MANIFEST Roundtable: Upgrade

This week on Manifest:

Ben and Michaela try to figure out what Zeke’s return means in the bigger picture; Cal has another ominous calling and is nervous to connect with Zeke; Saanvi gets a frantic visit from someone looking to her for hope and salvation.

Join us as we use our new ratings system known as SASSY – S(tupid), A(wesome), S(o) S(o) and Y(Your Thoughts):

Stupid:

Rueben: I had real trouble with “Brother” Adrian and this whole Church of the Returned. It was unsettling to see how much of a wolf in sheep’s clothing (just like Ben said to Michaela) that Adrian turned out to be. It’s like he’s just looking for a way to replace his being a wunderkind for being a passenger of the plane. I was also quite unsettled by Alice, the woman holding Saanvi captive; even her husband couldn’t completely talk her down.

Roz: What is with this Church of the Returned? That’s just creepy and weird that one of the flight passengers started a Church in his name (and those of every other returned).

Cay: I didn’t think the “Church” was so dumb, I thought it was relatively realistic – everyone is looking for meaning and for many, their disappearance and reappearance would most definitely seem miraculous. There are also always people ready to take advantage of these people. OTOH, I’m with you guys on Alice threatening to kill Saanvi to save her husband. It was beyond a WTH moment – even if she could save him, Alice would likely be in jail, not with her husband. Begging, yes, maybe kidnapping, but the gun – that was were they lost me.

Awesome:

Rueben: Olive is definitely her father’s daughter; making up a whole research chart on the peacock vision and the petrograph. She really put a lot of work into it all. I just hope all of that leads them somewhere and gives us some answers.

Roz: I love that Olive is so involved in finding out about those petrographs. What is with these twins? Is it about Olive and Cal together or Michaela and Zeke?

Cay: Yes, I liked Olive’s involvement as well. The live guy jumping out of the van was pretty awesome. I suspected something was going to be weird with the van, but didn’t see that coming. I like the mythology they are developing, but how long can they keep it up without it seeming ridiculous? LOST made it work, but I think that’s rare for something so high concept.

So-So:

Rueben: I didn’t like that Michaela and Jared had their affair, and even with Michaela coming clean to Lourdes left me feeling blase about the whole thing. I honestly don’t care.

Cay: The whole Michaela storyline in this ep – all of it – didn’t do much for me. Admittedly, it rarely does.

Roz: Why is Lourdes only just finding out about that night this episode? I hate that Michaela is now another woman but that’s not something that should come between friends.

Your Thoughts:

Roz: The Major wants to weaponize Cal? That is effing crazy and not at all good.

Rueben: OMG, what is the deal with that guy in the utility van who was alive after all that time under water, and becoming the “wolf” that both Cal and Zeke saw in their dreams/calling? That was troubling, and yet another crazy issue on top of all the other non-answers we’ve gotten for all the other crazy stuff that’s happened so far. Give us some answers already!

Cay: I want to see some cool twin action between Olive and Cal. It’s such an interesting concept to have twins that are now 5 years apart but they haven’t really done much with it in weeks. There are a lot of aspects in this show that I have really enjoyed from other shows – LOST, X-Files for instance – but I often have the feeling that Manifest is not quite managing to pull it off like they did. That said, I’m still watching, so they’ve kept my interest enough.

[Photo Credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC/Warner Brothers]

Manifest airs Monday 8/7c on NBC

You can check out all of our previous Manifest coverage here.