**Spoiler Alert This week's episode is about people and their eccentricities. It is about nepotism and vengeance and fame. It is about how truly dramatic theater people can be. This week, a deep-dive finale on America’s most infamous theatre kid, John Wilkes Booth. Who was the man who killed Lincoln? Why did Booth kill Lincoln? Who was John Wilkes Booth’s family? Grant and Maia untangle the Booth family’s glitter-and-grit dynasty, trace the chaotic manhunt that followed Lincoln’s murder, and reveal how one bullet reshaped Reconstruction, Black citizenship, and an entire century of civil-rights setbacks. Expect Shakespearean drama, accidental heroics, and the jaw-dropping “What-ifs” that still haunt U.S. history. Grab your popcorn and a strong drink—this is the ultimate backstage pass to the night that changed the nation. Plus, discover the bizarre ways Broadway tried to scrub the Booth name, the eerie coincidences that stalked Lincoln’s only surviving son, and why a broken leg and a tobacco barn became pivotal plot twists. By the end, you’ll never look at standing ovations or political assassinations, the same way again.

00:25:59 Final Act

00:40:44 From Idol to Extremist

01:02:10 Kidnap Plot

01:22:01 Name’s Curse

02:08:30 Barn Showdown

02:28:17 Reconstruction Upended

03:08:22 Age of Reconstruction

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