MANIFEST Never Soars, But Never Stalls

MANIFEST - THE COMPLETE SERIES (Blu-ray)

2018-2023 / 3,720 min (62 episodes)

Warner Bros

Available at www.MovieZyng.com

Review by Princess Pepper😺

Manifest is one of those shows I considered giving a shot when it first aired, but never got around to it. Part of the reason is because my viewing habits generally preclude tuning in at the same time each week. More problematically, a lot of serialized programs require you to jump on-board at episode one, otherwise you’re lost and playing catch-up. For example, I was once sent Season Four of Game of Thrones to review, but never having watched it before, it took me several episodes to know what the hell was going on.

But worst of all are the times I got sucked into shows like Revolution and Surface, only to be left hanging when they were unceremoniously cancelled without any storylines being resolved. That’s the same fate that befell Manifest, too, at least until Netflix stepped in to bring the series to a proper conclusion with a fourth and final season. While a majority of Netflix’s original programming leaves me cold, I do appreciate that they’ve thrown lifelines to several previously cancelled shows.

Now all 62 episodes of Manifest are available in this 13-disc Blu-ray set. So if nothing else, the sprawling story and all its subplots are can be devoured to completion for as long as your sofa remains comfortable. And binging really is the best way to enjoy this show. Not that it compelled me to pull any all-nighters, but the primary story and about half of its subplots were just engaging enough for me to repeatedly tell myself “just one more episode” (or two, or three) before turning in for the evening. 

Flight 828, carrying 191 passengers from Jamaica to New York, goes missing for  5½ years. When the plane finally reaches its destination, no actual time has passed for the passengers themselves. To them, their flight landed as scheduled. Where they’ve been the entire time is a mystery that gains the worlds attention, including government agencies tasked with trying to figure it out. Meanwhile, these passengers face worldwide public scrutiny, both good and bad.

"How come you guys get binoculars and I don't?"

The bulk of the ongoing story arc centers on the Stone family, whose lives are completely upended, as are those of friends and loved ones they’ve returned to. It’s also revealed that all the passengers now experience visions (which they refer to as “callings”) compelling them to figure out what they mean, which usually ends up saving someone’s life or - more ominously - offering clues to their possible fates. It also turns out that ignoring callings has dire consequences. Concurrently, the NSA is doing experiments involving some passengers with plans of weaponizing their new abilities.

The first couple of seasons reminded me of Stephen King novels like Firestarter and The Institute, where people with supernatural talents are exploited by nefarious government organizations. Those aspects of Manifest are pretty interesting, with antagonists we enjoy hating while establishing certain 828ers as especially gifted. Though it’s the primary story arc driving the entire series, there are frequent subplots and narrative detours. Some side stories are succinctly wrapped up in a single episode, others lay the groundwork for later developments. Well conceived characters and decent overall performances help, though a few of them seem to be taking turns being the most obnoxious, shrill or irritating. 

As a result, Manifest never quite soars, but never stalls, either. For every compelling plotline, there’s one that might test the viewer’s patience (especially regarding some of the main characters’ relationships). While watching, there were occasions when I’d wish they’d just get on with it, only for the episode to conclude on an ominous cliffhanger, compelling me to keep charging forward. Eventually, layer upon layer of plot twists, revelations and apocalyptic implications build up to the point where the viewer becomes hopeful that the conclusion will be nothing short of mindblowing. It isn’t, and roughly halfway into Season Three, the biblical allusions and increasing Kumbaya tone hint at an underwhelming denouement.

But while I think the entire thing could have been more effective as a miniseries (maybe even a single epic movie), Manifest generally does a good job maintaining our interest in its busy plot over 62 episodes. Ultimately, I doubt I would have stuck with the show if forced to tune in once a week, but binging until you’ve had your fill for the night is pretty fun.