Death By Lightning (HBO) - Review 

Rating: 4 out of 5

JAMES Garfield is often cited as one of the forgotten US Presidents - much like his assassin, Charles Guiteau. But as Netflix series Death By Lightning expertly shows, Garfield ought to be remembered in a much more favourable light, along with his values.

Set during a fairly tumultuous period of US history in 1881, in the wake of the Civil War (of which Garfield was a decorated veteran), the series stars Michael Shannon as Garfield and Matthew Macfadyen as Guiteau.

It’s a lively retelling, imbued with much humour, yet it has a timely resonance that boasts plenty to compare to America’s current political chaos - Garfield standing for decency, inclusion and equality at a time when those around him were using politics for their own self-serving ends.

Indeed, as Garfield announces one progressive policy after another, his elite Republican rivals react with anger and venomous spite, led by bullying plunderer Roscoe Conkling (Shea Whigham), a gangster-style heavy who could just as easily represent the bullying tactics of modern era Trump.

He’s aided and abetted by his right-hand man, Chester Arthur (Nick Offerman), a grieving drunk and heavy debt collector, who inadvertently finds himself sworn in as Garfield’s vice-president… a move that invites an unlikely battle with his own conscience.

Garfield himself also proved an unlikely president, almost accidentally sweeping into office off the back of a rousing state of the nation address that saw a seminal vote slowly favour his initially unwanted coronation (even though his name wasn’t on the ballot).

But he accepted the role with grace and determination, vowing to right many of the wrongs he saw in government, while also giving voice to those who had traditionally been denied one. Shannon imbues Garfield with thoughtful dignity and grace (he’s also a devoted husband and doting father), albeit prone to a naive disdain for his own safety that would ultimately prove his undoing.

Watching the political brinkmanship unfold from the sidelines, meanwhile, is Guiteau, a hopeless fantasist and perennial loser who never knows when to quit.

When first we see him, he is being beaten up, then chased, before briefly staying with his long-suffering sister (and her family), from whom he steals money to finance his next adventure.

He is once more running out of options when he happens upon a crowd gathered outside the 1880 Republican party convention in Chicago, at which Garfield is the toast, becoming instantly captivated and obsessed by this politician and vowing to do everything in his [limited] power to become both his political ally and friend.

But with each attempt to reach out, Guiteau finds himself increasingly alienated as Garfield’s inner circle prove dismissive of his potential and thwart his every advance.

Macfadyen is an electric presence as Guiteau, by turns boyish and giddy under the weight of possibilities that each new scheme brings, yet also hurt and vulnerable whenever his enthusiasm is [often cruelly] curtailed. He is continually rendered the laughing stock of his social circle… even when talking sense.

And while displaying an incredible capacity to keep coming back for more, there comes a point when enough is enough for Guiteau, and thoughts of assisting Garfield turn to ending his albeit brief reign.

Guiteau eventually comes to see himself as the man to change the course of history - a move that will bring him the fame and understanding that has so far eluded him. And so he guns down Garfield just as the president was beginning to make room for headway with his reforms.

And it’s at this point that the true tragedy of Death By Lightning becomes clear and a sense of “what might have been” pervades.

In reality, both Guiteau and Garfield remain but footnotes in history - even the assassination itself overshadowed by the likes of John F Kennedy and Lincoln in the annuals of US history.

But for those willing to pay attention, there are (and were) lessons here that stand the test of time and which possess sustained relevance.

First and foremost, there’s Garfield himself and all that he stood for. Was America deprived of one of its truly great presidents? The answer would seem to be a resounding yes.

Secondly, write people off, belittle and humiliate them at your peril - as evidenced by Guiteau’s descent from excitable wannabe acolyte to bitter madness (although, to be fair, the character always erred towards the mischievous and downright illegal!).

And then there’s perhaps Garfield’s greatest legacy, which arose from the manner of his death. For while Guiteau is credited with his assassination, it wasn’t actually his bullet that killed him.

Rather, medical incompetence (or arrogance) saw Garfield’s doctors insist on attempting to recover the bullet, firstly from the wrong location and then without using sterilised equipment. Had the bullet been left, Garfield would likely have recovered and survived; his death is attributed to sepsis brought about by infection.

Upon realisation of the mistake, medical practice concerning sterilisation was changed.

Returning to Death By Lightning itself, the show is a timely historical drama that has much to say about political standards and dignity.

It’s a richly absorbing affair, driven by uniformly great performances, that provides plenty of food for thought and articulate lessons.

It’s biggest achievement, however, thanks in no small part to the brilliance of both Shannon and Macfadyen in the lead roles, is that it may provide these two ‘forgotten’ historical figures with the lasting legacy they deserve.

Certificate: 15

Episodes: 4