The evening of April 14, 1865 would go down in history because around 10:15 p.m. John Wilkes Booth shot the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, in the head with a Deringer muzzle-loading pistol. It is one of the most famous and at the same time most infamous attacks in modern human history.
With “After the Assassination” you will soon be able to watch a true crime series on Apple TV+, which is dedicated to the assassination and its effects in a total of seven episodes. We were already able to watch the show and tell you why you should also go on a journey through time to one of the most exciting periods in US history.
By the way, in our series preview we are focusing on the first two episodes. So if you aren't too familiar with the historical background, you don't have to be afraid of big spoilers of the exciting plot.
Thus always to tyrants!
When dealing with the historical events, the creators are based on the 2006 non-fiction book “Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer” by James L. Swanson. As the title suggests, the focus is primarily on the hunt for Booth. However, the creators of the series also weave other events into the narrative.
The opening of the Apple TV+ show is particularly exciting, in which we see how John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle) prepares his escape before sneaking into the Ford Theater and getting into position at the presidential box. As the audience looks at the stage, the shot is almost lost in the laughter.
Before he escapes from the theater, he shouts the famous words “Sic semper tyrannis!” on stage, which roughly translates as “May it always be like this for tyrants!” means. An exclamation that is not historically proven, but has established itself as Booth's most popular sentence.
It's one of several small historical inaccuracies in the new Apple TV+ show. For example, what exactly Booth is said to have said after the attack is not 100% guaranteed, as eyewitnesses probably gave different statements. But this would probably only bother real history lovers.
Lincoln (Hamish Linklater) himself died on April 15, 1865 at 7:22 a.m. The search for the assassin had already begun that night, but it was only after the president's death was made public that the pursuit of the perpetrator really gained momentum. It would take a total of twelve days before the police were able to catch Booth.