MANHUNT Recap: Useless (Season 1 Episode 6)

Manhunt Season 1 Episode 6, “Useless,” opens with Stanton (Tobias Menzies) walking slowly through a wooded area with a gun primed and held in front of him. He walks towards a lone horse, then steps up behind a tree and leans towards it with an uncharacteristic grin. On the other side of the tree, Booth (Anthony Boyle) waits, holding a pistol.

Booth wakes up in pain, still feverish, in a bed at the Garrett Farm. He tells Herold (Will Harrison) they need to get going, but Herold says Julia Garrett (Helene Henry) won’t lend them her horses.

She defers them to her absent father for permission to take the horses. He’ll be home soon, and she’s concerned about what he’ll think if he finds Booth and Herold in the main house. She tells them they have to move to the barn until he returns.

Booth tries to charm her, but it doesn’t work, although she does lend him her brother’s crutches. She walks them to the barn and locks them inside.

No Way Out

Herold begins to panic. He doesn’t believe the Garretts have any horses, and now he and Booth are locked in a barn. Booth refuses to believe there’s an issue and tells Herold about all the times he got out of scrapes, showing off his scars. Herold isn’t comforted.

In the lobby of the Star Hotel, a physician examines Stanton while Eddie (Brandon Flynn) and Eckert (Damian O’Hare) wait nearby. The doctor advises they don’t attempt to move him at all. After the doctor leaves, Eddie confides in Eckert his fear that Stanton will die.

In the barn, Booth muses out loud about the celebrations that will greet them in Richmond. Herold tells him there won’t be any celebrations, which annoys Booth. He tells him how his father wrote him off as “useless” when he asked to follow in his acting footsteps. Later, his mother read his fortune and believed he would do something great with his beautiful hands.

Herold points out that they’re locked in a barn, and the Union army is getting closer to finding them every minute. He’s disenchanted with Booth’s grand dreams of their future and isn’t going to sleep in case they are discovered.

Here Comes the Cavalry

Corbett (William Mark McCullough) leads the 16th Cavalry as they ride up to the Garrett farmhouse. They break down the door and raid the house, finding only Julia. Corbett threatens her with his gun, demanding she give up Booth. She gives him the key to the barn.

Herold hears the horses of the cavalry as they approach the barn. He reports to Booth that there are three cavalrymen outside. Booth insists they can take them. When Herold reassesses the situation to an entire calvary unit outside, Booth comments that he’s turning 27 next week.

The barn door opens, and Luther Baker (Kevin Patrick Murphy) demands they surrender. Booth refuses, challenging them to a duel for his freedom. Baker gives him five minutes to consider surrendering peacefully.

The cavalrymen close the barn doors again. Herold tries to convince Booth to surrender because they can’t outrun or outfight the army. Booth scoffs, reminding Herold that the army’s there for Lincoln’s killer, not some backwoods pharmacist’s assistant.

Herold points out there’s a bounty on his head, too. He wants Booth to tell them he had nothing to do with the assassination. Booth tells him to leave if that’s what he wants to do. When Herold tries to claim he didn’t do anything wrong, Booth calls him useless because he couldn’t do anything right either.

Smoke ‘Em Out

The colonel announces the time is up. Corbett asks him to order a charge into the barn. Instead, he orders the unit to smoke out the fugitives by setting small fires around the barn. Corbett asks why they can’t just rush in and overpower them. The colonel tells him his men have survived the war and are expected home alive this week. He won’t risk lives just to take Booth in.

Julia comes running up as they set fire to the roof of the barn. When she realizes Booth is still in the barn and it’s on fire, she demands they get him out. Corbett runs her off.

Inside the barn, Herold throws his gun on the ground at Booth’s feet and prepares to surrender. Booth opens the door and shouts to the calvary that Herold is innocent and that he, Booth, planned, executed, and escaped the assassination by himself. Herold exits the barn with his hands up and is quickly thrown to the ground and checked for weapons.

In the Star Hotel Lobby, Stanton regains consciousness. Eddie helps him sit up, and Eckhert informs him that Booth won’t surrender. Stanton insists on going to the Garrett Farm to make sure Booth is taken into custody alive. With difficulty, he is able to stand by leaning on Eddie. Eckert states they’ll take him in the wagon.

Herold protests that Booth’s gone mad. The colonel sends Herold in to convince Booth to come out on his own. He goes in and convinces Booth to stay alive a little longer. He can go to court or prison, but at least he won’t be dead.

Corbett Takes His Shot

Herold gets Booth onto his feet and leads the way out of the burning barn. From a knothole on the other side of the barn, Corbett sees Booth draw his weapon as he heads towards the door. Sticking his own weapon through the knothole, he fires and hits Booth.

David calls for help. Baker and the colonel come in and help carry Booth out of the barn. Booth is still conscious. David wants them to get a doctor. Corbett comes forward, claiming Booth was going to shoot, so he shot first. Baker’s irate because there’s no reward money for killing Booth.

Corbett asks where he hit Booth. When he learns the bullet hit him in the back of the head, just like Lincoln, he praises the fearsome God he serves.

They carry Booth to the farmhouse, but Julia won’t let them bring him inside. He bleeds out on the front porch, muttering the words, “Useless. Useless,” as he dies.

The Quicker Madman

Stanton, Eddie and Eckert arrive only to learn they’re too late. Baker fills them in on what happened. Stanton uncovers Booth’s face and tells him, “You’re no one now.”

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He orders Herold transported to D.C. and goes through the belongings found in the barn. He takes Booth’s diary. Turning to Eddie, he directs his son to dump Booth’s corpse in any random body of water once the coroner has made his report.

Because Booth craved notoriety, Stanton wants to make sure there is no grave, no marker, no place where he can be honored and remembered. He advises Eddie to take decoy corpses as well in case anyone follows him.

Courting Justice Strategically

Back in D.C., Stanton and Judge Joseph Holt (John Billingsley) await President Johnson (Glenn Morshower) and discuss how to explain the law to him. When Johnson arrives, they explain they’ll be trying the conspirators in a military court to prevent a jury from being emotionally swayed and acquitting. Furthermore, Holt and Stanton will choose the tribunal of military judges.

Johnson asks if his fears for his life will be laid to rest with the hanging of the conspirators. Holt informs him many key players have already fled or are still in hiding, including Confederate president Jefferson Davis (Craig Nigh). Stanton steps in and shares that they believe Davis was behind the assassination and want to charge him with a grand conspiracy alongside Sanders (Anthony Marble), Surratt (Joshua Mikel) and Booth.

Johnson agrees to the grand conspiracy charge but points out that if they’re going to present a successful court case, they’re going to need a star witness.

Mudd in the Water

In Bryantown, a minister asks several parishioners to come to discuss Dr. Mudd’s (Matt Walsh) trial with him. Nearby, Luther Baker speaks with Oswell Swann (Roger Payano). Swann refuses to testify at the tribunal, his retaliation for the law still considering him only 3/5 a man.

From his cell, Mudd addresses a group of his neighbors, asking them to act as character witnesses at his trial. One black man doesn’t offer to testify, and Mudd has a friend slip him a wad of cash to buy his testimony.

Stanton interrogates Herold, asking who put the idea of assassination into Booth’s head. Herold claims ignorance. He tells Stanton he was swept up in Booth’s friendship, that Booth made him believe he could accomplish anything, and that the friendship made him feel like he was part of something important.

“You ever met someone like that?” he asks Stanton. Stanton admits he has, and if Herold had warned them about the plot, his friend would still be alive.

Before Stanton leaves, Herold asks if he could have Booth’s diary. Stanton sighs and walks out.

The Grand Conspiracy

At the War Office, a picture of Jefferson Davis is added to the conspiracy board. Eckert arrives, reporting that Davis is reportedly in Georgia. The newspapers are running the story and publicizing the reward offered for his capture.

Eckert and Holt take the opportunity to talk to Stanton about his plan to push the grand conspiracy angle. It is ambitious, and without a clear connection between Booth and Davis, it will be a stretch to prove conspiracy. Holt is unsure they’ll be able to convince a tribunal that Davis ordered the assassination. Eckert lays out the evidence they have and deems it equivocal.

Stanton points out their enemies aren’t playing by established rules of conflict. He states they may need to take innovative routes themselves. He directs Eckert to testify that the Confederate code connection is more definitive than it is. Holt cautions him against failing out of obsession.

Stanton stands by his decision and states they will build the case for grand conspiracy. He takes a walk, leaving Holt, Eckert, and Eddie standing together. Holt pronounces Stanton delusional once he’s out of earshot, and Eckert asserts they’ll lose. Eddie reminds them his father is a world-class trial lawyer. He describes Stanton as the mastermind behind the trial who cares more about winning it than he did about winning the war.

The Hunt for Davis

In Irwinville, Georgia, Jefferson Davis hides out with his supporters, playing cards. A courier delivers a decoded message that a prime agent is in London and willing to send a ship to Savannah for them. They could escape into exile in the United Kingdom. Davis is unsatisfied with life on the run and believes they could wait in comfort overseas for America to fall back to the Confederate mindset.

Outside the camp, the courier is ambushed. A Union regiment moves into the camp. Davis tries to flee, his head covered with his wife’s shawl as a disguise but is captured.

In the Telegraph Office, Eckert receives a coded message from Irwinville confirming Davis’s capture. Stanton immediately sends a press release. The entire War Department celebrates, although Eckert still looks anxious.

The Question of Testifying

Stanton visits with Elizabeth Keckley (Betty Gabriel) at the Arlington Freedman’s Settlement Camp. She warns him the freed slaves need skills training, schools for their children and doctors. Stanton promises they’ll have the vote soon, and then conditions will improve. She thanks him and asks about the fundraiser. He says that Ellen’s (Anne Dudek) is gone for the season, but he’ll host it himself.

Stanton sits down with Mary (Lovie Simone) and asks her to testify against Dr. Mudd. She is reluctant. She tells him she just wants to pursue her happiness and doesn’t understand why that’s so difficult for people like her. He asks her to help him change things. He feels that her word should hold as much weight as any doctor. She considers this.

Not Down to Raisins Yet

In his office, Stanton reads Booth’s diary. Eckert comes to share that Davis was wearing his wife’s shawl when he was captured. Stanton remembers how Lincoln (Hamish Linklater) was ridiculed for wearing women’s clothes to avoid death threats in Baltimore. He directs Eckert to tell the press that Davis was apprehended wearing a dress.

Eddie and Luther Baker come in. The coroner has finished documenting Booth’s body. Baker asks about the reward money, but Stanton shuts him down and he leaves. Eddie looks at Booth’s diary in Stanton’s hands and asks if there’s anything in it that could stain his reputation. Stanton assures him there’s nothing to worry about.

Eddie leaves. Stanton walks to the fire, tears several pages out of the diary, and burns them. He tells Eckert to bring in Lafayette Baker (Patton Oswalt) and Conover (Josh Stewart) to help connect Davis and Booth.

Out in a boat, Eddie and Luther dump Booth’s body into the water. As per Stanton’s instructions, they also bury some decoy corpses.

Manhunt drops new episodes every Friday on Apple TV+.

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Diana Keng

Diana lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she invests her time and energy in teaching, writing, parenting, and indulging her love of all Trek and a myriad of other fandoms. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. You can also find her writing at The Televixen, Women at Warp, TV Fanatic, and TV Goodness.

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MANHUNT Recap: (S01E06) Useless