Death by Lightning, a new Netflix limited series, tells the true story of James Garfield, the 20th U.S. president, and Charles Guiteau, the man who shot him. Starring Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen, the show explores a short presidency that ended in a national tragedy and asks what might have been. All four episodes are available to stream now.
The series begins with a modern-day scene: workers in a government storage facility find a jar containing a preserved human brain. The label bears a name that means nothing to them: Charles Guiteau. This discovery kicks off a story set in 1880, tracing the parallel lives of a humble congressman who became president and a desperate drifter who believed he was owed a job for his support. Their collision would change American history.
The True Story Behind the Show
Death by Lightning is based on the award-winning 2011 book Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard. The story is a factual account of one of America’s most unexpected presidencies and its violent end.
James Garfield was a Civil War veteran and a nine-term congressman from Ohio. He did not seek the presidency. In 1880, he went to the Republican National Convention in Chicago to give a speech nominating Treasury Secretary John Sherman for the party’s nomination. Garfield’s speech was so powerful that it started a movement to nominate him instead. After dozens of deadlocked ballots, the convention chose Garfield as a compromise candidate, much to his own surprise.
Meanwhile, Charles Guiteau was a failed lawyer and itinerant speaker. He had written a campaign speech supporting former President Ulysses S. Grant. When Garfield won the nomination, Guiteau simply replaced Grant’s name with Garfield’s in his speech. He printed copies and delivered it a few times, becoming convinced that his words were the key to Garfield’s victory. He believed he deserved a major diplomatic post, like an ambassadorship to Austria, as a reward.
When the job never came, Guiteau’s frustration turned to obsession. He stalked the new president, writing letters and showing up at the White House. At the time, it was common for ordinary citizens to wait in the White House lobby to ask the president for jobs. After Secretary of State James Blaine finally told Guiteau to “Never bother me again,” Guiteau decided to take revenge. He bought a pistol and shot President Garfield at a Washington, D.C., train station on July 2, 1881.
Garfield did not die immediately. He suffered for 80 days as doctors, including the prominent Dr. Willard Bliss, used unsterilized instruments to probe for the bullet, likely causing a fatal infection. The president died on September 19, 1881. Charles Guiteau was found guilty of murder and was executed by hanging in June 1882.
Meet the Main Cast and Characters
The series features a celebrated cast bringing these historical figures to life.
- Michael Shannon plays President James A. Garfield. Shannon is known for his intense roles in films like Take Shelter and Nocturnal Animals. He approached Garfield as a complex man thrust into an impossible job. Shannon noted the challenge of the era, saying, “America was a real mess when he became president… it was a monumental challenge to be president at that time”.
- Matthew Macfadyen plays Charles J. Guiteau. Macfadyen, famous for his Emmy-winning role as Tom Wambsgans in Succession, portrays Guiteau’s delusion and desperation. The actor described his character as “desperate for attention or a job or for someone to read his speech”. Creator Mike Makowsky saw Guiteau as a historical version of Robert De Niro’s obsessed fan Rupert Pupkin from the film The King of Comedy.
The supporting cast is filled with notable actors playing key political figures:
| Actor | Character | Historical Role |
|---|---|---|
| Betty Gilpin | Lucretia “Crete” Garfield | The First Lady, Garfield’s wife. |
| Nick Offerman | Chester A. Arthur | The Vice President, who became the 21st President. |
| Bradley Whitford | James G. Blaine | Garfield’s Secretary of State. |
| Shea Whigham | Roscoe Conkling | A powerful New York senator. |
| Vondie Curtis-Hall | Frederick Douglass | The famous abolitionist and orator. |
Where to Watch Death by Lightning
Death by Lightning is streaming exclusively on Netflix worldwide. The entire four-episode limited series was released on November 6, 2025.
- Platform: Netflix
- Release Date: November 6, 2025 (all episodes)
- Number of Episodes: 4
- Age Rating: TV-MA
- Availability: The series is available on all Netflix subscription plans, including the Standard with Ads and Premium tiers.
The show is available with multiple audio and subtitle language options, including English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian.
Also Read:
- Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams Talks About Overcoming Bias and What He Learned From Playing Shane
- Cote de Pablo Shares Farewell Message After NCIS: Tony & Ziva Canceled After One Season
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Will This Game of Thrones Prequel Face the Same Problem?
- ‘Heated Rivalry’ Episode 5 Becomes Highest-Rated TV Episode of 2025 on IMDb
- Fallout Season 2: The Mind-Control Chip Threat, Explained
- Survivor 49 Runner-Up Sophi Balerdi Reflects on Her Gameplay and Journey in Exit Interview
What Happens in Each Episode?
The series tells its story across four episodes, each with a run time between 47 and 66 minutes.
| Ep. | Title | Runtime |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Man from Ohio | 52 min |
| 2 | Party Faithful | 47 min |
| 3 | Casus Belli | 47 min |
| 4 | Destiny of the Republic | 66 min |
The series has been met with positive reviews from critics, who have especially praised the performances of Michael Shannon and Matthew Macfadyen. The show holds a high score on review aggregator sites, indicating strong approval.
Also Read: Blood Coast Season 2: Release date, streaming details and more
