During the execution, the prisoner's legs and hair are shown to be on fire. When the prisoner is shown immediately after the power is turned off, there are no flames and almost no smoke, and no one had the opportunity or the means to extinguish the flames.
This series is supposed to take place during the post World War II era. The use of lethal injection did not take place in the United States until 1977. California never implemented the use of the electric chair. The method of execution used in California was the gas chamber until lethal injection was authorized for use in 1993.
When an execution occurs by way of the electric chair, the condemned prisoner has their head shaved completely bald and a wet sponge is placed between the crown of the head and the electrode cap. This provides for a better electrical pathway during the execution.
A plot point centered on whether an execution would be carried out by lethal injection or the electric chair. At the time this series took place, California only conducted executions by lethal gas.
Gov. Wilburn flips a switch to electrocute a condemned man around 1949-1950. California never used the electric chair. Prior to the electrocution, lethal injection was discussed but lethal injection was not used in California until 1993. From 1937 to 1992, California used gas for executions except in 1942 when they hanged a man.
Edmund is executed by lethal injection, which was first proposed in the 1880s, first adopted by Oklahoma in 1977, and first used by Texas in 1982. Nurse Bucket describes the plan for the injection to consist of two drugs.There are 3-drug and single drug protocols for lethal injection currently used, depending on the state. The first lethal injection execution in the US used one drug.
The newspaper page at 2:24 with the execution date has another subtitle in a different font "Large Support for Statue dedicated to Northern California War", but the text is about horse blankets and beach cleanliness that repeats itself.
Mildred tries to persuade the governor to execute Edmund by the less brutal method of lethal injection rather than the electric chair. The story takes place in the 1940s, but lethal injection was not used as a method of execution in the U.S. until 1982. California did not execute anyone that way until 1993. An inmate is shown being electrocuted. It is not clear where the execution is taking place, but California's only electric chair was housed at San Quentin, and it was never used.
In season 1 ep 8, nurse Bucket explains the step by step method of lethal injection to Mildred Ratched. The series takes place in 1947 California. The first execution by lethal injection in that state was in 1996.
Around minute 10 Nurse Bucket explains Mildred how the execution of Edmund will take place and then goes describing the Lethal Injection procedure. California adopted that method in April 21, 1992. From 1937 to 1967 the Gas Chamber was the sole method of execution used except for two hangings of persons that had already been sentenced.
There are several reverences to execution by lethal injection. A practice that was first use in the US in 1977. Ratched takes place circa 1947.