Manhunt - Miniseries

In Manhunt, Edwin Stanton (Tobias Menzies) gets a little too much credit. Manhunt is a solid story about what happens after the assassination of President Lincoln. The hunt for the murderer John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle), but also the political consequences, are extensively covered. It shows a turbulent period that has not received much attention, certainly not in television series. This miniseries therefore offers an excellent opportunity to brush up on your knowledge of this history.

It is not spectacular, but it is historically responsible.

The miniseries also provides insight into the run-up to the assassination via flashbacks. The political interests between the North and the South also play a major role after the Civil War. That jousting and the influence of powerful people from both camps makes for interesting television. One of the things that has received less attention is that the assassination of Lincoln is not an isolated incident. Other important politicians were also killed or wounded. The assassination by John Wilkes Booth was part of a larger conspiracy. Manhunt illustrates this well.



On the other hand, Manhunt tells the story of the hunt for the perpetrators. It is not just about John Wilkes Booth, but about various perpetrators who are involved in the events of that evening that led to Lincoln's death. However, do not expect spectacular chases and exciting denouements. The pace of the story is quite slow. All the time is taken to tell the story as historically correct as possible. It is clear that the pace of that time is different from that of today. The fact that the necessary liberties have been taken to dramatize the story is also because not everything is known. The transfer of what actually happened is known in broad outline, but specific events are more difficult to find.

The patriotism is palpable.

My biggest problem with Manhunt is the role given to Edwin Stanton. He is indeed the Secretary of War and responsible for hunting down the perpetrators. Stanton is depicted in the series as Lincoln's conscience. There is actually no evidence of this. In fact, the relationship between the two would have been rather difficult. However, Stanton was just as dogged in real life as he is in the series. The disease from which he dies is not easy to find, but could be true. Furthermore, it is annoying that Stanton is depicted as a kind of hero who interferes in everything and always fights for the best of the country. The patriotism is palpable.



Manhunt is a historically responsible look at the events surrounding the assassination of Lincoln. The story is slow but well-illustrated. By following the historical lines so closely, the makers have made concessions to the pace of the story. It is not spectacular, but it is historically responsible. Manhunt scores well on the latter in particular, in my opinion. Unfortunately, Edwin Stanton's role is so exaggerated that it largely negates the actual events.