The Big Picture

• Tobias Menzies shines as Edwin Stanton in Apple TV+'s Manhunt, a historical drama about Lincoln's assassination.
• Manhunt focuses not only on Lincoln's death, but also on the forgotten historical figures involved in catching Booth.
• Menzies's performance as Stanton offers a compelling portrayal of a grief-stricken politician seeking justice.

From an English royal to a wicked British soldier in Scotland during the Jacobite uprising, as well as an heir to the prominent Tully family, Tobias Menzies has been featured in critically acclaimed series such as The Crown, Outlander, and Game of Thrones, but has always been more of a supporting presence on-screen. Although he's previously inhabited profound, complicated characters who never get to be the hero, Menzies finally gets that opportunity in Apple TV+'s Manhunt. The new miniseries follows the 12-day hunt for John Wilkes Booth after his successful assassination of President Abraham Lincoln — and Menzies plays the man leading the search, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

Manhunt is a gripping political thriller and historical drama that narrows in on one of American history's defining moments. It also offers a fuller picture of the events that transpired around Lincoln's assassination, shining a light on the key figures who helped catch Booth but are not often remembered nor acknowledged. Alongside Menzies, the cast features many prominent actors, including Anthony Boyle as John Wilkes Booth, Hamish Linklater as Abraham Lincoln, Patton Oswalt as Lafayette Baker, Brandon Flynn as Edwin Stanton Jr., and Lovie Simone as Mary Simms. All play crucial figures partaking in the manhunt, but Menzies leads the engaging and suspenseful cat-and-mouse chase.

What Is 'Manhunt' About?

Manhunt is a historical drama that covers the true story behind the days leading up to, during, and following President Lincoln's assassination on April 15, 1865, just five days after the Civil War ended. The series is based on the novel Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase to Catch Lincoln's Killer, written by James L. Swanson. Following the motivation behind Booth's assassination of the president, the story reveals how he and a group of co-conspirators also planned the attempted assassinations of Vice President Andrew Johnson (Glenn Morshower) and Secretary of State William H. Seward (Larry Pine). A famous actor himself, Booth snuck into Ford's Theater during a performance Lincoln was attending and shot the president in his private box before jumping onto the stage and then fleeing on horseback. He broke his leg during the dangerous stunt and was at a disadvantage for the rest of the hunt — which is then what the series goes on to focus on, with Stanton leading the chase.

Manhunt's episodes are an intense account of not only Lincoln's murder, but the people who were working in partnership with Booth in attempts to kill the Vice President and Secretary of State. The attempted assassinations are often not discussed, nor as well known as Lincoln's assassination, but they're just as vital in understanding the events that took place that night. Simultaneously, by telling much of the story from Stanton's perspective, it grounds the narrative, as the Secretary of War discovers crucial information about the plot to kill the president while hunting Booth in real-time.

'Manhunt' Focuses on Tobias Menzies' Edwin Stanton

As a close friend of Lincoln's before his death, this chase becomes personal for Stanton as he seeks to avenge his confidant and mentor. Manhunt provides various flashbacks leading up to Lincoln's assassination, highlighting the work Lincoln and Stanton collaborated on as the Civil War came to an end. Stanton was one of Lincoln's greatest supporters and one of the most powerful political figures fighting for change in America. While Lincoln breathed his last on his deathbed, Stanton reportedly uttered one of the most famous lines surrounding the assassination, which the series includes: “Now he belongs to the angels.” The quote has been cemented in historical lore and has been a topic of debate, as some argue Stanton said "ages," while in Swanson's novel, he quoted it as "angels." Menzies’ treatment of the line is such a subtle reading that its impact is much larger, as it showcases the sorrow all Americans felt at the time.

Menzies has played complicated, flawed men his whole career. In Outlander, he inhabited one of the most notorious television villains in recent years as the sadistic Captain Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, and then also gave a nuanced, Emmy-Award winning performance as an aging Prince Phillip in Netflix's The Crown. A prominent film and theater actor as well, he has been steadily creating unforgettable characters in supporting performances, but too often finds himself adjacent to the spotlight. In Manhunt, Menzies finally gets to assume command over a series as an intense politician battling grief while seeking retribution — and shines as a leading man by extension. Though Manhunt is about Lincoln's assassination, it is also very much Edwin Stanton's story. Stanton was instrumental in aiding the North during the Civil War and helped lead the Union to victory alongside Lincoln. Menzies's understated performance of anger that then turns into obsession is captivating, and he becomes lost in the madness of a nation grieving its former president while tracking a killer.

Opposite Menzies is a transformed Anthony Boyle, who recently starred in the massive Apple TV+ limited series Masters of the Air. In Manhunt, he could not be more different as the racist, narcissistic actor John Wilkes Booth. Boyle is menacing and disturbing, sinking into the notorious assassin's skin complete with distinct hair and mustache. After Lincoln's assassination occurs in the first episode, Manhunt transforms into a thrilling chase that bears a resemblance to iconic cat-and-mouse films such as The Fugitive, and the audience is allowed to view both sides of this hunt as one man attempts to evade capture by the other.

'Manhunt' Also Spotlights Overlooked Historical Figures

In his many memorable speeches to both political figures and suspects, Menzies offers equal parts compassion and coldness as Stanton, something that has been a strength of his during his entire acting career to date. He has been able to play the hero, and he has been able to play the villain. Here, Menzies embraces playing an unorthodox detective who demands justice, an instantly likable good guy.

Stanton by no means caught Booth alone, and of the episodes released so far, the series reveals other historical figures who put themselves on the line to seek some kind of justice so that Lincoln's death wasn't in vain. These include commanding performances by Lovie Simone as the enslaved Mary Simms and Patton Oswalt as Lafayette Baker, who both contributed to Booth's capture and the trial of his co-conspirators in essential supporting roles.

Most of the attention around Lincoln's death has always lingered on the assassination itself, and the shocking way in which Booth killed Lincoln in Ford's Theater. But Manhunt aims to adjust that view by telling the stories of the many other players who assisted in apprehending an infamous assassin. As the series' lead, Menzies gives a powerful performance as an oft-forgotten political figure who caught one of America’s most notorious killers.

Manhunt premiered on March 15 with its first two episodes. New episodes will follow weekly on Fridays on Apple TV+.

Watch on Apple TV+