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.

Menzies, as always, is excellent, as are most of the cast. But as much as I love Patton Oswalt, he isn't well suited to a historical drama. A couple of other minor character actors similarly detracted.

Many of the expressions used in the writing ("consider me Switzerland," "don't get me wrong," as just two examples) and open discussion of a homosexual relationship in court were wholly out of place for a dramatization of historical events from the 1860s. I found it distracting, and fairly surprising that a production of this caliber hadn't had a better copy editor.

Side note: great costuming.

I don't know much about this historical event which is why I'm not picking apart the historical inaccuracies like many reviewers but I do know a lot about horse drawn vehicles and noticed a few mistakes like driving on the wrong sides of the road and using the wrong type vehicle for the weather and occasion but other than that I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I can't understand why so many people are criticizing the casting. I find it interesting because instead of choosing actors who might "suit" the characters better, they seemed to have purposefully avoided those stereotypes allowing the characters to be much more human and easy to empathize with. Great costumes!! As for the dialogue, once again, it is more contemporary but allows us to relate to the story instead of being distracted but the unfamiliar speech patterns and mid 19th century vocabulary.

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.

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.