Manifest

***Manifest*** is an American supernatural drama television series, created by Jeff Rake, that premiered on NBC on September 24, 2018 and has concluded on June 2, 2023 after moving to Netflix for the final season. The series centers on the passengers and crew of a commercial airliner who suddenly reappear after being presumed dead for over five years. It stars Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina, Parveen Kaur and Matt Long.

In October 2018, NBC ordered further episodes for the first season, and subsequently renewed the show for a second season that aired in 2020, and again for a third in 2021. In June 2021, the series was canceled after three seasons. The series was added to Netflix in June 2021 and immediately topped the viewing charts, persuading Netflix to renew *Manifest* for a fourth and final season consisting of twenty episodes, with part one premiering on November 4, 2022. Part two of the final season premiered on June 2, 2023, marking the official end of the series and bringing it to a close.

## Synopsis

When Montego Air Flight 828 landed safely after a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers were relieved. But in the span of those few hours, the world had aged five years - and their friends, families and colleagues, after mourning their loss, had given up hope and moved on. Now, faced with the impossible, they're all given a second chance. But as their new realities become clear, a deeper mystery unfolds and some of the returned passengers soon realize they may be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible. From Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rake comes an emotionally rich, unexpected journey into a world grounded in hope, heart and destiny.

## Cast and Characters

* Melissa Roxburgh as Michaela Stone
* Josh Dallas as Ben Stone
* Athena Karkanis as Grace Stone (season 1–3)
* J.R. Ramirez as Jared Vasquez
* Luna Blaise as Olive Stone
* Jack Messina (season 1–3) and Ty Doran (season 4) as Cal Stone
* Parveen Kaur as Saanvi Bahl
* Matt Long as Zeke Landon (main season 2–4; recurring season 1)
* Holly Taylor as Angelina Meyer (season 3–4)
* Daryl Edwards as Robert Vance (main season 4; recurring season 2–3)

## Episodes

 **1** | 16
 **3** | 13
 **4** | 20

## Production

### Development

Jeff Rake originally came up with the idea for *Manifest* in 2008, and spent the next decade coming up with more ideas while trying to pitch the series. By the time NBC picked up the series he had developed a six-year plan for it.

The series is executive produced by Jeff Rake, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, and David Frankel. Jeff Rake also serves as a writer for the series while David Frankel also serves as a director. The series is produced as Warner Bros. Television and Compari Entertainment.

On October 18, 2018, NBC ordered an additional three episodes of the series, bringing the first season total up to sixteen episodes.

On April 15, 2019, NBC renewed the series for a second season, which premiered on January 6, 2020. On June 15, 2020, NBC renewed the series for third season, which premiered on April 1, 2021.

### Casting

In February 2018, it was announced that Josh Dallas, Melissa Roxburgh, and J.R. Ramirez had joined the pilot's main cast. In March 2018, it was reported that Athena Karkanis, Parveen Kaur, and Luna Blaise had been cast in main roles. Jack Messina also stars.

In November 2018, Matt Long was cast in a recurring role. He was later promoted to series regular for season 2.

On September 22, 2020, Holly Taylor was cast a new series regular for the third season. On October 22, 2020, Will Peltz was cast in a recurring role for the third season.

### Cancellation and revival

On June 14, 2021, NBC canceled the series after three seasons. Due to the cliffhanger ending to season 3 and the fact that creator Jeff Rake originally sold *Manifest* to NBC with a six-season plan mapped out, Rake and others were hopeful that the series would get picked up by another platform. One possibility was Netflix, where the first two seasons of *Manifest* debuted in the #3 spot and quickly rose to the most watched show on the streaming service. Rake tweeted on June 15: "I am devastated by NBC's decision to cancel us. That we've been shut down in the middle is a gut punch to say the least. Hoping to find a new home. You fans deserve an ending to your story." On June 21, 2021, Warner announced that negotiations with Netflix had broken down and that they would no longer be seeking a new home for the series. The following week, Rake followed-up on the status quo regarding the series' proper conclusion, stating that: "We're trying to find a way to conclude the series. Could take a week, a month, a year. But we're not giving up. You deserve an end to the story."

On June 30, 2021, *Entertainment Weekly* reported that Rake was now looking for a platform that would bankroll a two-hour *Manifest* movie that would cut to the chase and tie up all the loose ends from the third season finale. Said Rake, "There is a huge appetite for people wanting to know what's that end of the story, what happened to the passengers, what ultimately happened to that airplane."

The following month, however, it was reported that talks had resumed between Warner Bros. Television and NBC regarding the series' renewal for a potential fourth season, with Netflix also taking part in the renewal discussions. On August 28, 2021, Netflix renewed *Manifest* for a fourth and final season, consisting of 20 episodes, split across multiple parts. Dallas and Roxburgh were set to return, with additional original cast members in negotiations to return as well. On September 9, 2021, it reported that Kaur, Blaise, Taylor return as series regulars alongside Dallas, Roxburgh, and Ramirez while Karkanis and Messina exited and Ty Doran was promoted to series regular taking over Messina's role as the older Cal. A day later, it was announced that Daryl Edwards has been promoted to series regular. Matt Long, who was initially feared not able to return for Season 4 due to scheduling conflicts, was also later confirmed to be joining the cast for Season 4. The first part of the fourth season premiered on November 4, 2022, with the second and final part premiering on June 2, 2023.

## Release

### Marketing

On May 13, 2018, NBC released the first official trailer for the series. On July 21, 2018, the series held a panel at San Diego Comic-Con in San Diego, California. Those in attendance included executive producer Jeff Rake and actors Melissa Roxburgh and Josh Dallas. On August 28, 2018, the first nine minutes of the first episode were released among various digital outlets.

### Premiere

The series took part in the 12th Annual PaleyFest Fall Television Previews on September 10, 2018, which featured a preview screening of the series.

## Reception

### Critical response

The series was met with a mixed response from critics upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 57% with an average rating of 6.24/10, based on 37 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "*Manifest*'s attempts to balance supernatural mystery and melodrama largely work thanks to its well-chosen cast — though it could use a few more distinguishing characteristics." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 55 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."

In a more positive assessment, *USA Today*'s Kelly Lawler explained how she felt that the series' simplicity and variety of drama subgenres might help it outlast similarly themed but ultimately unsuccessful past shows. She further praised the series for maintaining the standard of quality it set with its premiere episode saying, "Heavily serialized shows, such as *Lost*, *Breaking Bad*, or *Game of Thrones* often start with a great concept and first episode. But many lesser shows collapse when the story expands. *Manifest* navigated through its first major roadblock by easily moving from the setup to meatier stories." In another favorable evaluation, *Variety*'s Daniel D'Addario commented that the pilot didn't "pretend to have answers; it only poses questions. But its inquisitiveness and willingness to be bold and fairly uncynical given all the things it's trying to be is more than welcome." In a mixed critique, *Los Angeles Times*'s Lorraine Ali remarked that the series had a compelling premise and that the many mysteries it introduced "point toward a potentially addictive series if *Manifest* allows its gripping supernatural narrative to rise above its characters' less interesting personal dramas." In a negative review, *The Washington Post*'s Hank Stuever compared the series negatively to other network science fiction series saying, "*Manifest*, alas, beelines thoughtlessly toward its hokiest idea, when some of the returning passengers discover they've acquired psychic powers. Just like that, a viewer who might have been interested in the human element is instead served a cold plate of mystery meat — not the new *Lost*, but a feeble throwback to forgettable failures such as *The Event*." In a similarly dismissive appraisal, *The New York Times*' Margaret Lyons commented that "*Manifest* has a frustrating lack of propulsion, a central dullness whose force field is so strong it bends all the interesting parts toward itself."

### Ratings

The premiere episode was both the top-rated new show for the broadcast season and the top-rated show airing that week.

## Gallery

Season 1Season 2Season 3Season 4-ASeason 4-B
## Trivia

* The title card starts out like fog but by season three its solid and crashed through.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Manifest - NBC.com. *NBC*.
2. ↑ "‘Manifest’ Creator Jeff Rake on His Diverse Writers Room & Six-Year Plan for the NBC Series". *Collider* (October 8, 2018).
3. ↑ *Manifest* Renewed for Season 2 at NBC
4. ↑ ‘Manifest’: NBC Renews Missing Plane Drama For Season 3
5. ↑ ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime’ Sets NBC Premiere With ‘SVU’ Crossover, Releases First Look At Christopher Meloni As Elliot Stabler
6. ↑ "‘Manifest’: Josh Dallas & Melissa Roxburgh Cast As the Leads Of NBC Pilot". *Deadline Hollywood* (February 13, 2018).
7. ↑ "‘Manifest’: J.R. Ramirez Cast In NBC Pilot From Jeff Rake & Robert Zemeckis". *Deadline Hollywood* (February 26, 2018).
8. ↑ "‘Manifest’: Athena Karkanis & Parveen Kaur Cast In NBC Drama Pilot". *Deadline Hollywood* (March 2, 2018).
9. ↑ "‘Main Justice’ Casts Deborah Ayorinde; Luna Blaise Joins ‘Manifest’". *Deadline Hollywood* (March 9, 2018).
10. ↑ [1]
11. ↑ [2]
12. ↑ [3]
13. ↑ ‘Manifest’ Canceled By NBC After 3 Seasons
14. ↑ 'Manifest' Saved With 20-Episode Fourth & Final Season On Netflix; Cast Led By Josh Dallas & Melissa Roxburgh To Return
15. ↑ 'Manifest' Gets Season 4 Premiere Date, Teaser Trailer On Netflix

## External links

* *Manifest* on Television Fandom
* *Manifest* on Wikipedia