Posted in: Netflix, Opinion, Review, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: jeff rake, Josh Dallas, manifest, Melissa Roxburgh, netflix, Review, season 4

Manifest Season 4 Part One: New Netflix Home Brings Familiar Suspense

When NBC canceled Manifest in June 2021, its passionate fans attempted to save the supernatural drama hoping to see a fourth and final season elsewhere. Luckily, Netflix answered the call, and the Jeff Rake series' will finally see its natural or, in this case, unnatural end. The story follows the survivors of Flight 828 and the mystery surrounding their five-year disappearance. Upon their return, they're granted visions or "callings" that primarily involve the fate of other passengers. The main core is Michaela Stone (Melissa Roxburgh), her brother Ben Stone (Josh Dallas), and his son Cal (Jack Messina). The season three finale finds Cal returned as an older teenager and is now played by Ty Doran.

Manifest: Finally a Villain with More Substance

There are several other factors at play as most of the survivors, along with the world at large, interpret the callings in their ways, often to disastrous results. It varies depending on the passenger and what they do with that information. Some, like Angelina (Holly Taylor) and Adrian (Jared Grimes), take it to spiritual extremes. Season four spotlights Taylor's character as the series ultimate villain since her actions killed a major character in the season three finale. This is probably the most focused the series has been in isolating a centralized villain as others often subvert the greater narrative of the callings piecing the big picture.

Of all the core, Ben is the weariest of the passengers as he's in search of his youngest daughter Eden, who's been kidnapped by Angelina. The search has been going on for years, and authorities presumed Eden dead. As far as the others go, Michaela has so much to process even after quitting the NYPD, and her husband, Zeke (Matt Long), is trying his best not to fall off the wagon as a recoverer while helping other 828ers cope with their trauma. It's largely the same note throughout part one, but I do appreciate his redemptive arc.

Was Continuing to Box Cal Necessary?

The most frustrating arc is Manifest insisting on treating Cal the same even if he's miraculously older. The show constantly reminds us he's a kid and he might not be able to handle things, but at the same time, the character's been most responsible for moving the story. Figure after three seasons, there could be a bit more trust, not the same brick wall dialog and obstructionism. While Cal's frustration of not being taken seriously, my frustration is the fact the show insists on insulting the intelligence of its audience, ignoring the show's history with the character and other frustrating arcs like milking the father-daughter metaphysical sequence between Ben and Eden.

Others like Michaela's former partner and fiancé in the NYPD, Jared (J. R. Ramirez); 828 passenger & scientist Saanvi Bahl (Parveen Kaur); and NSA director Robert Vance (Daryl Edwards), fulfill what's needed but don't feel like they grow as characters. Doran doesn't bring anything new that Messina wouldn't otherwise already be doing. Luna Blaise's Olive Stone, Cal's twin sister, stands out far more performance-wise than usual, fulfilling the grounded role that Athena Karkanis' Grace Stone did in previous seasons.

There isn't anything groundbreaking as far as it goes with the first part of the final season of Manifest. It's the familiar sci-fi supernatural mystery that feels like a comfortable blanket because you often know where the story and characters will go. Aside from the "Holy shit!" moment in the mid-season finale, most of it felt predictable, not necessarily in a bad way. To be honest, it's already verged into Lost-type purgatory with maybe not as many subplots, and the main difference being people aren't stuck on a literal island.

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