Subject: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sun Sep 09, 2018 11:14 am
Manifest - Series Premiere S01E01 "Pilot" Monday - September 24, 2018 10/9c - NBC
Trailer:
Sneak Peek -- First Nine Minutes:
Description:
"(from NBC's press release, May 2018) When Montego Air Flight 828 landed safely after a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers were relieved. Yet 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 Rapke comes an emotionally rich, unexpected journey into a world grounded in hope, heart and destiny." Description from LINK
This is a series I've had my eye on. It's a really good premise and hopefully well-done. Check it out and join me here to talk about it after the premiere.
Last edited by sandi on Sat Oct 13, 2018 3:42 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : amended title)
I enjoyed the idea everyone's significant other(s) had moved on with their lives.
Michaela's fiance had married another. Michaela and Ben's mother had died. We also found out, Grace, Ben's wife was involved with someone. That probably won't end well.
Also enjoyed the backstory of all who were on the flight. Hearing the voices, and finding those kidnapped girls. And, the meet-up at the airport was pretty astonishing. Then, to have the plane blow up.
All-in-all, it wasn't a bad premiere. Looking forward to next weeks episode.
I thought it was a clumsy, predictable premier. I'm intrigued about the voices though, so I may keep watching.
Curious whether TPTB are going to take us to a biblical realm. Remember, when Ben found Michaela in church, she was reading the verse their mother embroidered on that pillow. That verse was also the address where those kidnapped girls were found and their flight #828.
It'll either be Biblical or Extra-Terrestrial or Government (or something equally earthly).
I liked the people generally and that they all must have been hearing voices (at least the airplane reunion time---but I bet more). I liked the sister and brother meeting at the junk yard. And the strange behavior of the dogs. I imagine the voices emit canine calming sounds. Also if somebody didn't notice all these people showing up at the fence then nobody's paying attention. Shows like this typically don't do well with law enforcement or govt agents, etc.
What wasn't good was the special effects. That fire at the end was lame.
...I liked the sister and brother meeting at the junk yard. And the strange behavior of the dogs. I imagine the voices emit canine calming sounds....
I'd forgotten all about those dogs. Thinking about that scene now, I'm wondering if the voices are at a frequency humans can't hear. I also found it strange that the dogs camped out in front of the shed the girls were being held in. Really strange!
davidalan
Posts : 1318 Join date : 2018-03-04 Age : 62 Location : good morning
Hodge and DA, we all know dogs are on the same wave length as angels ;) Something calmed those pups down, since they were at first snarling like crazy and neither of our heroes thought to bring sausages.
I definitely got a sense of Lost from the first episode but there was enough standard-issue network tv for me to not feel like it’s going back to the Island. It looks like all the manifestees are gathered together to “work together for good” and I suspect that will provide a case of the week structure. But for me, the more interesting stuff will be if there’s a connection between the father telling Michaela that perfectly healthy Mom “loved you kids more than life itself” while dying Cal has a chance to get better, and the apparent link between Cal and Saanvi when they see each other at the hospital. (No accident that after the separate flights, Mom made the versifying pillow, with its vine reaching out from the flowers.) I figure “the government” that Ben warned Michaela about will be skulking around, and that will hopefully not be clichéd, since this doesn’t seem to be a show that wants to deal with the politics of the moment.
So, in addition to the 828 (beans in a jar…), we have a seeming emphasis on the middle number there, 2. Two twins, two kidnapped girls, two dogs, two roses on the pillow Mom embroidered, the footnote in the Bible (which, like the 28 marking the verse, is in a different typeface from the rest of the page.) Anybody get a good look at Cal’s info on the screen at the meeting? Here I go again, down the rabbit hole...
Hodge and DA, we all know dogs are on the same wave length as angels ;) Something calmed those pups down, since they were at first snarling like crazy and neither of our heroes thought to bring sausages.
I definitely got a sense of Lost from the first episode but there was enough standard-issue network tv for me to not feel like it’s going back to the Island. It looks like all the manifestees are gathered together to “work together for good” and I suspect that will provide a case of the week structure...
With the 2nd episode airing last night, this is exactly what we'll get. But, it looks like they're going to move the backstory along as well.
2nd Episode:
What are to make of the shadowy figure who killed the Asian lady in her own home. And, was the assassination because she went on television telling her story?
If you remember, this is the same character drawn by Cal in his book. When asked by his dad, "Who is this?", his answer was, "I don't know." Initially, I thought it was a picture of the guy his mother is seeing. But, this same figure showed up at that woman's house.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...But for me, the more interesting stuff will be if there’s a connection between the father telling Michaela that perfectly healthy Mom “loved you kids more than life itself”...
Pi-O-My, are you thinking the mother sold her soul for the return of her son and daughter?
Pi-O-My wrote:
...I figure “the government” that Ben warned Michaela about will be skulking around, and that will hopefully not be clichéd, since this doesn’t seem to be a show that wants to deal with the politics of the moment...
There was a statement made by one of the government people that really caught my ears. "Could we be dealing with a wormhole?" I really like that idea.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...So, in addition to the 828 (beans in a jar…), we have a seeming emphasis on the middle number there, 2. Two twins, two kidnapped girls, two dogs, two roses on the pillow Mom embroidered, the footnote in the Bible (which, like the 28 marking the verse, is in a different typeface from the rest of the page.) Anybody get a good look at Cal’s info on the screen at the meeting? Here I go again, down the rabbit hole...
I admit I didn't look for any indications of the "numbers" in this second episode. Think I'll watch it again and see what I can find.
Oh, and I hope you don't crash into me as we both go down that rabbit-hole.
Something which happened with LOST...A lot of people got so caught up in the "mystery" that JJ, Cuselof, et al were pushing that they lost sight of the story. I had something interesting happen...gonna take some telling though. Not long after Kit signed me on I started needing a place to just hang out an post, be an ordinary member. I found that in the discussion boards for Space dot com. It was a great place, lots of smart people, plus a few who made our wildest theories posters at LTV look completely rational. One of the great things there was that if any fires started, not my detail, I could stand back and let the staff there deal with it, I didn't even need to offer my not-so-professional opinion. I did let a couple of the mods there know that I was on the staff of another board elsewhere, but only ones who I had struck up conversations with in the course of normal posting. I even gave one of them a link to show him what he were about. Unfortunately, the board got hacked major in 2008 and Space dot com decided they were done with having an open posting board. It's still a great site for all your information on astronomy and space exploration.
I had friended a couple of the posters, about six months later one of them messaged me and told me of a smaller posting board that was MBA, shot me the link. I signed up, and because I was remembered from SDC I was approved immediately. It pays to be nice to people. Still posting there, casually, but most of these people completely outclass me for education, employment level, life skills. At least they are all really great people and accept me for being me and what I can bring to a discussion, my own perspectives which comes from a different life than most of them have lived. I fit in well there. And of course I mentioned occasionally being a board mod, but never pimped the place because that would be classless.
Last Spring when John let the board die I finally decided to drop the curtains on exactly where I had been a mod at. I made a thread in one of the subforums about LTV, how it started, all the hard work that a lot of people had done, how I got involved and wound up on staff, our multiple server moves, shifting focus away from LOST to the community itself and mass-media, 14 years of a vibrant place, fading out and then gone. I made the thread because I felt I needed the catharsis, and they understood, got a lot of positive feedback. Like I said, great people.
One guy though...and here's my point for mentioning the whole thing...he said he started watching LOST but quit when he figured out that it really was the obvious answer, that they had all died in the crash and were in Purgatory. *ahem*
That is exactly what I am talking about. Getting too caught up in looking for the cause of the event. Lostie Island turned out to be a much more intriguing place than some simple Purgatory, but more importantly the story, rather, the stories of the survivors of Flight 815 was great telling.
I hope Manifest does not lose focus on the stories of the people on the plane and their families, because there is the real meat of the series.
Big John
Posts : 1857 Join date : 2018-03-02
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sat Oct 06, 2018 4:32 am
Meh. Manifest is more akin to The 4400 than Lost.
TBC
Posts : 620 Join date : 2018-03-03
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:44 am
Remember Flash Forward? Homer Noodleman had a thread going pointing out every bit of horrible writing, places where the writers were just plain lazy, like the number of people in China stated killed in the incident, by percentage of the overall population, was several times the number of people killed worldwide. They might have overcame that, they were doing a good job of playing up the mystery of what caused it. It was a neat turn, having a character played by our old pal Dom Monaghan show up claiming to be the one behind the event only to be asked about objects in satellite imagery which he says should not be possible, so something else happened that he was not aware of. But the character drama aspect was a total miss. It picked out a small handfull of people affected by the event and bungled their presentation.
I didn't watch The 4400. Don't know why. Can not recall my reason for not tuning in. I might have been busy with something else or maybe too focused on the board. Maybe after the failure of a few mystery-dramas I had put time and effort into I wasn't willing to invest in another one. Hard to say.
I missed the premier of Manifest, despite watching the preview posted here. No excuse. I just failed to make a proper note of the date and time to myself, so I am hoping I can find somewhere to watch it and get caught up. It intrigued me.
Big John
Posts : 1857 Join date : 2018-03-02
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:23 am
I hope you get to see it also. It's a sci-fi mystery but it does not have the same feel as Lost. It feels a lot more like the dozens of second tier 'returned' type mysteries that have come and gone since Lost.
...I hope Manifest does not lose focus on the stories of the people on the plane and their families, because there is the real meat of the series.
So far, in the three-episodes aired, they've gone back to revive some of the major character stories.
In the episode aired last night, we got to see Michela and the automobile accident where she was driving and her childhood friend was killed. And, the point of the episode tied directly into this incident. I thought it was well done.
TBC wrote:
...I missed the premier of Manifest, despite watching the preview posted here. No excuse. I just failed to make a proper note of the date and time to myself, so I am hoping I can find somewhere to watch it and get caught up. It intrigued me.
TBC, you can probably find the premiere on the NBC website.
Big John wrote:
I hope you get to see it also. It's a sci-fi mystery but it does not have the same feel as Lost. It feels a lot more like the dozens of second tier 'returned' type mysteries that have come and gone since Lost.
I totally agree with this summation so far. Its definitely not Lost!
As usual at the House of Pi, we're behind on this, so I'm reading here with caution. Hodge, thank you for using the Spoiler feature but posters shouldn't feel inhibited on my account. If I get spoiled by coming here, it's my own fault. :) You can tell how much I'm invested in this show... TBC, what you said relates to my interest in watching this -- it feels less like a great show than a fun show to talk about.
Hodge, I don't so much feel the mother sold her soul purposely, more like a larger force is at work, fulfilling wishes but requiring balance. I don't think it happened with her consent or was part of a deal. (What you asked reminded me of Bruce Jay Friedman's A Foot in the Door -- said foot is a cloven hoof.)
Oh, I remember Flash Forward. It definitely wanted to be the next Lost but you're right, TBC, the characters were all pretty blah. Rubicon had interesting characters and an intriguing plot but about after the plot got going, those interesting characters started to do dumb things. That really kills a show for me. (I loved it in Cabin in the Woods -- a funny scary movie if you haven't seen it --
funny moment, no real spoiler:
-- when one of the characters says, We'd better stay together, and another one says, Yes, we need to split up.)
TBC
Posts : 620 Join date : 2018-03-03
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Thu Oct 11, 2018 3:28 am
With Flash Forward some Hollywood people took an intriguing book and mangled it beyond recognition. About ten years back I watched a Canadian/South African TV series adaptation of another book by the same author, Robert J Sawyer. Charlie Jade, a parallel-worlds tale. That was done well, good strong character design, solid flow to the plot, they kept everything so that it made sense to the viewer.
Rough idea, the titular character is an ex-cop turned private investigator (there's a noir aspect at the beginning reminiscent of Blade Runner) in Cape City, Southern African Region. He comes across a woman who has no idea where she is, tries to help her, but she has apparently been drugged and sexually abused, mistreated, he calls for medical help but the woman dies. The ME, a trusted friend from his days as a cop, calls him in a couple of days later with some questions. The woman had no ID implant in her wrist. This is not completely unusual, some people remove theirs to subvert the law, but there was no sign that she had ever had one. He starts following clues which lead to a dance club and a rich playboy, son of a major industrialist. He's on the scion's tail heading north, out of town, into the desert, but loses him at a lonesome service station when the guy seems to vanish, leaving behind footprints that just...stop. Suddenly someone hits him from behind and he's on the ground and someone is pouring water on him and then...he's all alone in the desert with nothing around. He manages to make it back to civilization, but he not in the same place. Cape City is now Cape Town and it's a lot smaller, though it's definitely the same place because Table Mountain is still right there.
Call that a teaser. If I could find it again I would rewatch it now, it was that well done. If someone wants to know how to do a mystery/drama with a science fiction premise I will point them to that show.
As usual at the House of Pi, we're behind on this, so I'm reading here with caution. Hodge, thank you for using the Spoiler feature but posters shouldn't feel inhibited on my account. If I get spoiled by coming here, it's my own fault. :)
Pi-O-My, it's just a force of habit, spoiler-coverage and all.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...Hodge, I don't so much feel the mother sold her soul purposely, more like a larger force is at work, fulfilling wishes but requiring balance. I don't think it happened with her consent or was part of a deal. (What you asked reminded me of Bruce Jay Friedman's A Foot in the Door -- said foot is a cloven hoof.)
This is where my interest lies. Wanting to know what's behind the missing 5+ years.
We found out part of the backstory when the doctor compared something in Cal's blood with her own, and found the same change. I think it's obvious that all of the "828s" have this change in their blood.
Plus, we've got this mystery person in the story. Initially I thought "it" killed the passenger who decided to go "public" with her concerns, but we found out in this latest episode, that wasn't the case. But, we still have Cal's drawing that had this shadowy figure around him, Michaela and Ben.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...Rubicon had interesting characters and an intriguing plot but about after the plot got going, those interesting characters started to do dumb things. That really kills a show for me. (I loved it in Cabin in the Woods -- a funny scary movie if you haven't seen it --
Loved, loved, loved Rubicon. Wish you were around when it premiered. I would've loved to have discussed it with you.
ETA: Found this interesting and thought everyone in the thread would too.
i need a character that screams Walt, does the show have that
Sorry Zaphod, no Walt screams.
But, if you like a good mystery, give this one a try.
sandi
Posts : 612 Join date : 2018-05-27
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sat Oct 13, 2018 5:48 am
Hodge wrote:
I enjoyed the idea everyone's significant other(s) had moved on with their lives.
Michaela's fiance had married another. Michaela and Ben's mother had died. We also found out, Grace, Ben's wife was involved with someone. That probably won't end well.
TBC wrote:
That is exactly what I am talking about. Getting too caught up in looking for the cause of the event. Lostie Island turned out to be a much more intriguing place than some simple Purgatory, but more importantly the story, rather, the stories of the survivors of Flight 815 was great telling.
I hope Manifest does not lose focus on the stories of the people on the plane and their families, because there is the real meat of the series.
The personal stories are (in some cases) heartbreaking -- definitely emotional. I have to admit, I've shed a few tears. And I do agree that the personal stories are a key element to this series -- any series really.
Hodge wrote:
And, the meet-up at the airport was pretty astonishing. Then, to have the plane blow up.
It's apparent those that showed up were called there somehow. But, we know that Cal -- at home in bed -- was also aware. So, that leads me to believe that all the passengers were aware but only some actually went to the airport.
Who is responsible for blowing the plane up?
Hodge wrote:
2nd episode What are to make of the shadowy figure who killed the Asian lady in her own home. And, was the assassination because she went on television telling her story?
If you remember, this is the same character drawn by Cal in his book. When asked by his dad, "Who is this?", his answer was, "I don't know." Initially, I thought it was a picture of the guy his mother is seeing. But, this same figure showed up at that woman's house.
Hodge wrote:
Episode 3 Plus, we've got this mystery person in the story. Initially I thought "it" killed the passenger who decided to go "public" with her concerns, but we found out in this latest episode, that wasn't the case. But, we still have Cal's drawing that had this shadowy figure around him, Michaela and Ben.
The shadowy figure could be directly related to the plane/passengers' missing 5 plus years or he could be a government operative. Recall that the gov guy running the show ordered 24 hour surveillance on all the passengers.
Hodge wrote:
There was a statement made by one of the government people that really caught my ears. "Could we be dealing with a wormhole?" I really like that idea.
That thought crossed my mind as well. It could explain the missing 5 plus years but I don't think it would explain the guiding voices/sounds/images. I think there's more to it than that.
BJ wrote:
Meh. Manifest is more akin to The 4400 than Lost.
TBC wrote:
I didn't watch The 4400. Don't know why. Can not recall my reason for not tuning in. I might have been busy with something else or maybe too focused on the board. Maybe after the failure of a few mystery-dramas I had put time and effort into I wasn't willing to invest in another one. Hard to say.
I immediately thought of the 4400. I loved that show. If anyone is interested, the 4400 is on Netflix.
TBC wrote:
I missed the premier of Manifest, despite watching the preview posted here. No excuse. I just failed to make a proper note of the date and time to myself, so I am hoping I can find somewhere to watch it and get caught up. It intrigued me.
You can view the first three episodes on NBC's website. LINK
It's also available "on demand" and on hulu plus
Hodge wrote:
This is where my interest lies. Wanting to know what's behind the missing 5+ years.
We found out part of the backstory when the doctor compared something in Cal's blood with her own, and found the same change. I think it's obvious that all of the "828s" have this change in their blood.
Here's what SAANVI said.
Quote :
[SIGHS] SAANVI: I don't have an answer, but I have a theory. It's just a little bit out there. MICHAELA/BEN: Okay, we're listening. SAANVI: So, the marker in mine and Cal's blood could be a sign of ischemia. It occurs when the circulation is limited, but the potency of this marker is on par with a stroke victim. MICHAELA/BEN: So you think we all had strokes? SAANVI: No, not exactly. If we were taken close to death -- extremely close -- and then brought back if the faucet of blood circulation has been turned off and then suddenly it was turned on high, that's what it would look like.
I'm reminded of the 1989 movie, "Millennium".
from imdb wrote:
... the involvement of an organization of time travellers from a future Earth irreparably polluted who seek to rejuvenate mankind from those about to perish in the past. ... woman from 1000 years in the future. She replaces the people from airplanes before they crash with corpses with the same features. LINK
People from the future took people who were supposed to die and covered up the switch with corpses who had similar features. the point being -- the people were taken right before dying.
In this show's case -- the passengers could have been taken right as the plane was crashing, cryogenically frozen and then reinserted into the timeline 5years into the future.
And does anyone believe it was a coincidence that dying Cal and the doctor who ultimately can save him are on the same flight? I don't. So, I wonder how many of the other passengers were manipulated into taking that flight. I also wonder if that flight was destined to crash or if that flight was created to segregate certain people.
sandi
Posts : 612 Join date : 2018-05-27
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sat Oct 13, 2018 6:15 am
If we look at who's being saved, then IMO, there has to be someone who knows who needs to be saved and that seems to mean someone who knows the future.
People saved so far -- let me know if I've missed someone
Cal -- passenger and child of passenger, Ben.
the child chasing the ball in front of the bus
the two little girls who would probably have been abused and killed
the son of the music passenger who was falsely accused of robbery who would probably not live long in the prison system -- at least it looked that way
So, those behind the mysterious flight and its passengers' powers that save children seem to be from the future or at least aware of future events. Could the shadow guy also be in the same future position and be in direct opposition to the other party's goal or end game?
eta: the shadow guy could also be part of the group responsible for flight 828 and its passengers, sent to oversee the situation and keep the plan (whatever it is) intact and on target. (not in opposition but aligned with)
Hodgepodge
Posts : 545 Join date : 2018-08-24
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sat Oct 13, 2018 6:03 pm
sandi wrote:
...It's apparent those that showed up were called there somehow. But, we know that Cal -- at home in bed -- was also aware. So, that leads me to believe that all the passengers were aware but only some actually went to the airport...
Yeah, everyone else is probably having a tough time reconciling the voices in their heads and thinking they're going crazy.
sandi wrote:
...Who is responsible for blowing the plane up?
...The shadowy figure could be directly related to the plane/passengers' missing 5 plus years or he could be a government operative. Recall that the gov guy running the show ordered 24 hour surveillance on all the passengers...
I like the idea of someone from "wherever" is keeping an eye out for them.
They could also be the ones speaking to them thru their own minds.
We also found out from the "previews" of the next episode, there was a stowaway on flight 828.
But, I like your idea of someone from the future steering them thru "this" time. But, what is the ultimate reason?
Why was it so important to find those kidnapped girls? Why is it so important for Michela to admit she was drunk when her best friend was killed in that accident?
sandi wrote:
...And does anyone believe it was a coincidence that dying Cal and the doctor who ultimately can save him are on the same flight? I don't. So, I wonder how many of the other passengers were manipulated into taking that flight. I also wonder if that flight was destined to crash or if that flight was created to segregate certain people.
This is really something to think about.
I never thought everyone on flight 828 were gathered on that plane for a reason. This takes me back to our Lost days.
sandi wrote:
If we look at who's being saved, then IMO, there has to be someone who knows who needs to be saved and that seems to mean someone who knows the future.
People saved so far -- let me know if I've missed someone
Cal -- passenger and child of passenger, Ben.
the child chasing the ball in front of the bus
the two little girls who would probably have been abused and killed
the son of the music passenger who was falsely accused of robbery who would probably not live long in the prison system -- at least it looked that way
So, those behind the mysterious flight and its passengers' powers that save children seem to be from the future or at least aware of future events. Could the shadow guy also be in the same future position and be in direct opposition to the other party's goal or end game?
eta: the shadow guy could also be part of the group responsible for flight 828 and its passengers, sent to oversee the situation and keep the plan (whatever it is) intact and on target. (not in opposition but aligned with)
As I mentioned above, what do these people have in common?
And, since the "Shadow" didn't kill the Asian lady, is "it" here to walk our passengers through the rest of there lives?
Big John
Posts : 1857 Join date : 2018-03-02
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sat Oct 13, 2018 8:32 pm
sandi wrote:
If we look at who's being saved, then IMO, there has to be someone who knows who needs to be saved and that seems to mean someone who knows the future.
People saved so far -- let me know if I've missed someone
Cal -- passenger and child of passenger, Ben.
the child chasing the ball in front of the bus
the two little girls who would probably have been abused and killed
the son of the music passenger who was falsely accused of robbery who would probably not live long in the prison system -- at least it looked that way
So, those behind the mysterious flight and its passengers' powers that save children seem to be from the future or at least aware of future events. Could the shadow guy also be in the same future position and be in direct opposition to the other party's goal or end game?
eta: the shadow guy could also be part of the group responsible for flight 828 and its passengers, sent to oversee the situation and keep the plan (whatever it is) intact and on target. (not in opposition but aligned with)
It seems abundantly clear that whoever or whatever is behind the voices, and possibly the entire thing, is saving innocent people. Children, who are often used as poster bait for innocence, and am unjustly incarcerated prisoner. Couldn't be more on the nose here.
What supernatural force has such lofty morality that it would go to these great lengths to use it's incredible power to save a few innocent humans?
Perhaps there is something much larger at stake and whoever or whatever is making all this happen is, by calling them into action on these smaller situations, preparing/training the Manifesties for an event that is yet to come.
If we look at who's being saved, then IMO, there has to be someone who knows who needs to be saved and that seems to mean someone who knows the future.
People saved so far -- let me know if I've missed someone
Cal -- passenger and child of passenger, Ben.
the child chasing the ball in front of the bus
the two little girls who would probably have been abused and killed
the son of the music passenger who was falsely accused of robbery who would probably not live long in the prison system -- at least it looked that way
So, those behind the mysterious flight and its passengers' powers that save children seem to be from the future or at least aware of future events. Could the shadow guy also be in the same future position and be in direct opposition to the other party's goal or end game?
eta: the shadow guy could also be part of the group responsible for flight 828 and its passengers, sent to oversee the situation and keep the plan (whatever it is) intact and on target. (not in opposition but aligned with)
It seems abundantly clear that whoever or whatever is behind the voices, and possibly the entire thing, is saving innocent people. Children, who are often used as poster bait for innocence, and am unjustly incarcerated prisoner. Couldn't be more on the nose here.
What supernatural force has such lofty morality that it would go to these great lengths to use it's incredible power to save a few innocent humans?
Perhaps there is something much larger at stake and whoever or whatever is making all this happen is, by calling them into action on these smaller situations, preparing/training the Manifesties for an event that is yet to come.
These people could be quite innocent in "our" time, but if whoever/whatever is from the future, the people being saved could be very important to "that" time.
I like the idea of getting the passengers of flight #828 ready for something every important in the near future too.
With the latest episode aired Monday, we learned there's something else that may affect the passengers. According to a colleague of Saanvi a part of the stowaways brain shows the early stages of Schizophrenia. Curious whether all of the passengers show this brain discrepancy?
Ben meets Grace's boyfriend, when Olive calls him to get her out of some trouble. Boy, that was a strange meeting.
.... It's apparent those that showed up were called there somehow. But, we know that Cal -- at home in bed -- was also aware. So, that leads me to believe that all the passengers were aware but only some actually went to the airport.
Who is responsible for blowing the plane up? ....
A good point – one the authorities seem to have overlooked – and a good question. My assumption was that whatever force was involved with the plane’s Whatever caused the explosion but it could have been anyone trying to get in the way of the investigation into what happened. And it’s clearly no coincidence that Saanvi and Cal were on the flight together. This show is premised on no coincidences, though I’m not sure it’s positing a (Lost-style) coincidence/fate dialectic despite the (Lostish) brother of science/sister of faith contrast.
Hodge, I’m hoping we learn more about Olive’s relationship with her mother’s love interest. (TPTB surely didn’t cast Daniel Sunjata for a one-and-done.) Remember, in addition to calling Danny on being caught, Olive shared the secret of Cal’s stuff being kept with Danny. What else might he know that Grace doesn’t? (I’m not thinking anything untoward, btw, just concern for each other.)
I loved the scene of the twins sharing cat’s cradle while talking. It seemed thematically right for them to interact in a way that involved making moves that change shape while keeping it all connected. (As well as being a hint of, rather than straight-up time travel, alternate universes crossing/colliding with each other. Maybe.)
Speaking of thematics, I noticed an 828 in the second episode, when Mick is chasing the suspect into the basement and right after she goes through a doorway, we see a randomly placed digital clock showing “8:28”. And in the third episode, when Danny texts Grace to learn if all is ok with Olive (hmm, that Olive/Danny relationship again), we see a close-up of her screen showing the battery is charged 82% -- is it just me, or does a % sign look like an 8?
Big John, maybe those few innocents will help other innocents who will…Butterfly Effect. Because otherwise, it does look like much ado about, well, not nothing, but not much. Looking at all the guilt going around among the characters, I think there’s likely some kind of “second chance” kind of thing going on.
A good point – one the authorities seem to have overlooked – and a good question. My assumption was that whatever force was involved with the plane’s Whatever caused the explosion but it could have been anyone trying to get in the way of the investigation into what happened...
Are you guys thinking the exploding plane was detonated telekinetically? Maybe by our shadowed individual? Or, maybe something "unearthly" placed on the plane, that detonated at a specific time?
Pi-O-My wrote:
...And it’s clearly no coincidence that Saanvi and Cal were on the flight together...
I'm still having trouble believing these two individuals were somehow coaxed onto flight 828. I could buy one, and for the sake of expediency, lets say it's the doctor. Then, how do you make sure you get Cal on the flight too? Remember, this was a choice made by Ben, Grace and Cal.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...Hodge, I’m hoping we learn more about Olive’s relationship with her mother’s love interest. (TPTB surely didn’t cast Daniel Sunjata for a one-and-done.) Remember, in addition to calling Danny on being caught, Olive shared the secret of Cal’s stuff being kept with Danny. What else might he know that Grace doesn’t? (I’m not thinking anything untoward, btw, just concern for each other.)
We found out from, Ep.5 "Connecting Flights", that Danny became her surrogate father. There was a very touching scene when everyone found out the flight had reappeared.
I really liked this episode because we got a look at what went on for those 5+ years. Michela and Ben's mother getting sick. Jared falling in love with Lourdes. Grace and Olive falling in love with Danny.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...I loved the scene of the twins sharing cat’s cradle while talking. It seemed thematically right for them to interact in a way that involved making moves that change shape while keeping it all connected. (As well as being a hint of, rather than straight-up time travel, alternate universes crossing/colliding with each other. Maybe.)
It also begs the question...Olive said she knew Cal wasn't dead. She even had a fight with Grace, because she wanted to move on with her life.
Along with feeling Cal's presence, curious whether she could see Cal in this other dimension. Like, in her dreams or some other unconscious state.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...Speaking of thematics, I noticed an 828 in the second episode, when Mick is chasing the suspect into the basement and right after she goes through a doorway, we see a randomly placed digital clock showing “8:28”. And in the third episode, when Danny texts Grace to learn if all is ok with Olive (hmm, that Olive/Danny relationship again), we see a close-up of her screen showing the battery is charged 82% -- is it just me, or does a % sign look like an 8?
Yeah, in those episode reviews in one of my above posts, they point out other showings of the numbers (828). Not sure I want to go thru that again.
As to whether Olive might be seeing or hearing Cal in dreams, that's one possibility, or just before she falls asleep. She also might see him out of the corner of her eye or when she looks in a mirror and sees both of their reflections. (Sorry, it's almost Halloween, so creepy options seem logical at the moment.) As to the plane exploding, I'm assuming it will be a while before we get more clues as to the cause. Though, to me, it smacks of one reality/universe breaking in on another, a small scale matter meeting anti-matter issue. But it also feels consistent with political shenanigans, so I guess I'll embroider "patience is a virtue" on a pillow for now.
As to the seeming unlikeliness of both Saanvi and Cal getting on the same plane, keep in mind that while Cal & Co. were not initially supposed to be there, Saanvi was. Most of the passengers were scheduled on Flight 828, and it's just the few who were bumped from the earlier flight who were added.
It occurred to me that Saanvi said all of her (own) records of her data were destroyed with her laptop breaking during the turbulence. Since she was told when she came back that her data had provided the critical clinical breakthrough, she must have communicated her data before her departure from Jamaica, such as via the Cloud. So she has no way to check the data she was physically transporting against the data that arrived 5 1/2 years earlier. That is, I wonder if the data received by her colleagues back home was different from what was on her laptop, if it was somehow altered. Maybe the original data, the information on her laptop, would not have been so useful as what her colleagues received.
...Though, to me, it smacks of one reality/universe breaking in on another, a small scale matter meeting anti-matter issue...
This makes perfect sense to me as well. Especially if you feel the plane wasn't in limbo for 5+ years, but in another dimension.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...As to the seeming unlikeliness of both Saanvi and Cal getting on the same plane, keep in mind that while Cal & Co. were not initially supposed to be there, Saanvi was. Most of the passengers were scheduled on Flight 828, and it's just the few who were bumped from the earlier flight who were added...
I didn't realize that.
It does make it simpler to get one person on a plane instead of two.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...It occurred to me that Saanvi said all of her (own) records of her data were destroyed with her laptop breaking during the turbulence. Since she was told when she came back that her data had provided the critical clinical breakthrough, she must have communicated her data before her departure from Jamaica, such as via the Cloud. So she has no way to check the data she was physically transporting against the data that arrived 5 1/2 years earlier. That is, I wonder if the data received by her colleagues back home was different from what was on her laptop, if it was somehow altered. Maybe the original data, the information on her laptop, would not have been so useful as what her colleagues received.
Last night's episode, "Off Radar", was one of the better ones.
Cal developed a fever and Ben and Grace rushed him to the hospital. He was also experiencing "night terrors", where he started speaking another language. Now, we immediately knew it was what's been called a "calling". At the hospital, there was a concern about introducing antibiotics into his blood stream because of the cancer protocol. Grace couldn't understand why Ben was more concerned with finding a passenger on flight 828, that's gone missing, than Cal's fever. She also couldn't understand why Saanvi was also concerned with finding this passenger. Ben got Michela involved, and in turn, Jared, and they followed several leads to the country where they found an abandoned farm house with military-types patrolling the grounds.
Another fine episode this past Monday. S.N.A.F.U., continues our look into the conspiracy surrounding the mysterious flight #828. Not necessarily into "what happened", but what's happening since the plane returned, 5 years later than expected.
Cal is released from the hospital, but he tells his dad, he can still feel the other guy he's been mimicking. Ben has found a company who was behind the "black-site" and has gotten a job with the company who does their payroll outsourcing.
He's also found a woman who he suspects is behind the whole thing. He gets Saanvi to accompany him to a seminar given by this lady, and it doesn't take him long to confront her about what's happening to Cal.
But, she doesn't know anything about what's going on. She tells them she received a large amount of funding for her research, and apparently the only thing she has to do is look the other way.
After conning a new guy at work, Ben obtains access to the company files. He downloads everything to a flashdrive and starts heading to the door. He stops when he notices all employees being searched prior to leaving. He knows he's not going to be able to get the drive out.
He then gets a text-message telling him to get out of the line to his left. Following the instructions, he comes across NSA Director Vance. It seems he's been pirating Ben's phone, so he knows everything Ben's trying to do. He confiscates the drive and takes off. Now, according to Cal, apparently Vance has come over to the good side.
Michela has gotten Jared involved in another "calling". There's a call about a robbery that they take. They come across an owner of a barber shop shot dead on the floor of his shop. Next to him is his nephew.
At the end of the episode, we find out Javier obtained the heart of Michela's best friend when she was killed. And, that's the heartbeat she's been hearing.
Now, I will admit I'm curious where the plane and passengers were for those five years, but I'm still sitting on pins-and-needles throughout this look at the conspiracy since "its" return.
Hodgepodge wrote:
...Cal is released from the hospital, but he tells his dad, he can still feel the other guy he's been mimicking. Ben has found a company who was behind the "black-site" and has gotten a job with the company who does their payroll outsourcing...
Ben and Grace has decided to increase Cal's normalcy when they agree to allow him to go back to school. It was nice seeing him rekindle his friendships with kids he'd known for years.
Hodgepodge wrote:
...He's also found a woman who he suspects is behind the whole thing. He gets Saanvi to accompany him to a seminar given by this lady, and it doesn't take him long to confront her about what's happening to Cal...
Still not sure I feel as confident this woman is on their side, although she put her life on the line when she planted that bug in that guys office.
Hodgepodge wrote:
...After conning a new guy at work, Ben obtains access to the company files. He downloads everything to a flashdrive and starts heading to the door. He stops when he notices all employees being searched prior to leaving. He knows he's not going to be able to get the drive out...
Ben is still using this guy to gain access to company files at work. He's definitely going to take it to far and get caught in the act.
Hodgepodge wrote:
...He then gets a text-message telling him to get out of the line to his left. Following the instructions, he comes across NSA Director Vance. It seems he's been pirating Ben's phone, so he knows everything Ben's trying to do. He confiscates the drive and takes off. Now, according to Cal, apparently Vance has come over to the good side...
Well, I guess Cal was right about Vance.
He gets in contact with Ben at work and returns the flashdrive. He's looked through it, but can't make heads or tails of the data.
Ben has an idea on how to delve deeper into the data, and finds the possible place where they're holding the missing passengers.
Hodgepodge wrote:
...Michela has gotten Jared involved in another "calling". There's a call about a robbery that they take. They come across an owner of a barber shop shot dead on the floor of his shop. Next to him is his nephew...
Michela and Jared get a call about a guy whose threatening to commit suicide by jumping off a building. The guy, just so happens to be a passenger on flight 828.
Michela tries to get the guy to come down, but he's not listening. He tells her a story about killing his friends.
After the guy jumps, they go to his residence and his hangouts and find out he's told several people about the "callings". And, those people are now dead.
Anyway...Didn’t think much of this episode. I wouldn’t trust “that lady” either, since she took off with the rest of the passengers without making arrangements for Ben & Co. to be able to get in touch with her or them. We’ll have to count on Cal’s connection with Marko, I guess.
I think the woman masquerading as an escapee from the torture farm was an interesting twist. I’m still curious about the overall mystery, as well as waiting for Olive to start demonstrating some twin-connection, so I’m still finding intriguing elements to the show. But the loose-lips-kill-folks excuse for Ben to not be open with his wife feels too much like a plot device rather than organic to the story.
Hodgepodge
Posts : 545 Join date : 2018-08-24
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sat Dec 08, 2018 3:42 pm
Pi-O-My wrote:
...Anyway...Didn’t think much of this episode. I wouldn’t trust “that lady” either, since she took off with the rest of the passengers without making arrangements for Ben & Co. to be able to get in touch with her or them. We’ll have to count on Cal’s connection with Marko, I guess...
I liked this episode more than you did, Pi-O-My.
And boy, I don't trust that lady either. I just got the feeling she's going to continue the research along another line. Lets not forget, it's "her" theory in the first place.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...I think the woman masquerading as an escapee from the torture farm was an interesting twist. I’m still curious about the overall mystery, as well as waiting for Olive to start demonstrating some twin-connection, so I’m still finding intriguing elements to the show. But the loose-lips-kill-folks excuse for Ben to not be open with his wife feels too much like a plot device rather than organic to the story.
I didn't see that coming either.
But now that her "Company Man" is dead, who gives her marching orders?
Yeah, with a twin-connection, maybe Olive could've explained what Ben's been going thru trying to protect Cal.
....But now that her "Company Man" is dead, who gives her marching orders?
Yeah, with a twin-connection, maybe Olive could've explained what Ben's been going thru trying to protect Cal.
Orders from -- Above? Or (if there's a heavenly connection as Ben and Mick's mom indicated) from -- Below? ;) I don't really think the series is going there, though.
Cal doesn't know about the reason to keep quiet about the "calling" and might not be able to block Olive from knowing anyway. And Olive wouldn't know to keep quiet about it, either. So if there is a twin connection that includes the secret "calling" there could be a devastating cascade! That's assuming, aside from the twin-ness giving Olive the info, that there really is a reason to keep mum about the mental connections.
....But now that her "Company Man" is dead, who gives her marching orders?
Remember, the guy who set her up in the first place was captured by Vance, Ben and SWAT. And, in the explosion, he was killed. So, my question is mute if she got to meet other members of the people doing the experiments.
Pi-O-My wrote:
...Cal doesn't know about the reason to keep quiet about the "calling" and might not be able to block Olive from knowing anyway. And Olive wouldn't know to keep quiet about it, either. So if there is a twin connection that includes the secret "calling" there could be a devastating cascade! That's assuming, aside from the twin-ness giving Olive the info, that there really is a reason to keep mum about the mental connections.
I really like your idea of Olive getting a glimpse of the "callings" via a twin-connection with Cal.
Do you remember how the connection between Cal and that guy manifested itself? He touched Cal while they were on the flight. I don't think that connection is finished, so I hope they connect this guy with Cal and in turn Olive.
So Jamaica to New York flight time is 3 hours and 40 minutes roughly. Half way in to the flight they vanish. So I guess about half way would be roughly 100 to 150 miles northeast of Miami. So when they entered or were in the Bermuda triangle this is what generated the 1.21 gigawatts that sent the plane and passengers 66 months into the future?
So Jamaica to New York flight time is 3 hours and 40 minutes roughly. Half way in to the flight they vanish. So I guess about half way would be roughly 100 to 150 miles northeast of Miami. So when they entered or were in the Bermuda triangle this is what generated the 1.21 gigawatts that sent the plane and passengers 66 months into the future?
Redbird, this was the initial theory of the disappearance. The Bermuda Triangle!
Redbird
Posts : 3 Join date : 2018-12-14
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sun Dec 30, 2018 5:41 pm
Hodgepodge wrote:
Redbird wrote:
So Jamaica to New York flight time is 3 hours and 40 minutes roughly. Half way in to the flight they vanish. So I guess about half way would be roughly 100 to 150 miles northeast of Miami. So when they entered or were in the Bermuda triangle this is what generated the 1.21 gigawatts that sent the plane and passengers 66 months into the future?
Redbird, this was the initial theory of the disappearance. The Bermuda Triangle!
LOL yea I know. This show is a mess. The only thing that peaked my interest is why is flight 828 flying east? In episode 1 about 2 minutes in you see the plane turning and flying east. Notice the sun is setting in the west! Never at any time should it have been flying due east!
....The only thing that peaked my interest is why is flight 828 flying east? In episode 1 about 2 minutes in you see the plane turning and flying east. Notice the sun is setting in the west! Never at any time should it have been flying due east!
We're not watching this show for the science, that's for sure. The first thing I thought of, with the casting of Prince Charming from Once Upon a Time, was that this was a variation on Sleeping Beauty. I think it's most likely that TPTB chose stock footage that looked nice without bothering to look at a map. But hey, maybe the pilot decided to make an unscheduled stop, like in Haiti, which would explain why he was acting so squirrelly.
I have no idea how this is going to fit together, but we've seen several (non-numerical) images that feel underlined. The snow storm, the Phantom Shiner, the peacock Ben saw right after the explosion that killed Vance, obviously the Holy Grail. Was Michaela's reference to the 828ers being "wrecking balls" in their loved ones lives just a repeat of what she'd heard from Paul's estranged wife or is the phrase a clue as well? For right now, I think we just need to keep track of these bread crumbs and wait to see if they matter.
Redbird
Posts : 3 Join date : 2018-12-14
Subject: Re: Manifest - NBC Mondays Sat Jan 12, 2019 2:49 pm
Pi-O-My wrote:
Redbird wrote:
....The only thing that peaked my interest is why is flight 828 flying east? In episode 1 about 2 minutes in you see the plane turning and flying east. Notice the sun is setting in the west! Never at any time should it have been flying due east!
We're not watching this show for the science, that's for sure. The first thing I thought of, with the casting of Prince Charming from Once Upon a Time, was that this was a variation on Sleeping Beauty. I think it's most likely that TPTB chose stock footage that looked nice without bothering to look at a map. But hey, maybe the pilot decided to make an unscheduled stop, like in Haiti, which would explain why he was acting so squirrelly.
I have no idea how this is going to fit together, but we've seen several (non-numerical) images that feel underlined. The snow storm, the Phantom Shiner, the peacock Ben saw right after the explosion that killed Vance, obviously the Holy Grail. Was Michaela's reference to the 828ers being "wrecking balls" in their loved ones lives just a repeat of what she'd heard from Paul's estranged wife or is the phrase a clue as well? For right now, I think we just need to keep track of these bread crumbs and wait to see if they matter.
