Will Death by Lightning Season 2 happen? Possibilities explored

Death by Lightning has been drawing viewers since its release. The limited series, which debuted on November 6, 2025, presented the real-life events of President James Garfield (played by Michael Shannon) and his killer, Charles Guiteau (played by Matthew Macfadyen).

Together with creator Mike Makowsky, executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss made this tragedy into popular media.

But now that the four-episode period drama has run its course, fans are asking the question: Will we get a Season 2?

What's the update on Death by Lightning Season 2?

Let's get one thing out of the way: Netflix officially labeled Death by Lightning as a limited series. That means, by design, it was created to tell a single, self-contained story. There were no cliffhangers or mid-season mysteries that were left unsolved. It was a complete arc chronicling Garfield's rise, reign, and end.

The streamer hasn't announced any renewal plans yet, and the odds aren't sunny. Netflix tends to measure the success of such shows through viewership numbers and completion rates before even considering a sequel or spin-off.

So far, Death by Lightning has impressed on both fronts, with strong audience reception and glowing critical reviews (holding a 7.8 IMDb score and an 88% Rotten Tomatoes rating). However, the show's title does make things final.

The phrase that acts as the show's title is drawn from Garfield's words:

"Assassination can no more be guarded against than death by lightning."

Still, there's hope. Netflix has a track record of "limited series" that later morphed into multi-season hits (like Big Little Lies). If the viewership storm continues, a creative follow-up could very well take shape.

What Death by Lightning Season 2 could explore if Netflix defies history

If lightning does strike twice, there's fertile ground for Season 2.

While Season 1 focused on Garfield's ill-fated presidency, Season 2 could open another chapter in America's presidential lore, maybe like Rutherford B. Hayes, aka Garfield's Republican predecessor.

Hayes and Garfield are actually somewhat similar. Both were Ohio-born war veterans, both reform-minded Republicans, and both figures in America's post-Civil War identity crisis. Just that Hayes, unlike Garfield, died of natural causes. But his presidency faced its own thunderstorm of corruption and reform battles.

A second season could be about the transition of power and the evolving American democracy in the late 19th century.

There's another option as well, we think. Maybe this thread could reinvent itself as an anthology series (like American Crime Story) with each season featuring a different president whose legacy was shaped by fate. Imagine Season 2 titled Death by Scandal or Death by Betrayal. History has no shortage of political tempests!

Beyond plot potential, the creative team remains a draw. Showrunner Mike Makowsky's tone, paired with Benioff and Weiss's power plays, has made this period drama as grand as it is psychologically layered.

The cast (Shannon, Macfadyen, and Betty Gilpin) has been praised, too. So that might be more incentive for Netflix to consider developing the universe.

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As of now, all episodes of Death by Lightning are on Netflix.

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