‘Manhunt’ Recap: ‘Pilot’ & ‘Post-mortem’

3/15/2024

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Anthony Boyle as John Wilkes Booth in Episode 101 of ‘Manhunt’ – ‘Pilot’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Premiere of ‘Manhunt’.

It is definitely safe to say that Americans love to romanticize the formation and early days of the United States of America and understandably so. After all, there are a great deal of benefits to living in the old US of A, and much of that is thanks to the Founding Fathers, and those who fought to preserve this experiment in democracy in those tenuous early days, when it seemed the experiment might fail. After all, a Civil War is quite the big deal but even that… finds romanticization in American Culture. For the right side won and despite the losses, there’s a mantra that the essence of America inspired and prevailed and well… all of this is a touch problematic.

Because in reality, there’s not a lot of romance in the nation’s formative moments. For lots of blood was spilled to give rise to the nation, and the Civil War is no exception to that. Not to mention, it led to the death of an amazing president in Abraham Lincoln, and we tend to forget what brought about his passing and why we should study that in great detail. Because those shaky days can teach us a lot about where we are now as a nation and what we should be doing to preserve our union in another tenuous time in our nation’s history. If anything, that critical moment in America’s formation, and what truly helped it to play out, is top of mind today, simply because… it all serves as focal points in the brand-new limited series, Manhunt, on Apple TV+.

For this particular tale takes us back to April of 1865, on the day that President Abraham Lincoln met his end at the hands of one John Wilkes Booth, and unlike the history books, that do yes, make mention of this and its significance, ‘Pilot’ and ‘Post-mortem’, take the time to explore so much more. Such as the fact that this happened a mere five days following the unconditional surrender of the Confederacy to the Union, giving rise to real surprise over the fact that high ranking members of the United States Government were eager to get back to normal life so quickly. Until flashbacks and subtlety inform us of how badly peace was sought for during this era and that there was a real desperation to bring normalcy back to a fractured Union that was hurting.

Lili Taylor and Tobias Menzies as Mary Todd Lincoln and Edwin Stanton in Episode 102 of ‘Manhunt’ – ‘Post-mortem’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

Which obviously, didn’t happen right away because of Booth’s actions, and even that… receives great care in this story. Since we come to learn that Booth and others, were all involved in a plot to go after top officials of the United States Government and topple them as retribution for the South. Whose ideals were indeed alive and well mere days after the end of the war. Giving rise to some fascinating moments that express how tense the days following the end of the Civil War actually were and how so many still believed in what the South wanted to accomplish. To the point they were willing to do this and well… those revelations and Booth’s escape, add to the incredible nature of this story. Because just like that… he’s on the run and the nation’s first real major manhunt is underway.

A reality that will bring forth a refreshing story for certain. Since we didn’t spend much time in history class talking about the twelve days it took to find Booth, or what the nation looked like in the days following the assassination of a beloved president. But thanks to this series and its decision to look at history in the raw instead of through rose colored glasses, we will have that at last and we will be able to examine some fascinating parallels. For a lot of what we learn about Booth’s views and the views of Confederate sympathizers in this tale, resembles a lot of the rhetoric and ideology that is spreading about America now, centuries after this war. Which is why it is important to go this route when looking at history.

Because then, hard truths are exposed, the kind we can learn from and adapt from, and that is something we sorely need in America. Will this show of course, change all that? Probably not, but it is a good starting point, one that reminds us how history repeats itself. But that aside, it will also offer up a quality lesson through and through, about an era in history we don’t focus on enough in 2024 and need to. Because this was a critical time in our nation’s survival, and it will be fascinating to learn how Booth was brought to justice at a time where CCTV and cellular data didn’t exist and how exactly, a broken United States held itself together after inflicting such a harrowing wound upon itself. Until next time.

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