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SPOILER ALERT: This article analyzes the plot twists of the premiere episode of “Manhunt.”
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln was one of the biggest turning points in American history, and the new Apple TV+ series “Manhunt” examines the behind-the-scenes drama of a wartime government plunged into further chaos. Edwin Stanton (Tobias Menzies) leads the series as Lincoln’s close confidant and secretary of war, who goes on a mission to track down John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle) after he shoots President Lincoln (Hamish Linklater). The seven-episode series is based on executive producer James L. Swanson’s nonfiction book “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer,” and episodes will be released weekly after the first two debuted on March 15. .
Variety spoke with “Manhunt” creator, executive producer and writer Monica Beletsky about striving for accuracy while still telling an exciting story, the importance of depicting Lincoln’s violent death and bringing proper hygiene to television. epoch.
What was your initial research process for “Manhunt”?
First, I came across the figure of Edwin Stanton, and that was my way in. I thought it was such a fascinating dramatic situation for a main character who essentially stood in for the president between the assassination and Andrew Johnson the next day. During those 12 hours, we didn’t have any conscious president, so everything fell on his shoulders. When I learned that he was also a close colleague of Lincoln’s, that they shared the loss of children, and that he had asthma in a time before medicine, I thought he was a very rich figure for a leading role. So my idea was to tell the story through him as a cat and mouse thriller with Booth.
The book is non-fiction and Mr. Swanson documents in great detail the night of Booth’s murder and escape, as well as the soldiers surrounding Booth. I used pretty much all of that research in the show. I was lucky that the book was available when I came up with the idea of telling the story through Stanton.
But it was a starting point for me to do this cat-and-mouse structure and bring in more conspiracy theories around the Lincoln assassination, like we’ve seen with the JFK assassination. I didn’t realize how many conspiracy circles there were, so mentioning it was important. It was also important to me to show the unsung African American heroes of history and women.
Which conspiracy theory was the craziest you found?
There is a theory called the Dahlgren Affair, according to which Lincoln, possibly Stanton, or both approved an attempt to assassinate Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president. Since he was the brains of the Confederacy (and the war lasted so long and was so brutal), they wanted a quick end. It is possible that the failed attempt to assassinate Davis gave Booth or the conspirators around him the idea to do the same to Lincoln.
In the first episode, we see Lincoln get shot and there is a lot of blood. He is very visceral. What was your process when considering how graphic you wanted this pivotal scene to be?
I’m very sensitive to violence and horror, but I felt it was really important to show how gruesome this murder was and how cowardly it was to shoot someone in the back when they can’t defend themselves. Plus, I was fascinated to learn that it was a time before we understood bacteria and viruses, before doctors even washed their hands. The fact that Lincoln essentially bled to death, that’s how he really died. They didn’t really operate on him, even though they brought in three surgeons. So I wanted to hit people viscerally with what Stanton was dealing with, and I remember a moment in the mix where I asked to pick up the bloody towel. just a little bit, because I think it was a horrible way to die. It was important so that you could understand why Stanton would want so much to avenge his death, to the point of sacrificing much of his own life.
Compared to many historical dramas, the world of “Manhunt” seems period-specific in terms of hygiene, sets and costumes that seem lived-in and rough, not pristine and elegant. What was behind the decision to take this approach?
There are very few photographs (photography was just beginning), but there is a photo of the bed where Lincoln died. You can see blood on the pillow and it caught my attention: because very few photos at that time were domestic or criminal. These were mainly portraits of important people. So I was struck by the fact that they took the time to do it.
It was interesting to learn that people actually only had a couple of pairs of clothes and they wore them in rotation. Also, at that time beards were modern and fashionable thanks to Lincoln, but also because razors had not evolved as much. A man could get sick and die if he cut himself with a razor, so it was a very vulnerable time in terms of cleanliness and hygiene. There is a rawness in what people were experiencing.
What was the most challenging part of filming this sweeping historical drama?
It was a very ambitious project, and a lot of things were challenging, but also really exciting, because it’s a great opportunity, especially as a woman, to do something on this scale and be able to delve into the characters for so many hours. . It’s a huge cast, because Booth is on the run, so in each episode, she would have to cast new roles because she meets new people along the way. So that was a challenge. And the weather in Savannah – we were there during hurricane season, so we had a lot of weather delays.
But I think making sure, with so many characters, that emotionally would be worth it. That the audience would be interested and care about so many people, and that I could afford to travel through so many different walks of life.
Would you like to tackle another historical thriller in the future?
It depends on the story. I am attracted to things that, when I know the relationship or central idea, move me. It feels relevant. That’s where I start, and if it happens during the Depression or some other time, then maybe. But if it’s contemporary, I might like it too. It’s really about the character and then I would go from there. But I don’t want to pigeonhole myself and just be The Story Girl.
What interesting fact did you learn about Lincoln that didn’t appear on the show?
At home I wore goat slippers – Hamish and I joke about goat slippers all the time. Our costume designer, Katie Irish, got us copies of them. I don’t think we’ll ever get a shot that goes all the way to her feet, but I thought it was lovely.
Also, how witty and folksy he was, and how the arts sustained him through such difficult times. One of the times Stanton got mad at him was because they were supposed to have an important war meeting and Lincoln insisted on reading them Shakespeare or something at the meeting. Stanton said, “Come on!” – So I think there was something very charming in his fantasy.
This interview has been edited and condensed. Watch the trailer for “Manhunt” below.
