Summary
Tobias Menzies shines as Manhunt’s imperfections don’t allow the series to develop to its full potential.
PGA and WGA nominated writer/producer Monica Beletsky has adapted James L. Swanson’s book Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer into a seven-part limited series for Apple TV+. The story of Manhunt, which is part historical fiction and part conspiracy thriller, follows the aftermath of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination by John Wilkes Booth.
Apple TV+’s Manhunt follows President Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of war and friend, Edwin Stanton, who tries to uncover what happened in the assassination of the President while protecting the ideas of the Lincoln Reconstruction plan.
The story intertwines the tales of two men, one being John Wilkes Booth and the other being Stanton. First, we step into the shoes of Booth and the moments leading up to his killing of President Lincoln. It gives us a behind-the-scenes look at Booth’s plan, the execution of the assassination, and the aftermath of his being on the run.
Then, we step into the shoes of Stanton, who was in charge of hunting down John Wilkes Booth and anyone associated with him for murdering President Lincoln. The other tall task Stanton had was ensuring that new President Johnson continued the fight to keep the Emancipation Proclamation on the path to free the slaves.
Whether it’s reenactments, documentaries, or drama series, the story of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination has been told many times throughout the years. Of course, the difference here is the uncertainty of knowing what is real, what is a conspiracy, and what is written to deliver more dramatic television.
Monica Beletsky and her team of writers wrote a solid enough thriller that keeps you interested through each episode. However, the tension they built could’ve worked much better had this been four to five installments instead of seven. With each episode hitting around 50 minutes, the series feels like an absolute slog. The show struggles mightily with its pacing, which may take some people out.
Tobias Menzies is the primary reason to watch this show. Edwin Stanton was responsible for hunting down John Wilkes Booth while preserving President Lincoln’s desire to fix the country. Menzies commands your attention through the care for his approach to Stanton, making you invest in his actions. His counterpoint, Anthony Boyle, is as strong as John Wilkes Booth, even though I felt the writing let him down several times.
Manhunt has more positives than negatives
Although Manhunt is set in the late 1800s, it doesn’t feel like it. Most period pieces do a great job of setting the mood and vibe for the era, but this series doesn’t. Sure, you get the good costumes and set pieces, but never once outside the slavery aspect of the show did I feel like I was fully immersed in the 1800s. It was an underwhelming aspect that didn’t land.
Ultimately, the good aspects of Manhunt in the cast, highlighted by Tobias Menzies, and an often well-balanced script, lead me to give this a slight recommendation. It’s not the perfect series, but Monica Beletsky provides a unique perspective to a story we’ve seen told many times before. Regardless of whether certain aspects are true, you will walk away asking more questions, which is never a bad thing.
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