The Stranger-Than-Fiction True Story Behind Netflix’s New Historical Miniseries
Netflix’s Death by Lightning explores the extraordinary true events surrounding the assassination of U.S. President James Garfield. The story is rooted in history that feels stranger than any work of fiction.
The Obsessed Assassin
Long before the concept of “parasocial relationships” entered popular psychology, there was Charles Guiteau — a failed lawyer, aspiring preacher, and self-proclaimed political influencer who believed he had personally secured Garfield’s election victory.
When the White House ignored his persistent letters demanding an ambassadorship to Paris, Guiteau’s obsession turned deadly. In the summer of 1881, he approached the President at a Washington, D.C. train station and fired two shots into his back, convinced he was saving the Republican Party, perhaps even the nation itself.
“Convinced he’d just saved the Republican Party… maybe even the nation.”
From History to Screen
The assassination of Garfield has long stood as one of the most unusual chapters in American history. Netflix’s series revives this tragic yet darkly absurd story, exposing the intersection of delusion, ambition, and political decay.
Executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, best known for Game of Thrones, partner with writer Mike Makowsky of Bad Education to create a vivid portrait of a man undone by ego and desperation — and a government teetering on corruption from within.
A Reflection on Obsession and Power
Death by Lightning turns the nation’s strangest presidential killing into a haunting and darkly humorous examination of obsession, misplaced faith, and the dangers of unchecked delusion.
Author’s summary: A gripping retelling of President Garfield’s assassination, the miniseries examines how one man’s obsession collided with a decaying political system, revealing the absurd fragility of power and belief.
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