Manifest, The TV Series: Why is it Intriguing?

When NBC first released the trailer of Manifest, it has generated buzz quickly. The mystery that surrounds the plot had viewers intrigued and excited. For many, it reminds them of an all-time favorite TV series – Lost.

What is so special about this family melodrama? Keep on reading and we’ll dig deeper at some of the reasons why this is one of fall’s best offerings. By the time you are finished reading, you will be compelled to watch Manifest online from the many streaming services that are available. After that, it is up to you to decide whether it has lived up to its hype or it is just another series that is full of empty promises.

An Intriguing Storyline

Among others, one of the reasons why Manifest is special is the story. While it is not unique in the way that it involves a plane as one of its major story elements, the details are quite fascinating.

The story revolves around when a Montego Air 828 took off from Jamaica with 191 people. The plane landed in New York, but with a significant twist – five years after it took off from Jamaica. What made the situation weird was that none of the passengers have aged while their loved ones on the ground, who have been searching for their family for years, have aged. One family had to split two flights when they were in Jamaica. It was when they reconnected when things became complicated.

What exactly happened? Why did the plane land only after five years and the passengers did not seem to age a day when their loved ones in the ground have changed? Is it because of aliens? It is not for us to tell you what happened. That is the reason why you should watch it and find out what caused this mystery!

A Stellar Cast

More than the storyline, another thing that makes Manifest a special series is the fact that it has a stellar cast. It may not be an all-star cast, but the performances of the stars are sure to appeal to your emotion. There have been some criticisms about how brazenly emotional Manifest is, as written in a review from Variety. Despite this, however, if you are into family drama and you can easily relate to matters about grief, this is one series that pierces the heart.

The series is led by Melissa Roxburgh who plays the role of Michaela Stone, an NYPD police officer. Her brother, Ben Stone, is played by Josh Dallas, who works as an associate professor. If he looks familiar, that is because he played the role of Prince Charming in Once Upon a Time. Ben’s wife, on the other hand, is played by Athena Karkanis. Their children are Olive Stone and Cal Stone, who were played by Luna Blaise and Jack Messina, respectively.

Based on Rotten Tomatoes reviews, the well-chosen cast is one of the best assets of the show. The latter is the one that is responsible for its successful attempt in combining a melodrama and supernatural mystery in one show.

For the Lovers of Lost

If you love Lost, you have another good reason to watch Manifest. We opened this post by saying that this is a Lost-like series. At least, that is what a lot of people assumed. However, in the defense of NBC’s Manifest, it is not lost. Although, if you love Lost, chances are, you will also easily fall in love with Manifest.

One of the things that makes Manifest different from Lost is how the passengers have completely no idea of what happened during the supposed five years they were gone, which makes the storyline more interesting. The plot focused on how the characters reintegrate back to the world as they try hard to figure out what they have been to.

Questions and Relationships

Another thing that makes Manifest special is the fact that it has complications. For a series, this is actually a good thing. The more complicated it is, the more you become absorbed and interested. There are so many questions that are looking for an answer. Will they be answered throughout the series? That is perhaps for you to find out!

More so, Manifest is also a story of tragic relationships. Tragedy always sells! This series will explore these relationships and family dynamics. Some of them have already moved on in their lives because it has already been five years. But for some of them, it felt like it was just yesterday when they separated.

There are also lots of characters to explore. All of the characters who were on the plane seem to be related in one way or another, which is where it has a resemblance with Lost. In every episode, there is a new passenger being introduced, presenting a new story angle that makes the series more exciting.

It Shows the Reality of the World

While it is actually quite impossible for you to be in a flight for five years, there is one thing tackled in the series that is real – the fact that we are living in an ever-changing world. The series showed the changes in technology and political climate. The characters have been constantly adjusting with the changes that happened in the five years. It may not seem to be too long of a time, but it is surprising how much the world can change within such a period.

In sum, many would say that manifest is trying hard to be another version of Lost. However, it is more than that. With the things that have been mentioned above, you should know by now that manifest is indeed something special. NBC has been successful in combining elements of family drama with an almost sci-fi mystery. Although the series could have been done better, for what it’s worth, you should watch it!