There are very few TV shows that are capable of making drastic changes mid-season and still being a success, but Netflix’sManifestdid just that, shocking its viewers. Unlike many other sci-fi shows streaming at the time, the show had a real-life influence.Manifestwas partly inspired by the disturbing true eventsand mystery surrounding the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.
The series is about the fictional Montego Air Flight 828, which experienced some unexplained and terrifying phenomena. While the flight’s crew only felt a moment of turbulence, the plane, crew, and passengers vanished for five years. The show reached the top of streaming charts, withthe legendary horror author Stephen King praisingManifestonline. However,Manifestwas not all that it seemed.
Manifest’s First Season Made Us Believe It Was A Sci-Fi Show
Manifest Disguised The Truth During Season 1
Manifestevolved over time, but appeared to begin as a sci-fi show, containing many tropes that would not be out of place in classic sci-fi likeThe X-Files.Manifestran for four seasonsand crossed further into the supernatural genre with each season. Still, the first centered on the time anomaly, with scientific experimentation and a government cover up.
The mystery aboutwhy the passengers disappeared onManifest’s missing Flight 828was the central question in a show full of intrigue. While there were many theories from both the fans and the characters, one was repeatedly denied in season 1, and that concerned divine intervention.The characters might have dismissed the idea of an “act of God,” but this was misdirection.
Manifest Gradually Revealed The Show Was More About The Supernatural
Critics' Opinions Improved Drastically Over The Show’s Four Seasons
The characters' visions and voices (known as the Callings) could have been the result of a scientific experiment, but as the series progressed, another explanation became clear.Seasons 3 and 4 started using Biblical metaphorslike The Ark and Judgment Day. This made it apparent thatManifestwas a religious show all along, while combining sci-fi with the supernatural.
Manifesttopped the streaming charts, but the response from critics was originally mixed.
Manifesttopped the streaming charts, but the response from critics was originally mixed. The first season has a 56% positive critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but that number changed dramatically when the fourth season was released. Season 4 received an 88% positive rating, and some reviews stated thatthis was due toManifestgrowing more complex over time, with the religious angle being intriguing.
Manifest’s Final Season Confirmed What The Show Really Was About
The Finale Polarized Audiences, But Manifest Is Well Worth Watching
Many ofManifest’s mysteries and questions were answeredin season 4, and one twist confirmed what the show had been about all along. The final episodes in season 4 ofManifestfinally renamed the force known as “the divine consciousness"to “God.” Revealing that the characters had been experiencing a test from God was a bold but divisive move.
The seasons of Manifest and Rotten Tomatoes audience response
Release year
Rotten Tomatoes audience rating
2018
63%
2020
75%
2021
64%
2022
71%
The spiritual reveal inManifest’s ending polarized audiences, with reviewers praising the show’s willingness to tackle the potentially controversial subject of religion. Others were disappointed that it had shifted away from its sci-fi beginning, becoming a different show. That said,Manifestis well worth watching, with ideas that have rarely been used in sci-fi or supernatural-themed TV series.
Manifest
Cast
A supernatural drama series created for NBC, Manifest is an investigation of a fictional flight, Montego Air Flight 828, that went missing for five years after a moment of turbulence in the sky. However, the passengers and crew only felt a moment pass despite the rest of the world assuming they were all gone. The “survivors” now attempt to reacclimate to society as the world has moved on without them - but voices from beyond seem to beckon them somewhere unknown.
