Death by Lightning

The creators of this picked a topical moment to remind Americans what a decent, dignified, morally-strong president looks and sounds like. President Garfield wasn’t a saint, nor was he above some potentially shady dealings but he did take some strong positions at a pivotal moment in American history.

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Although President Garfield was shot only 6 months and 15 days into his presidency, he was responsible for breaking up some important power structures that were about to take over America, and the shock of his death helped bring about some legislation that stopped unqualified, non-politicians from being given positions of power within a newly-elected administration.

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President Garfield, who was also a minister, purged corruption within the Post Office, advocated for education across the board, spoke against Mormon polygamy, believed that paper currency must adhere to the gold standard, and was vehemently against slavery, famously saying:

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"Freedom can never yield its fullness of blessings so long as the law or its administration places the smallest obstacle in the pathway of any virtuous citizen."

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I loved this. The clothes, the language, the way American politics worked back then. Times were less complicated back in the 1880s but they were no less political than they are now. People’s natures are not bound by the time in which they live and nobody is perfect.

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The only thing I felt jarring about this series was the acting of beloved comedian and actor Nick Offerman. Ordinarily I’m a huge fan but every scene he was in felt overacted. He plays his character in a way that feels incongruent with how the rest of the actors portray their characters. But my personal opinion on that is not enough to stop me from recommending this series. It’s excellent.

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