The search for John Wilkes Booth continues on Apple TV's limited series Manhunt, with the episode "Let the Sheep Flee" focusing on the political landscape of the early days after the war. Andrew Johnson gives Stanton an ultimatum to find Booth or forget him, as he wants wins in his first days as President. Stanton's efforts to catch Booth take a toll on his health, and he is remanded to bed rest after a nasty asthma attack. A violent confrontation between Black Union soldiers and white locals near Stanton's home occurs, and Stanton rushes to the scene. When one of the soldiers offers a possible lead, Stanton jumps full force into the investigation, even if he faces threats from his wife to leave him. His single-mindedness and questioning methods are questionable, but he makes progress on "Let the Sheep Flee," even at the cost of his health and family. By the end of the episode, Stanton is closer to finding another conspirator who could lead to him, and his team cracks the code that should expose the Confederate network Booth needs as a fugitive. The progress on the search for Booth is the most significant development on the episode, but it is just one of many developments that happen on "Let the Sheep Flee." The episode also explores the political landscape of the early days after the war, highlighting some of the racism among non-Confederates that is missing from Manhunt Season 1 Episode 1, "Pilot," and "Post-Mortem." However, the believable events in the confrontation feel too modern and inauthentic, and the creative license of the series is too expansive for historical fiction. Manhunt is a series based on actual events in US history, focusing on significant events that have shaped who we are today and continue to impact modern politics. The series aims to remain faithful to the political and cultural tensions of the time and the people involved, addressing the increasingly antagonistic relationship between Stanton and Johnson in an authentic way. However, the series can be undercut by scenes like the confrontation with the soldiers and flashbacks with Lincoln, which change the nature of these men's relationships in a way that doesn't stay true to the dynamics between them. The best moments of the series thus far focus on Stanton's search for Booth, Booth's time as a fugitive, unraveling the conspiracy, and Stanton's interactions with Johnson. These scenes are gripping and excellently executed, even if they stray too far thematically from the truth.
3 Reviews
"Let the Sheep Flee"
allmoviesfan17 May 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Good acting and pacing throughout this episode, with a couple of very interesting flashbacks. Hamish Linklater continues to impress as Lincoln.
Stanton is fighting battles on multiple fronts as he tries to push through Lincoln's idea of Reconstruction, but he meets some significant headwinds along the way, including from the President himself. He's still on the hunt for Booth, who is holed up in Maryland, whilst a hotbed of Confederate spies has gathered in Montreal of all places. The search is clearly taking it's toll on Stanton, who is supposed to be on at least a month's worth of bed rest under orders from his doctor due to asthma-related issues and it's fair to say that Mrs Stanton is unimpressed when her husband basically ignores those orders.
Stanton is fighting battles on multiple fronts as he tries to push through Lincoln's idea of Reconstruction, but he meets some significant headwinds along the way, including from the President himself. He's still on the hunt for Booth, who is holed up in Maryland, whilst a hotbed of Confederate spies has gathered in Montreal of all places. The search is clearly taking it's toll on Stanton, who is supposed to be on at least a month's worth of bed rest under orders from his doctor due to asthma-related issues and it's fair to say that Mrs Stanton is unimpressed when her husband basically ignores those orders.
Episode 3
bobcobb30128 March 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I feel like this should have been a total binge release drop and not weekly, but what can you do? This has inspired me and a lot of others to do some research on the Lincoln Assasination and everything around that time period.
This was a little shaky for me, it did drag at points, but it still remains a much easier watch for me than a lot of other shows that are less long right now.
It just seemed like they glossed over a lot of things too quickly including the former enslaved family getting land. This should have been a slow build to make that payoff mean even that much more when we saw it.
This was a little shaky for me, it did drag at points, but it still remains a much easier watch for me than a lot of other shows that are less long right now.
It just seemed like they glossed over a lot of things too quickly including the former enslaved family getting land. This should have been a slow build to make that payoff mean even that much more when we saw it.
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