The Stranger-Than-Fiction True Story Behind Netflix’s New Historical Miniseries
Netflix's Death by Lightning tells the shocking story of U.S. President James Garfield’s assassination, rooted in real-life events. Long before “parasocial relationships” became common topics in psychology and media, Charles Guiteau—an unsuccessful lawyer, aspiring preacher, and self-proclaimed political influencer—believed he had personally secured Garfield’s presidency.
Frustrated that the White House ignored his handwritten letters demanding an ambassadorship to Paris, Guiteau’s obsession spiraled into violence. In the summer of 1881, he confronted Garfield at a Washington, D.C. train station and shot him, convinced that he had saved the Republican Party and possibly the nation.
“Maybe even the nation.”
If this sounds like a perfect story for a gripping miniseries about obsession, ego, and psychological unraveling, Netflix’s Death by Lightning delivers. It revives this bizarre episode of American history and turns it into a darkly comedic character study.
Executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, known for Game of Thrones, collaborate with Mike Makowsky (Bad Education) to examine how one man’s desperate craving for recognition and a comfortable political role intersected with a corrupt system.
“A real-life fever dream of delusion and democracy gone off the rails.”
This miniseries explores the collision of personal obsession and political decay in a fascinating historical narrative.
Author’s summary:
Netflix’s Death by Lightning reveals the bizarre true story behind President Garfield's assassination, highlighting obsession, political decay, and dark humor through powerful storytelling.