Handsomely made and impeccably cast, Death by Lightning is a quick history lesson about a forgotten era of American politics that is surprisingly still relevant. The miniseries’ only flaw is the story is too condensed. It attempts to explore civil service reform in a post-Civil War society, government cronyism, and the man and motive behind President Garfield’s (Michael Shannon) assassination. That’s way too much for four episodes. Afterwards, I rushed to Google to learn more, which is both a compliment and a complaint for a historical drama. Still, through the commanding performances, I was gripped by the political intrigue and left wondering what could have been.