be Blood)—bathe the era in golden hues that belie the encroaching darkness. Nathan Barr’s score swells with mournful strings, underscoring the tragedy of a presidency cut short after just 199 days.

Critics are enraptured. Rotten Tomatoes boasts 92%, with The Hollywood Reporter calling it “a superbly acted fork in history that wistfully hints at what could’ve been.” The Guardian praises Macfadyen’s “masterclass in slimy desperation.” Viewers are shattered: “Episode 3’s assassination attempt? I ugly-cried—Shannon’s Garfield is too real,” one posted. Another: “Binged in one night, stared at the wall for hours. Begging for Season 2.” Netflix reports 28 million hours viewed in the first week, outpacing The Perfect Couple.

Death by Lightning doesn’t just dramatize Garfield’s rise and fall—it mourns the America that might have been under his progressive vision. Every scene feels like a punch to the chest, Macfadyen and Shannon’s jaw-dropping turns shaking you to your core. Crying, begging for more—this epic leaves you frozen, processing the fragility of fate. Netflix’s new king has arrived. Stream it now… but brace yourself. Nothing prepares you for this.