Common Sense Media Review
Solid supernatural mystery explores family dynamics, loss.
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Manifest
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 21 parent reviews
Parents say this series offers an engaging mix of fantasy and drama that appeals to both adults and teens, with many enjoying the compelling performances of the cast. However, some critics express concern over the introduction of mature content in later seasons, particularly the use of profanity and the portrayal of certain religious themes, which may not align with family standards.
- engaging performances
- mature content concerns
- family-friendly
- intriguing storyline
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 65 kid reviews
Kids say the show is a mix of captivating storytelling and deeper themes, with many praising its mysterious and thrilling plot that keeps viewers engaged. However, the series also faces criticism due to its inconsistent acting quality, occasional excessive violence, and mature content, making it more suitable for older children and teens.
- gripping plot
- suitable for teens
- mixed reviews
- recent seasons weaker
- mature themes
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
MANIFEST begins in 2013 as we meet the Stone family: Mom, Dad, their adult kids Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) and Ben (Once Upon a Time's Josh Dallas), his wife Grace (Athena Karkanis), and their 10-year-old twins Olive (Luna Blaise) and Cal (Jack Messina), who has terminal leukemia. While waiting to board their oversold flight from Montego Bay back to New York, Michaela, Ben, and Cal swap their tickets and take a later flight. That flight hits intense turbulence and then gets rerouted to a different airport to land. Once on the ground the plane is met by a group of federal agents who tell the passengers and crew that they haven't just completed a three-hour flight: It's now five and half years later, and Flight 828 was declared missing and everyone onboard presumed dead. Soon the passengers start to realize that while they haven't aged a day, time has indeed marched on. Michaela learns her fiancé has married her best friend. Cal's twin sister is now a teenager who has grown up without a dad. And when Ben and Michaela discover that they're both hearing voices telling them the same thing, they start to realize that maybe the passengers of Flight 828 didn't just lose five years, but gained something they don't yet understand.
Is It Any Good?
A compelling mystery is a great way to start a show, but what differentiates this series from its many similar predecessors is its heart. In a trend that can most easily be traced back to the success of Lost, the airwaves have been littered with the corpses of shows that kicked off with a cool supernatural mystery -- The Event, Flash Forward, The Nine, Invasion, The Crossing, Surface, The Whispers, Threshold -- but couldn't maintain the promise of their premise. Now we have Manifest and its mystery is a doozy: An airliner missing for more than five years suddenly reappears and no one onboard has aged a day or even realized half a decade has passed. It's a fantastic hook, even though it contains some elements audiences may find familiar.
At its core, this show is a family drama exploring the lives of the Stone family. Focusing on adult siblings Michaela and Ben, two imperfect people trying to integrate themselves back into a world that has moved on without them, the makers of Manifest show that they've learned from the mistakes of their forebears. The key to a compelling mystery show isn't necessarily the complexities of the mystery itself, but in carving out sympathetic characters viewers want to follow.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about regret. What does Manifest say about living in the past and second-guessing decisions?
Many shows explore the ideas of destiny and fate. Do you believe in them? How do the characters use these concepts to make sense of the mysterious incident?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 24, 2018
- Cast : Melissa Roxburgh , Josh Dallas , Athena Karkanis
- Network : NBC
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : January 11, 2026
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