Death by Lightning, a new four-part miniseries on Netflix , is a period piece that plays like a 19th-century version of The West Wing . It's full of political intrigue and unexpected betrayals — focusing on an elected representative whose desire is to do right and do good, no matter how many obstacles are in the way.

James Garfield, played by the always intense Michael Shannon , brings his intensity to Garfield's public oratory. But at home, his Garfield is a gentle, loving husband, father and farmer — an unlikely person to rise to the top in the snake pit of national government in the 1880s.

Equally unlikely to achieve any level of success is Charles Guiteau, another character from humble beginnings. Guiteau, though, is a lot less noble than Garfield, and a lot less humble. I

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