Manhunt

The title might refer to the manhunt for Booth after Lincoln's assassination but the miniseries covers a lot more than just that narrow scope.

It encompasses the aftermath of the Civil War from many angles: Jefferson Davis was still on the run, Confederates were planning their revenge, foreign countries were giving aid and comfort to fleeing rebels, former slaves were adjusting to their new status and the government was planning radical steps for reconstructing the south into a more equitable society, a goal pushed by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton but undermined by the new President, Andrew Johnson.

From that perspective, there are many parallels to modern times, which the writers sometimes call out a bit too clumsily. Sometimes the plotline, dialogue and acting is also clumsy. The big scope means the story is at risk of going off the rails. But in the end they tie it all together.

Standout performances from Tobias Menzies as Edwin Stanton; Anthony Boyle, believably creepy and hateful as John Wilkes Booth; and Hamish Linklater as Abraham Lincoln.

I would have liked the writers to pay more attention to scrubbing anachronisms from the dialogue. It happened over and over. It may be amusing to think that John Wilkes Booth knew about the theatrical superstition, "break a leg," when he really did break his leg on stage, but there's no evidence of that superstition existing till the 1920s and most likely it developed no earlier than the early 20th Century. There are many more examples like that, far too many.

Still, it's a competent and often well-acted production of historical events with modern relevance. Recommended.

Apple really should consider continuing the saga with a new story, covering Johnson's fraught one-term Presidency and the very different administration of his successor, Ulysses S. Grant, who was serious about Reconstruction and went to war with the KKK.

I've been waiting for this miniseries for years going back to when Harrison Ford was attached. I like how they spared no expense and hired good actors (all except for Lincoln). Booth character is true to form and is well acted very much encompassing what Booth was probably like personality (vain and self involved). As a historian I'm disappointed because they changed the story when the story itself was so interesting & would have been captivating if they just stayed true to it. For starters how they approach Spangler and Mudd (neither of them knew what Booth was up to when they first helped him) & Stanton: they portrayed not as his extremely flawed self who Lincoln had many run ins with. He never called him "Abe" nobody did everyone called him Mr President or Lincoln (Lincoln did not like to be called "Abe" and only his stepmother was the one who "Abraham"). This just could have been so much better considering they turned it into a miniseries which does give me hope because it would have been a perfect place to start is talking and show the kidnapping plot and how Booth recruited has Conspiracy Band. Also how the band broke up when the war ended and also I don't like how they portrayed David Harold (they made him out to be more self confident and competent than he really was; in real life he was kinda of seen as not that bright and did whatever Booth said). Again I'm hoping it gets better.

Man, this show about tracking down Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth was kind of a snoozefest. You'd think with such a dramatic historical event as the backdrop, they could've cooked up a more exciting cat-and-mouse chase. But instead, Manhunt feels super drawn out and sluggish.

If you're a hardcore history buff who geeks out on the Lincoln assassination, maybe you'll like all the period minutiae. For the rest of us, Manhunt is just a plodding, tedious missed opportunity to really dramatize and modernize this famous pursuit for the TV audience. Not the worst show ever, but definitely a bit of a snoozer.

I am five episodes in and hooked. I have no quibbles with the casting, I think it is excellent. Especially Lincoln. Not the stereotypical choice, which I find refreshing. The cat and mouse between Stanton and the cabal around Booth, plus the shenanigans of Johnson and the Wall Street Crowd are fascinating. The time jumping of scenes is a but off-putting, but I think it serves the story well. There were so many facets to this story that a linear telling would lose a lot of context that helps to illuminate the characters and their motivations. Sets, costumes, and scenery seem authentic. One of the best historical depictions in recent memory.

If you enjoy period pieces and/or procedural dramas and you don't mind a bit of a slow burn, you'll probably enjoy this series. Tobias Menzies is excellent (and does a really good American accent), even if he doesn't have the truly glorious beard the real Edwin Stanton had. Anthony Boyle is absolutely despicable as Booth, as he should be. Every scene with Lovie Simone is so tense and beautifully acted that I can't really take my eyes off the screen when she's on it.

As other reviewers have mentioned, there are of course historical inaccuracies. Duh. Every movie or series based on historical events has inaccuracies. If that bothers you to the point of distraction, then perhaps you should stick to documentaries. As for Lincoln's voice, which a lot of reviewers seem to find downright offensive, historian and Lincoln-enthusiast Harold Holzer has said that Lincoln was almost certainly a tenor based on contemporary accounts. Some who heard Abe speak even described his voice as high and shrill. It may be a bit jarring the first time you hear it, but Linklater's voice at least is consistent with contemporary descriptions of Lincoln's.

I also just genuinely don't know what the complaint about casting is. So what if some of these actors are better known for comic roles? They're definitely not playing their roles comically here. I don't find anyone particularly miscast.

This show is fine. It's not going to go down in the books as the greatest series ever, or even one of my favorites. But holy canoli, it's so much better than the majority of reviews are giving it credit for.