If there is one thing guaranteed to start an argument on social media, it is the question of whether historical accuracy is more important than actors from various diverse backgrounds being able to earn a wage and pay their bills. Netflix’s current number one show, the phenomenal Death by Lightning, is the latest show to be branded “woke” by online crusaders after featuring scenes with Black and Asian actors among the extras out of historical context.
Death by Lightning has only briefly left the top spot on 
Netflix since its debut, and tells the compelling story of the events which led to the assassination of James Garfield, one of the most reluctant and potentially the greatest presidents in U.S. history. While the four-part miniseries has been gaining rave reviews and educated a whole generation on just who James Garfield was, some have taken issue with several background characters being portrayed by diverse actors, as, according to them, the chance of seeing multiple Blacks and Asians in a Chicago crowd in 1880 was “statistically as likely as seeing a UFO on your morning commute.”
The post, shared by YouTuber Craig Richard Skistimas, points out that in one scene includes a Chinese woman “dressed like an upper-class socialite, casually walking beside a Black guy in 1880. Let’s be clear, this would be impossible.” He goes on to point out that at the time the show is set there “would have been maybe 5 Chinese women in the entire city, none mingling publicly.”
Based on an accumulation of Black and Asian faces in the crowd, and adding in a one-legged man, Skistimas comes up with the conclusion that the chances of this being an accurate depiction of the times is around 1 in 2.4 million – so technically not impossible, then – and “Netflix didn’t just bend history – they straight up violated statistics.”
Diversity vs Historical Accuracy Is a Contentious Issue
If there is anything likely to spark outrage at the drop of a hat, then diverse casting in historical TV shows and movies is very high on the list. It is now several years since Jodie Turner-Smith’s appearance as Anne Boleyn in a British drama about the second wife of Henry VIII received a huge wave of backlash, as did the casting of a Black Cleopatra, which had Egyptians enraged. The adaption of history to allow actors from diverse backgrounds, as well as those with disabilities or from LGBTQ+ groups, to not be excluded is still something certain groups cannot simply let pass by some.
However, the issue is not limited to projects based on historical events or diverse characters appearing where none would have. Emerald Fennell’s new take on Wuthering Heights was slammed for the casting of Jacob Elordi as Emily Brontë’s “dark-skinned” Heathcliff, with many accusing the director of “whitewashing” the role. There are also those who will take the argument into “what-if” territory and argue that no one would ever cast Michael Caine in the role of Nelson Mandela – something that is actually hard to counter.
In the end, even shows like Death by Lightning, which are set in a certain point of history, are now subject to the same kind of colorblind casting as most other productions. Perhaps the biggest question that needs to be asked is whether anyone spending that much time scrutinizing extras in crowd scenes is really engaged in the actual story being told, or simply looking to point fingers on a subject they know is controversial and worth some lucrative clicks?
- Release Date
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2025 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Matt Ross
- Writers
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Mike Makowsky