Netflix Manifest (NBC/Netflix) (1 Viewer)

[Adam Lenhardt]

How is this different from The 4400?

All of the people disappeared at the same time.

 

[Malcolm R]

How is this different from The 4400?

This one involves an airplane.

 

[Richard V]

All of the people disappeared at the same time.

I got it confused. In The 4400 they all RETURN on the same day, right?

 

[Bear92]

I agree that the trials of the Stone family are the reason to watch the show. I do care less about the missing passengers and the return of Evil Corp. I disagree that both Ben and Danny are decent men. If Danny is so decent why won't Grace tell Ben anything about him? We do not know even his last name. Why would a man pushing 50 spend so much time with a 15 year old girl to whom he is not related? It bothers me that Ben has not investigated the bigger threat to his family--Danny. This guy spends hours each afternoon climbing with Olive, but is still available in the evenings. He drives a Porsche (why didn't Ben take a picture of the license plate?) so what does he do for a living? Also, remember the day Olive was busted for shoplifting? Grace was gone when they got home. She was gone for hours and we find she had been with Danny. That was an obvious tryst and Ben busted her. This is messy, but I want Ben to win one once in a while.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I got it confused. In The 4400 they all RETURN on the same day, right?

Correct, but they were snatched from across a 66-year period, from 1938 to 2004.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The midseason premiere was tonight.

My biggest frustration at the moment is that the family drama feels manufactured. Grace is freezing Ben out because the plot requires it, not because it's organically the thing she would do. Olive invited Danny over because the plot required it, not because it's organically the thing she would do. Grace feeling allegiances to two different men is an interesting dilemma, but the earlier episodes played that tension far more believably.

The danger with the conspiracy angle is that you have to roll out more and more layers as the show goes on. The Major will lead us the badder guy in charge of her, and then that person will lead us to the even badder guy even further up the ladder, etc. and it slowly becomes so convoluted that you just stop caring as a viewer.

The conceit of all of these people being displaced in time by several years is such a story engine that I often find the conspiracy plot detracts from the moral naturalistic elements.

 

[Matt Hough]

It has gripped my attention from the start, and the narrative lapses with certain characters (Ben's wife being the most grievous one) haven't kept me from anticipating each new episode tremendously.

 

[Bear92]

One thing that frustrates me is that they keep telling us how difficult it was for both Grace and Olive to deal with the "deaths" of Ben and Cal. They sure don't act like it! They act like they would have been much happier had Ben and Cal stayed missing. One thing I would like to see is Cal go all "Ransom of Red Chief" on Grace. He doesn't know Danny, he just got back from a family vacation. His parents marital problems, and the fact that his mom has a boyfriend in addition to her husband, should be freaking him out.

 

[DaveF]

I gave up on Manifest about halfway through, sometime before the holidays. I wanted to like it, but it was just so blah. I think the five-year time travel is a great idea. But I think the show failed from the start to really truly sell that. We didn't spend enough time with them five years ago, and the difference isn't so large as to require any of the actors to look that much older (except for Ben's sister). And technology hasn't changed that much five years. So the conceit never carried as much emotional power as it needed to.

Beyond that, the Lost-ian mysteries and drama just weren't that interesting.

I even gave up on it for dinner TV, which is a low bar (that's where I watch Legends of Tomorrow).

Ah well. So much promise. Pity it didn't follow through.

 

[Bear92]

Dave, I cannot disagree with you. The writers don't seem to know what they want the show to be. Is it a sci-fi soap opera, or is it a mystery, or what is it really? They keep cutting back and forth between the investigation into what happened and the protagonists personal lives. I agree that enough time has not passed for major technological changes (except for Cal's treatment) but it is the human side that changes in five and a half years. I wish they would explore that more. Honestly, I am more interested in Ben finally finding a job than I am in finding the Major. If the show does not resolve something by the end of the season, I may join you in not watching season two. The Good Guys have to win something once in a while or it just becomes depressing, and who wants to watch a depressing show?

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I'm still enjoying. I'm glad they've got the whole family on the same page now.

 

[Matt Hough]

I'm still enjoying. I'm glad they've got the whole family on the same page now.

I agree totally. With all of the other drama happening all around them constantly, we didn't need the constant domestic turmoil.

BTW, loving the latest twist they've thrown into the mix (and who wants to bet there's going to be some romantic angst tied in with this new arrival, too.)

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Are we supposed to be rooting for Jared at this point? Because the kind of over-the-top controlling behavior he exhibited in this finale is the kind of personality that leads to murder-suicides.

The mystery behind the disappearances and the callings continues to deepen. On one hand, Griffin was a terrible person who deserved what happened to him. On the other hand, it's pretty Old Testament treatment: whatever force or forces are driving this whole thing needed to let the passengers know that their remaining time is tied to the amount of time that they were gone. And they resurrected and then killed a man in order to convey that message. The purposes of all this may indeed be benevolent, but the decision makers aren't afraid to be ruthless and cold.

The show works much better with Grace and Olive helping Ben investigate than it did when they were all keeping secrets from one another.

The pregnancy twist and the gun struggle as cliffhangers were meh.

The June 2, 2024 date of death for the 828 passengers would seem to lock the show in for a fixed six season run, with the show either culminating in them managing to avoid death, or in them dying having accomplished their mission. Given the strong way the ratings started, that wasn't an unreasonable plan. Ratings since then have plunged sharply, with the show averaging 7.2 million viewers before it went on hiatus in November, and the show only averaging 5.6 million viewers since it came back in January. But it's still one of NBC's stronger performers, so I think the odds are good we'll get a second season. Beyond that? Who knows.

 

[Matt Hough]

I can tell you who I think got hit by the gunshot - Michela. (And the producer did reveal that the bullet found a mark; it didn't go in the ceiling.)

I have willingly taken this ride and have enjoyed it most of the way. Can't wait for next season (even though the show hasn't been formally renewed yet.)

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

NBC RENEWS FRESHMAN DRAMA "MANIFEST" FOR SECOND SEASON

• NBC has renewed its highly successful freshman drama series “Manifest” for a second season.
• “In just its first season, ‘Manifest’ has answered many questions about the mystery of Flight 828 and, smartly, asks many more,” said Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Co-Presidents of Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment. “Congratulations to Jeff Rake, our producers, cast and crew who have created an incredibly addictive series with compelling characters and complex relationships.”
• This season "Manifest" has averaged a 2.8 rating in adults 18-49 and 12.6 million viewers overall according to "live plus seven day" ratings from Nielsen Media Research, making it the season's #1 new scripted series in 18-49 and the overall #6 entertainment series.
• "Manifest" has generated television's biggest viewership lift going from "live plus same day" to "live plus seven day" Nielsens, adding 6.1 million viewers through seven days of delayed viewing (6.5 million to 12.6 million). Counting 35 days of linear and projected non-linear viewership, "Manifest" grows to a 4.86 rating in 18-49, nearly quadrupling its next-day L+SD 1.25 rating.
• Jeff Rake writes and executive produces. David Frankel directed and executive produced the pilot. Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Jackie Levine and Len Goldstein also executive produce.
• “Manifest” is produced by Warner Bros. Television, Universal Television, Compari Entertainment and Jeff Rake Productions.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Rebecca Marks, [email protected], 818-777-3030
Erika Lewis, [email protected], 212-664-5478

 

[Matt Hough]

I saw the announcement today and was very happy about it. Looking forward to see how the mystery progresses next season.

 

[Tommy R]

My wife and I are very pleased with there will be a new season. Despite TOTALLY coming off as a network television show, it was actually very fun.

 

[Doug Wallen]

One of the new network shows that I was actually intrigued by and that remained fairly interesting and entertaining. Will be glad to see this one return. The only other new network shows I am still watching are The Rookie on ABC and FBI on CBS.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Season 2 Promo:


NBC has bumped it to Spring 2020, just to stamp out any chance of the show building on the momentum from its first season run.

New casting:

• Yasha Jackson ("Ray Donovan") will recur as Suzanne Martin, a Dean at Astoria University and Ben’s (Dallas) ex-girlfriend. They happen to reconnect after running into each other on campus.
  
• Garrett Wareing ("Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists") will recur as TJ Morrison, a college freshman who went to Jamaica for vacation and came back 5 and a half years later. He’s alone in the world until Ben takes him under his wing.
• Andrene Ward-Hammond ("Claws") will recur as Captain Kate Bowers, the newly appointed captain of Michaela’s precinct.
  
• Ellen Tamaki ("Charmed") will recur as Drea Mikami, the bright and confident detective the new captain assigns as Michaela’s new partner.

 

[Tommy R]

Dang, I really liked season one. I smell cancellation next year.