Though Garfield doesn’t die immediately, the real villain is 19th-century medicine itself. His doctors, led by Dr. Bliss (Željko Ivanek), refuse antiseptic methods and probe the wound with unwashed fingers and instruments.

Netflix’s newest historical drama traces Garfield’s remarkable rise to power — and the man who snuffed it out. That man was Charles J. Guiteau. It’s a show about power and pride, and the deadly voltage of obsessive ambition fused with insanity.

Mike Makowsky had spent months working on obtaining permission from the government to see the real thing, so perhaps it’s not all that surprising that the new Netflix limited series he’s created,

Death by Lightning’ follows the unplanned election of President James Garfield, as well as his untimely death in 1881

The new limited series dramatizes the brief tenure of the 20th commander in chief, who was fatally shot by Charles J. Guiteau, a lawyer who believed he'd secured Garfield's election

Netflix's new miniseries explains how James A. Garfield's ambitions to reform America and stop corruption were cut short when Charles Guiteau shot and killed him.

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are among the executive producers on the four-part James Garfield drama also featuring Betty Gilpin and Nick Offerman.