Manifest (TV series)

Manifest is an American supernatural drama television series, created by Jeff Rake, that premiered on September 24, 2018, on NBC. The series centers on the passengers and crew of a commercial airliner who suddenly reappear after being presumed dead for more than 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 an additional three episodes of the series, bringing the first season total up to 16 episodes.

In June 2020, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered April 1, 2021.

Premise

Montego Air Flight 828 from Jamaica to New York City experiences a brief period of severe turbulence. When they land at Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, New York, the 191 passengers and crew learn from NSA director Robert Vance that over five and a half years have passed while they were in the air, during which time they were presumed dead. As they reintegrate themselves into present-day society, the passengers begin to face the fact that their lives—and loved ones—are not the same as they were before, while they also begin to experience guiding voices and visions representing events yet to occur, referred to as callings.

Cast and characters

Main

  • Melissa Roxburgh as Michaela Stone, a detective who works at the NYPD’s 129th Precinct, and Ben’s sister. She was a passenger on Flight 828. Ariana Jalia portrays a younger Michaela.
  • Josh Dallas as Ben Stone, an associate college professor and Michaela’s brother. He was a passenger on Flight 828.
  • Athena Karkanis as Grace Stone, Ben’s wife and Michaela’s sister-in-law, who runs a catering business.
  • J. R. Ramirez as Jared Vasquez, a detective at the NYPD’s 129th Precinct and Michaela’s ex-fiancé; he married Michaela’s best friend, but got divorced after her return.
  • Luna Blaise as Olive Stone, Ben and Grace’s daughter, Michaela’s niece, Cal’s twin sister, and Eden’s older sister. Jenna Kurmemaj portrays a young Olive.
  • Jack Messina as Cal Stone, Ben and Grace’s son, Michaela’s nephew, Eden’s older brother, and Olive’s twin brother, now five and a half years younger than she is. Cal was a passenger on Flight 828.
  • Parveen Kaur as Saanvi Bahl, a graduate student and medical researcher at Mercy Hospital and passenger on Flight 828.
  • Matt Long as Zeke Landon (season 2-present; recurring season 1), a hiker who got trapped in a cave during a blizzard and was presumed dead for a year. He returned to life in a situation similar to what happened to Flight 828 passengers. Colin Critchley portrays a younger Zeke.
  • Holly Taylor as Angelina Meyer (season 3), a Flight 828 passenger who was held captive by her religious parents in Costa Rica after her return, and later rescued by Michaela and Zeke.

Recurring

  • Daryl Edwards as Robert Vance, the director of the NSA who leads the investigation of the re-emergence of Montego Air Flight 828. Despite apparently being killed in season 1 during the raid on a Singularity Project’s base, he is revealed to still be alive in season 2. With only a few people aware he is alive, Vance begins working covertly to uncover the mysteries of Flight 828 and his government’s sinister objectives.
  • Mugga as Bethany Collins, a flight attendant on Flight 828 and Georgia’s wife.
  • Tim Moriarty as Tim Powell, the deputy director of the NSA.
  • Alfredo Narciso as Captain Riojas (season 1), the police captain of the NYPD’s 129th Precinct, where Michaela and Jared work.
  • Frank Deal as Bill Daly (season 1), the pilot of Flight 828.
  • Malachy Cleary as Steve Stone, Michaela and Ben’s father and Cal, Olive and Eden’s grandfather.
  • Geraldine Leer as Karen Stone, Michaela and Ben’s mother and Cal, Olive and Eden’s grandmother. She died while Flight 828 was missing. Her favorite bible verse is Romans 8:28, which includes “all things work together for good.” The verse is often repeated by the Stones when they discuss the callings.
  • Victoria Cartagena as Lourdes (season 1), Michaela’s former best friend who married Jared after Michaela’s disappearance.
  • Daniel Sunjata as Danny, Grace’s boyfriend whom she met after Ben’s disappearance.
  • Olli Haaskivi as Isaiah (season 1-2), a passionate but fragile member of the Church of the Returned. He starts a fire at a nightclub to show others that the Flight 828 passengers are miracles where he dies in the act.
  • Nikolai Tsankov as Marko Valeriev (season 1), a Bulgarian passenger of Flight 828 who is among the foreign nationals in the custody of Unified Dynamic Systems (UDS) and the Singularity project.
  • Francesca Faridany as Fiona Clarke (season 1), a scientist on Flight 828 who is involved with Unified Dynamic Systems and the Singularity project.
  • Shirley Rumierk as Autumn Cox (season 1-2), a Flight 828 passenger who has outstanding arrest warrants due to being a victim of identity theft. She was used by Laurence’s superiors to find out what Ben knows about the Singularity project.
  • Ellen Tamaki as Drea Mikami (season 2-present), Michaela’s new partner at the NYPD.
  • Elizabeth Marvel as The Major (season 2), a woman leading a government entity that is looking to weaponize the “callings” that the 828 passengers frequently experience. In “False Horizon,” she is identified as US Army Major General Kathryn Fitz, a specialist in psychological warfare with thirty years experience in covert operations. She is later accidentally poisoned by Saanvi. Before dying, Kathryn stated that she planned to infect people with the same blood that is in the Flight 828 passengers, in hopes of replicating the mutation.
  • Brandon Schraml as Director Jansen (season 2), a representative of The Major. He is tasked with oversight of Autumn Cox.
  • Jared Grimes as Adrian, a passenger on Flight 828. He is an entrepreneur who forms the Church of the Returned.
  • Andrene Ward-Hammond as Captain Kate Bowers (season 2), the police captain of the NYPD’s 129th Precinct who succeeds Riojas.
  • Yasha Jackson as Suzanne Martin (season 2), the dean of a college and an old friend of Ben.
  • Garrett Wareing as TJ Morrison (season 2), a college student and Flight 828 passenger who becomes close with Olive.
  • Leah Gibson as Tamara (season 2), a bartender who works at a tavern that is frequented by the Xers.
  • Carl Lundstedt as Billy (season 2), Tamara’s brother and an Xer.
  • Maury Ginsberg as Simon White (season 2), an elite faculty member of the college that hires Ben who is revealed to be secretly leading the Xers.
  • Will Peltz as Levi (season 3)

Episodes

Series overview

Season Episodes Originally aired Rank Avg. viewership
(in millions)
First aired Last aired
1 16 September 24, 2018 February 18, 2019 9 12.61
2 13 January 6, 2020 April 6, 2020 38 7.70
3 13 April 1, 2021 TBA TBA TBA

Season 1 (2018–19)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title  Directed by Written by Original air date  Prod.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)
1 1 “Pilot” David Frankel Jeff Rake September 24, 2018 T33.01003 10.40
On April 7, 2013, Montego Air Flight 828 from Jamaica to New York City experiences a brief period of severe turbulence. When they land they are diverted to Stewart International Airport in Newburgh, NY. The passengers and crew learn that the current date is November 4, 2018. Over five-and-a-half years have passed while they were in the air. Police officer Michaela learns that her mother has died, and her fiancé, Jared, has married her best friend. Michaela begins hearing a voice that guides her to save a child from being hit by a bus and to rescue two abducted young girls. Medical researcher Saanvi learns that her work has helped save hundreds of pediatric cancer patients while she was gone. Michaela’s nephew Cal, who is suffering from terminal cancer and was also on Flight 828, is a candidate for the treatment. Also experiencing headaches and hearing voices, Michaela’s brother Ben and the rest of the returned passengers and crew are drawn to the airstrip where the plane is parked. As they look on, the plane explodes.
2 2 “Reentry” Dean White Jeff Rake & Matthew Lau October 1, 2018 T30.10102 8.45
The NSA questions the 20 Flight 828 passengers and crew who were present when the plane exploded, and they are told not to discuss their experiences with the media. Ben helps fellow passenger Radd make contact with his son Adio, who is imprisoned at Rikers Island for a robbery he says he did not commit. Ben’s new abilities lead him to discover the real culprit is the store owner’s son, and Adio is freed. Meanwhile, Michaela avoids Jared’s wife—her former best friend Lourdes. Seeing the many posts and birthday messages Lourdes left for her on social media during the years she was missing, Michaela reaches out to her, and lies that she was planning to decline Jared’s proposal before the plane disappeared. Ben learns from Olive that there is another man in Grace’s life. Kelly, one of the passengers from Flight 828, speaks with the media, and is murdered.
3 3 “Turbulence” Paul Holahan Gregory Nelson & Bobak Esfarjani October 8, 2018 T30.10103 7.45
Thinking Kelly’s murder may be connected to her speaking out, Michaela and Ben visit the murder scene, and later speak to Kelly’s husband Patrick and housekeeper Christine. The NSA takes control of the investigation, and Vance tries to compel Jared to keep him informed of Michaela’s movements. Cal is upset to discover that his former best friend Kevin is dating Olive. Michaela is still traumatized by the death of her friend Evie, who was killed in a car wreck while Michaela was driving, for which Evie’s parents Glen and Beverly blame Michaela. She visits Glen and Beverly and learns that Beverly has dementia while Glen is no longer angry at Michaela. Michaela later faces her fear of driving to find Beverly, who has wandered off, and saves her from being hit by a car. The driver is Christine, who is in possession of Kelly’s missing necklace and later admits to killing her. Michaela tells Jared that something has changed in her that she cannot explain. Saanvi finds something unusual in Cal’s blood, and then in her own, which is usually produced by an ischemic stroke. The NSA takes custody of Kelly’s body.
4 4 “Unclaimed Baggage” Craig Zisk Laura Putney & Margaret Easley October 15, 2018 T30.10104 7.46
A flashback reveals that flight attendant Bethany smuggled her cousin Leo’s boyfriend Thomas in the cargo hold, and the NSA found his fingerprints. Saanvi compares scans of her brain to those of an institutionalized patient and seeks him out. He turns out to be Thomas. When Michaela’s partner is unavailable due to a “busted pipe,” Jared reluctantly follows Michaela’s instincts and they interrupt the ATF’s undercover operation. Jared takes responsibility for his decision and is suspended. Grace learns the life insurance company intends to recollect the $500K which they paid her after Ben’s disappearance and presumed death. Ben meets Grace’s ex-boyfriend Danny after Olive was detained for attempting to shoplift a lipstick from a cosmetic store. Thomas escaped from the institution and the NSA is searching for him. With help from Michaela and Saanvi, Bethany correctly interprets the clues from Michaela’s vision and they find Thomas. Bethany explains that Leo went missing two years after their flight disappeared, leaving no one to meet Thomas. Michaela and Saanvi help Bethany find a safe place in the former mall owned by Kelly Taylor. Robert Vance subsequently adds Thomas as “John Doe” to his Persons of Interest board, replacing Kelly Taylor.
5 5 “Connecting Flights” Tawnia McKiernan Amanda Green & Margaret Rose Lester October 22, 2018 T30.10105 7.29
Flashbacks show how Grace, Olive, Jared, Lourdes, and Steve coped during the day when Flight 828 went missing. Jared’s cover-up following the incident causes him to be docked 10 days pay thanks to Robert Vance. Ben and Cal go to Coney Island where Cal suddenly leads Ben to Thomas while quoting “it’s all connected” which Ben has been hearing in his head. Bethany is picked up by the NSA to talk about the “John Doe” she snuck into the United States while her wife helps Thomas escape to a cabin in the mountains. After advice from her father, Michaela goes to speak to Jared at a bar. Ben and Cal learn from Bethany’s wife Georgia that she got picked up by the NSA. Michaela learns from Ben about Cal not hearing voices like they do but still having abilities that manifest in a different way, causing Ben to dedicate himself to figuring the mystery out. In the final scene, a flashback shows Cal looking out the window while the passengers of Flight 828 are asleep as he sees something glowing outside and a voice stating that “it’s all connected,” the words that have begun haunting Ben.
6 6 “Off Radar” Félix Enríquez Alcalá Matthew Lau & MW Cartozian Wilson November 5, 2018 T30.10106 6.28
When Cal develops an unexplained fever and begins speaking Bulgarian, Ben connects his condition to Marko Valeriev, a Bulgarian passenger on flight 828 who has not been seen since leaving the hangar. He and Michaela review footage from the night the plane landed and see passengers loaded onto five buses, but only four arrived at their intended destination. The fifth bus contained eleven passengers who were foreign nationals, had no next of kin, or were otherwise individuals no one would report as missing. The buses were contracted by Unified Dynamic Systems (UDS), a large corporation involved in many industries. After getting some information from a translator, Michaela locates a farm where UDS is experimenting on the eleven passengers, but she and Jared are chased away by armed men. Ben confronts Vance about the missing passengers, believing the NSA is behind their disappearance and threatens to tell the press. Although Vance has dossiers on the eleven passengers showing they are accounted for, he leads a team to investigate the farm location. UDS has moved locations, but Vance finds a bloody bandage that was left behind by accident. When the experiments on Marko are stopped for the move, Cal recovers.
7 7 “S.N.A.F.U.” Michael Schultz Jeff Rake & Bobak Esfarjani November 12, 2018 T30.10107 6.10
Suspicious about Unified Dynamic Systems, Ben takes a low-level job at UDS’s accounting firm, J. P. Williamson. Browsing their records, he finds information about fellow passenger Fiona Clarke. Michaela and Jared later respond to a crime scene where a young man’s uncle was killed by a robber. The nephew, Carlos, is reluctant to identify the culprit. Ben and Saanvi meet Fiona, who informs them about the Singularity project and her work with mirror neurons. Ben downloads information on UDS at J. P. Williamson, but he is caught by Vance and surrenders the flash drive. Michaela convinces Carlos to cooperate, and they catch the culprit in the act of another attack. Later, Michaela learns that Carlos received Evie’s heart in a transplant. Vance tells Powell that Ben did not have the downloaded information.
8 8 “Point of No Return” Nina Lopez-Corrado Gregory Nelson & Margaret Rose Lester November 19, 2018 T30.10108 5.56
Ben and Grace allow Cal to return to school with Olive assisting Cal. After getting a “don’t lose him” calling, Michaela and Jared respond to a situation Harvey, a flight 828 passenger, jumps off a building after claiming he is the “Angel of Death.” At school, Cal reconnects with his friends who are now 5 1/2 years older, and his presence sparks old memories among them. Vance contacts Ben and they agree to work together. They have Fiona visit her contacts at UDS and plant a bug in Laurence Belson’s office. While grocery shopping, Grace meets Lourdes and notices a fertility kit in her shopping cart. Grace tells Michaela, who then discovers with Jared that three people Harvey interacted with are dead from unlikely accidents. Michaela gets the “don’t lose him” calling again. Ben secretly borrows his boss’s work ID to get to research where UDS may have moved the passengers. Meanwhile, Vance uses NSA resources to track phones that have been in known UDS areas. Together, they narrow the search to a private. The Singularity project staff prepares to work on Marko again, and Cal senses it.
9 9 “Dead Reckoning” Paul Holahan Laura Putney & Margaret Easley November 26, 2018 T30.10109 5.97
When Flight 828 landed, Vance discovered a warrant for the arrest of passenger Autumn Cox, and she was one of the eleven taken by UDS. In the present, Autumn approaches Ben saying she escaped the Singularity project and knew he would help her. Ben enlists Saanvi and Fiona to help her at the hideout, where they tell Vance about the Singularity project and Laurence. Meanwhile, Laurence demonstrates his experiment in a broadcast to his superiors. Marko is tested with boosted power, causing all passengers to react. At the same time, Grace learns Ben has been fired from his job. Michaela, Jared, Vance, Ben, and Fiona find nothing at the warehouse, but Cal arrives and exposes a hidden door. There is a gun fight and the missing passengers are freed. Vance, Jared, and Laurence are caught in an accidental explosion. Fiona escorts the missing passengers to a safe location. At a hospital with Jared, Michaela is told Vance died. Grace and Ben decide their marriage is no longer working and Ben leaves. Privately, Autumn uses a hidden cell phone to contact Laurence’s superiors and ask what they want her to do next.
10 10 “Crosswinds” Michael Smith Amanda Green & MW Cartozian Wilson January 7, 2019 T30.10110 5.84
As Ben leaves the memorial service for Vance, he is approached by “828Gate” podcaster Aaron Glover who wants to interview him. Fiona and Saanvi note that all of the rescued passengers have a simultaneous identical reaction, and arrange for some other passengers to visit them to see if they experienced a similar phenomenon. Michaela receives a vision of a blizzard and hears the words “find her”. She and Jared find Helen, the wife of one of the passengers who has awoken with amnesia. She says her husband had been abusive to her. Autumn becomes frustrated with the pressure Laurence’s superiors place on her. Olive invites Danny over for dinner in order to cheer up Grace. Ben persuades Vance’s subordinate Tim Powell to help find info on “the Major”, the shadowy figure in charge of the experiments on the passengers. Jared confesses to Michaela that he still loves her, and they sleep together. As Powell is picked up by people working for the Major, Autumn is visited by one of the Major’s minions named Director Jansen who states that the Major wants to speak to her. Cal has a calling where a man in a blizzard is holding a picture of Michaela as he quotes “find her”.
11 11 “Contrails” Marisol Adler Matthew Lau & Bobak Esfarjani January 14, 2019 T30.10111 5.46
In flashbacks, Captain Bill Daly and co-pilot Amuta fly Flight 828 through an unexpected storm. In 2018, Vance accuses him of questionable decisions. In the present, Bill tells Ben how he has been blamed for what happened to Flight 828 and the event separated him from his family. Michaela contacts Amuta, who supports Bill’s claim but has returned to Jamaica. Bill and Ben meet with a meteorologist, Roger Mencin, who suspected dark lightning contributed to Flight 828 vanishing, but he was coerced into silence before he could share his views publicly. Director Jansen prompts Autumn to visit Michaela, who is watching Cal. Believing he can prove he was not at fault for Flight 828, Bill abducts Fiona, whom he believes was involved in the conspiracy. Bill flies a stolen airplane and Fiona into another dark lightning storm. The Air National Guard claims the airplane was shot down, but the media reports no wreckage was recovered. Meanwhile, Michaela learns Roger died in a suspicious boating accident and suspects Autumn overheard a conversation about him. Grace discovers Cal is missing.
12 12 “Vanishing Point” Millicent Shelton Jeff Rake & Gregory Nelson January 21, 2019 T30.10112 5.37
Ben returns home to find Grace called the police about Cal’s disappearance. Michaela apprehends Autumn and meets Ben. Jared tells the police Cal is at his grandfather’s house and the search is ended. Finding a clue left behind by Cal, Ben and Grace try to find him in Tannersville, New York. Director Jansen learns Autumn is in police custody and informs the Major, who cancels the warrants so the police cannot hold her. Michaela learns that Autumn’s daughter was adopted before flight 828 returned and the Major had promised to reunite them. Michaela locates the daughter and Autumn tells the Major’s men, who were also looking for Cal, to go in the wrong direction. Ben and Grace follow Cal’s clues to a remote cabin. They reunite with Cal, who left home by himself to help a man at the cabin. Shortly after, a hiker named Zeke collapses at the cabin door. Michaela arrives and recognizes him from her last calling. He tells them he took shelter in a cave during a blizzard two weeks earlier, in December 2017. Ben informs him that it is currently December 2018. Meanwhile, the Major moves into a New York apartment.
13 13 “Cleared for Approach” Constantine Makris Laura Putney & Margaret Easley January 28, 2019 T30.10113 5.54
Zeke is not ready to return to his life, prompting Michaela to stay with him, while Ben and Grace take Cal home. As they settle back, a brick is thrown through their front window with Ben discovering a large red X painted on their front door. While getting supplies for Zeke, Michaela learns about Chloe, Zeke’s younger sister who had died earlier in the same area. Jared ultimately connects the Stone’s broken window to Calvin Webber, who runs a conspiracy website about Flight 828 passengers. Ben confronts Calvin unknowing that his threats are being live-streamed as the police had arrived during that time. At the police station, Jared forwards a warning to Ben from his bosses. If he retaliates against Calvin again, neither he or Michaela can help him. Michaela and Zeke follow a calling to Chloe’s memorial, where they build a cairn to pay respect. Meanwhile, Saanvi tells Ben that Zeke has the same blood marker they do, based on the sample he brought her. As she leaves her research lab, she too finds a large red X painted on her lab door. Grace and Ben begin to reconcile. Michaela and Zeke find a painting of two people under three stars, just as dark lightning forms in the sky.
14 14 “Upgrade” Craig Zisk Matthew Lau & Ezra W. Nachman February 4, 2019 T30.10114 5.26
Michela invites Zeke to stay at her apartment, who then has a calling about a black wolf, which is also experienced by Cal. Saanvi is asked to treat the cancer-stricken husband of a desperate woman named Alice Ciccone, a member of the “Church of the Returned”, who believe Flight 828 passengers can perform miracles. When Saanvi cannot help the man, Alice forces her to continue at gunpoint. Ben believes something has happened to Saanvi, locating a church pamphlet Alice dropped in Saanvi’s office. Michaela admits to her affair with Jared to Lourdes. Ben and Michela head to Alice’s house, where they find and rescue Saanvi. Adrian, the leader of the Church of the Returned and a Flight 828 passenger, admits to Ben that he does not believe what he is preaching and he scolds him for what Alice did. Director Jansen reports seeing Ben during a church meeting to the Major. Michela visits Lourdes only to find she has left Jared. Cal draws Zeke’s calling, showing the wolf with Michaela. A getaway van from a robbery is pulled from the East River three days after it crashed, which Michaela is assigned to investigate. When she opens the door, the driver James Griffin lunges at her, gasping for air.
15 15 “Hard Landing” Claudia Yarmy Gregory Nelson & Bobak Esfarjani February 11, 2019 T30.10115 6.00
In a flashback, James Griffin kills two guards and his two accomplices during a robbery. In the present, James is taken to the hospital where Saanvi works after he is pulled from his getaway van. Griffin has a calling about a bomb threat which is overheard by Michaela, Jared, Ben, and Zeke, but he is sedated before they can learn more. Saanvi finds the blood marker in Griffin, and they realize he and his van were missing for 82 hours and 8 minutes. This was given a negative comment by Calvin Webber. Michaela explains the callings to Griffin, who then decides to offer what he knows to the FBI in exchange for a reduced sentence. Meanwhile, Saanvi develops PTSD symptoms in response to the incident with Alice. Zeke is arrested while trying to break into a townhouse, which he tells Michaela belongs to his mom. The FBI grants Griffin immunity for the murders committed during the robbery and they defuse a bomb in Midtown Manhattan using information he gives them. Afterwards, Michaela has another vision of the black wolf.
16 16 “Estimated Time of Departure” Dean White Jeff Rake & Amanda Green February 18, 2019 T30.10116 5.36
Griffin is released from police custody. Michaela, Ben, Saanvi, and Zeke all hear a calling to “Stop him”. Suspicious of Zeke, Jared asks fellow officer Tony Diaz to follow him. Diaz sees Zeke purchase something in an alley. Michaela and Ben confront Griffin moments before he is about to reveal the callings on a TV talk show. Zeke is planning to shoot and kill Griffin to obey the calling. Suddenly, Griffin spews a massive amount of water, essentially dry drowning on a dry sidewalk. Olive and Ben calculate that Griffin died eighty-two hours and eight minutes after he returned – the same period of time he was gone. Ben calculates the Flight 828 passengers will all die on June 2, 2024, with Cal confirming he had a vision of their deaths. Grace tells Ben she is pregnant, but with Danny most likely being the father. Dr. Matthews recommends a therapist to Saanvi for her PTSD, but the therapist turns out to be the Major. Jared confronts Zeke in Michaela’s apartment, believing Zeke bought drugs in the alley. When Zeke reveals he actually bought a gun, Jared and Zeke engage in a fight. As Michaela returns to her apartment, the fight triggers a gunshot fired off camera.

Season 2 (2020)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title  Directed by Written by Original air date  Prod.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)
17 1 “Fasten Your Seatbelts” Joe Chappelle Jeff Rake & Bobak Esfarjani January 6, 2020 T30.10201 4.73
Michaela is hit by the stray shot, and she urges Zeke to flee the scene while Jared calls for help. Michaela has a calling involving Cal and a nosediving airplane. Kate Bowers becomes the new police captain to tie up some loose ends and has Michaela reassigned to having Drea Mikami as a new partner. Grace and Ben share the news of the pregnancy with the rest of the family, but keep it secret from Danny. Michaela connects a reported missing couple named Anson and Trina Vasik with two flight 828 passengers. Ben notices a van watching him and other passengers. After Cal tells him to stay close to Michaela, Zeke turns himself in to the police. Ben and Michaela find Anson and Trina near the George Washington Bridge. They help them interpret their calling which revealed that a car containing a family is trapped on the cliff after the father had fallen asleep. Grace has not told Danny about her pregnancy. Still posing as a therapist, the Major tells Saanvi to either open up more or go to a recommended support group. Ben confronts the occupants of the van and is abducted by someone who is revealed to be Vance.
18 2 “Grounded” Claudia Yarmy Laura Putney & Margaret Easley January 13, 2020 T30.10202 3.49
Vance tells Ben that he pretends to be dead to better track The Major. Michaela attends Zeke’s trial, where he pleads guilty to fleeing a crime scene. When Grace and Ben go to determine who fathered her baby, she gets a calling telling her to halt. They realize the baby must be Ben’s and the callings can be transferred via DNA. When Olive is told, she feels alone as the only family member not having callings and visits the Church of the Returned. Saanvi reveals the news about the baby to the Major in a therapy session. Ben meets TJ, an 828 passenger and college student who is called to dig up the body of a female classmate. Jared arrests TJ when his fingerprints are found in her dorm room, but Michaela’s callings help her reveal a security guard as the real perpetrator. Ben meets an old friend who is now the dean at TJ’s college, and she recommends he apply to work there. Vance and Ben realize the Major has access to Saanvi’s DNA research. Cal and Michaela have the same calling again as Zeke is kept drugged in a special cell.
19 3 “False Horizon” Nathan Hope Jeannine Renshaw & MW Cartozian Wilson January 20, 2020 T30.10203 3.64
Olive continues to attend the Church of the Returned who have become more fervent in their beliefs while Michaela fights for Zeke in court. Aware someone is passing her research to the Major, Saanvi sets a trap and identifies a mole in her hospital and her therapist as the leak. Working with Ben and Vance, Saanvi identifies The Major as US Army Major General Kathryn Fitz, a specialist in psychological warfare with thirty years in covert ops. Meanwhile, Michaela helps Zeke get released from jail and Grace fails to fulfill a calling when it comes to a woman named Erika and a gargoyle. Ben is offered a job at TJ’s college, but the hiring faculty member Simon White has a secret, sinister motivation as Erika is revealed to be his wife. The gargoyle sculptures on the college are then revealed. Angry at Michaela, Jared connects with a bartender named Tamara whose bar is frequented by the Xers, the group that has been harassing the 828 passengers.
20 4 “Black Box” Sherwin Shilati Simran Baidwan & Bobak Esfarjani January 27, 2020 T30.10204 3.72
Michaela and Zeke share a calling that leads them to a bank that is being robbed. Michaela recognizes the gunman as an 828 passenger named Logan Strickland who has shared the death date calling. They try to calm him and persuade the ESU to wait while they ensure he gets into the safety deposit box he is after. At the same time, Ben and TJ work through a separate calling that leads them to Logan’s brother Frank. Frank has the key to the safety deposit box and Ben takes him to the bank. Inside the box is a compass with a bullet in it that saved Logan and Frank’s grandfather during World War II. Logan believes it will save his life too, and he gives it to Michaela for safekeeping while he is incarcerated. Having learned about the death date, TJ is upset and Olive takes him to the Church of the Returned for hope. Following the incident at the bank, Jared meets Tamara for a date. Meanwhile, the Major realizes she has been exposed and has Saanvi’s research stolen from her lab and home. Saanvi tells Vance she had isolated the trait and was working on ways to both grant it to others and remove it from those who have it.
21 5 “Coordinated Flight” Marisol Adler Matthew Lau & Marta Gené Camps February 3, 2020 T30.10205 3.55
Olive is the only witness when Xers vandalize the Church of the Returned and attack a member, and Ben receives a calling to “save her”. Meanwhile, Grace’s car is forced off the road by other Xers. In both instances, police dismiss the seriousness of the events because the victims are passengers and the attacks appear random. While being treated at the hospital, Ben and Grace learn their baby is a girl and assume the calling was about her. Ben and TJ review events and realize the Xer attacks have been carefully planned to divert police manpower. Olive tells Michaela what she saw and identifies a suspect, who directs the police to a meeting place for Xers. Jared knows Tamara’s brother Billy was involved, so he leaks news of the coming raid to them and Michaela’s strike team finds nothing. In return, Jared is introduced to Simon White, the organizer of the Xers. Meanwhile, Zeke tries to make amends with Courtney, a woman he wronged as an addict. She initially rejects him, but later identifies herself to Michaela as Zeke’s wife. Olive tells her parents about visiting the Church of the Returned, Ben tells Adrian to stay away from Olive.
22 6 “Return Trip” Mo Perkins Laura Putney & Margaret Easley February 10, 2020 T30.10206 3.70
Ben and Michaela learn Saanvi is trying experimental treatments on herself. Courtney asks for help with a large debt to a dangerous drug dealer named Lucas. Zeke and Michaela try to catch him in a sting operation. Michaela finds pills hidden in Zeke’s razor. Ben and Saanvi share a calling about a young boy named Theo who they learn is 828 passenger Finn Nowak’s illegitimate child. When they meet Theo, Saanvi recognizes signs of liver failure in the boy and Finn is a donor match. Meanwhile, Olive and TJ research an ancient tarot deck connected to a calling and learn its creator was a mariner named Al-Zuras. Grace is asked to participate in a magazine story about the first 828 baby. At Tamara’s bar, Jared informs Billy how Michaela’s return started to affect his life. Saanvi experiments on herself again, triggering a shared calling between herself, Michaela, Ben, and Adrian involving a crashed airplane and falling ash.
23 7 “Emergency Exit” Jean de Segonzac Jeannine Renshaw & Ezra W. Nachman February 17, 2020 T30.10207 3.70
As Ben and others try to make sense of the crashed, smoldering airplane calling, he confronts Adrian to discuss his preaching and the negative attention it attracts. Olive and TJ share their research about the creator of the Al-Zuras tarot deck with Ben. Michaela confronts Zeke about the pills she found, but he claims to not know about them. Saanvi’s latest experiment results in the elimination of the mutation. Meanwhile, numerous 828 passengers are invited to an event at the club where Isaiah works, with an offer of free champagne. However, the champagne has been spiked with gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid. Right after Cal gets a repeat calling to “save them”, Isaiah locks the club’s doors and starts a fire to prove the 828ers are miracles. While Ben, Michaela, Zeke and Jared are able to get several people out, numerous unnamed 828 passengers die from either the champagne or the fire as TJ throws himself on top of Isaiah. A distraught Adrian walks way from the fire.
24 8 “Carry On” Nicole Rubio Jeff Rake & Simran Baidwan March 2, 2020 T30.10208 3.64
Olive is still devastated by the events at the nightclub. Following an Xer meeting, Simon advises Jared to keep an eye on Billy as he can be a loose cannon. Michaela and Drea witness Jared leaving the bar and kissing Tamara. After Drea infiltrates the bar and interacts with Billy, Michaela finds that Billy has had some arrest records. As the ruined nightclub is used for memorials, Ben’s latest calling takes him to a zen mediation center. When he brings Olive, another chanting calling leads them underground where they find TJ still alive. With a warrant from Judge Trilling, Michaela secretly plants a bug in the bar, obtains evidence Jared is working with the Xers, and gives it to Bowers. Bowers privately shares the information with Jared. Saanvi kisses her former lover and fellow doctor, Alex, in a park. Alex, who is married, later confronts Saanvi at the hospital about the incident saying it cannot happen again, but Saanvi has no memory of the event.
25 9 “Airplane Bottles” Ramaa Mosley Matthew Lau & MW Cartozian Wilson March 9, 2020 T30.10209 3.67
When Zeke goes to see Saanvi about the frostbite he is slowly developing, he finds that Saanvi has been developing short-term memory loss causing him to call in Alex. Two internal affairs agents arrive at the 129th Precinct to presumably discuss Jared’s involvement with the Xers, but they instead question Michaela about the cases she solves using mysterious means as well as her interaction with Isaiah the night of the fire. Michaela states that she will not continue until she gets a union representative by her side. Jared confronts Simon about the situation. Simon says Michaela is a threat who must be disposed of. Cal’s latest calling is shared with Ben, Grace, and a recuperating TJ, where they try to build something during what appears to be a thunderstorm outside. Thanks to some clues, they manage to pull together a makeshift ship’s rigging, which briefly places them on an ancient boat from which they see Flight 828 in the sky; they also learn that the ancient mariners who tried to get rid of the callings went mad. Alex is able to get a counter-agent injected into Saanvi as she advises her to be careful. Recognizing the union rep from a previous Xer meeting, Jared has to arrest Michaela before the relocated meeting in order to keep her from getting killed by the union rep.
26 10 “Course Deviation” Michael Smith Laura Putney & Margaret Easley March 16, 2020 T30.10210 4.29
After Michaela is bailed out, Jared and Kate reveal to her that Jared has been working undercover to disrupt the Xers. Grace gets a calling about a bridge over the Harlem River. She and Ben go there and find Adrian, who had the same calling. Grace’s water breaks and Ben rushes her to the hospital. Shortly after, Adrian rescues a kayaker from the river. At the hospital, Ben has to make a choice to save Grace or the baby as the specialist surgeon has not arrived yet, and he chooses Grace (against her wishes). It turns out the specialist surgeon who can save both Grace and the baby is the man rescued by Adrian. Despite this, Adrian tells Ben he still does not believe the callings are ultimately good. Jared is called to the bar where Billy and other Xers are holding Zeke captive. Simon arrives with Erika and orders Zeke to be killed, which is heard by Michaela and others through the bug. This leads to Simon, Erika, Billy, and two other Xers being arrested during the police raid. Tamara accuses Jared of only getting close to her to capture the Xers which Jared denies. Adrian and Cal both have visions of three mysterious shadows of human forms.
27 11 “Unaccompanied Minors” Andy Wolk Jeannine Renshaw & Marta Gené Camps March 23, 2020 T30.10211 4.12
As Zeke’s death date approaches, Saanvi tries to convince him she is close to a cure. Ben and TJ get callings that lead them to rescue a man from a suicide attempt. The man turns out to be Zeke’s estranged father Gordon, and Ben helps a reluctant Zeke make peace with him. Michaela stops a teenager named Oscar fleeing a store, and he confesses to stealing a candy bar. Michaela gets a calling to “let him go” and does so while watching Oscar board a bus. She later learns from the bodega owner that Oscar also stole a large quantity of cold medication known to be used to cook methamphetamine. Michaela works with Jared to follow Oscar’s steps, resulting in a bust at a meth lab run by ex-con Jace Baylor. Jace and his brother Pete were in cahoots with the bus driver Kory, who drove the bus that Oscar got on. At the lab, Michaela gets another calling to “let him go”, but has to ignore it when Jace reaches for a weapon. Jace, Pete and Kory are revealed to be the three shadows in the calling that Adrian and Cal experienced.
28 12 “Call Sign” Joe Chappelle Simran Baidwan & Ezra W. Nachman March 30, 2020 T30.10212 4.08
Jared and Drea try to get a confession from Jace, Pete, and Kory who seek revenge on Michaela and her family. Ben has a calling to help a passenger who is racked with guilt, as he was also the man who inspected the plane just prior to Flight 828 taking off from Montego. Saanvi attempts to contact Vance for help getting her credentials back and protecting her from the Major. Vance reveals that The Major has done her own research on the mutation. Michaela and Zeke get married; Zeke’s mutually estranged parents are both present, and Michaela’s late mother appears to her in the empty chair that was reserved for her. Jace, Pete, and Kory engineer an escape from the bus that is taking them to Rikers. TJ reveals to Olive that he plans on going to Egypt to continue his studies. Jace, Pete, and Kory later kidnap Cal and hold him for a ransom of their confiscated drug stash.
29 13 “Icing Conditions” Romeo Tirone Jeff Rake & Matthew Lau April 6, 2020 T30.10213 4.36
Michaela tells Ben and Grace about Cal’s kidnapping and takes meth from police evidence to trade for his return, with help from Jared and Drea. A pedestrian notifies a patrol officer of the bag Michaela left behind, botching the trade as Jace flees with Cal. Zeke has a calling which helps them locate Cal in the Catskill Mountains. At a remote cabin, Pete frees Cal. Michaela, Ben and Zeke approach the cabin as Cal leads the three criminals onto a frozen lake. All fall through the ice, but Zeke jumps in, saves Cal, then dies. Within minutes, Zeke comes back to life, appearing free from hypothermia and the death date. Ben concludes that the only way to beat the death date is to follow the callings. Elsewhere, Saanvi ignores Vance’s requests and tracks down The Major, poisoning her in hopes of gathering information. As the two struggle, the sole vial of antidote breaks and The Major dies. Ben has another calling in which Flight 828 explodes and crashes into the ocean. To Jared’s disbelief, divers are unable to locate the bodies of the three criminals in the frozen lake. A Cuban fishing boat recovers the tail of Flight 828 from the ocean, as a dumbfounded fisherman claims it is from the plane that returned.

Season 3 (2021)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title  Directed by Written by  Original air date  Prod.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)
30 1 “Tailfin” Romeo Tirone Jeff Rake & Bobak Esfarjani April 1, 2021 T30.10301 3.99
Ben and Vance are in Cuba to follow up on the tailfin. Upon touching it, Ben is thrown backward, which is caught on camera phone by a local boy. A Cuban policeman sees the video and forces Ben to duplicate the incident, but Vance arrives to intervene. Ben and Vance’s associate get on a plane to escape, leaving Vance to be apprehended by the DGI. Michaela and Zeke are on their honeymoon in Costa Rica when Cal discovers a recent calling is of 828 passenger Angelina Meyer. Michaela learns Angelina is being held captive in Costa Rica by her highly religious parents, who believe their daughter is possessed. She rescues Angelina, and Ben’s plane is diverted to rescue the group. Saanvi runs a private medical clinic, but is shown following 828 leads in a back room. A woman visits the 129th precinct and talks to Jared, stating she hasn’t heard from her mother, Kathryn Fitz, with him unaware Fitz is missing. Ben and Michaela discuss the tailfin, now believing that Flight 828 exploded and killed everyone, but they were resurrected for still-unknown reasons. Jace, Pete and Kory are then shown emerging from the thawed lake and coming back to life.
31 2 “Deadhead” Romeo Tirone Laura Putney & Margaret Easley April 8, 2021 T30.10302 3.15
Michaela gets her suspension lifted and reunites with Drea. They view park ranger footage of Jace, Pete, and Kory walking out of the lake. They investigate and learn the men assaulted two campers and stole their RV. Angelina has a haunting calling that leads her to her old school. With Olive’s help, she digs up a time capsule containing an old photo of herself at a King Kone stand, reminding her of a time when family life was normal. Pete tells Jace they should flee to Canada. Jace agrees, but first tries to score money at the place he worked years ago: the King Kone. While there, Pete retrieves the photo that Angelina dropped. Jace and Kory leave without him when the cops come. Pete is arrested by Michaela and Drea, and says the photo has both himself and Jace in the background. Elsewhere, Grace tries to find a safe place for Cal with the three meth heads loose, forcing her to reunite with her estranged stepbrother Tarik. Also, Ben gets unexpected help from Tim Powell in rescuing Vance, while Zeke correctly deduces that Saanvi is troubled by something. News breaks of the discovery of a piece of Flight 828 in Cuba and the Stone house is inundated by reporters looking for answers.
32 3 “Wingman” TBA Simran Baidwan & Ezra W. Nachman April 15, 2021 TBA TBD
33 4 “Tailspin” TBA Marta Gené Camps April 22, 2021 TBA TBD
34 5 “Water Landing” TBA Matthew Lau TBA TBA TBD
35 6 “Graveyard Spiral” TBA Laura Putney & Margaret Easley TBA TBA TBD

Production

Development

On August 23, 2017, NBC gave the production a put pilot commitment. The pilot was written by Jeff Rake, who was also set to serve as executive producer alongside Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke. Jackie Levine was expected to serve as a co-executive producer. Production companies involved with the pilot were slated to consist of Compari Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. In January 2018, NBC gave the production a pilot order and that David Frankel would direct and executive produce the pilot. In May 2018, NBC gave the production a series order of thirteen episodes with a premiere in third quarter of 2018 and a Monday timeslot at 10 p.m. On June 19, 2018, the series premiere was set for September 24, 2018. On October 18, 2018, NBC ordered an additional three episodes of the series, bringing the 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 a third season which premiered on April 1, 2021.

Casting

In February 2018, Josh Dallas, Melissa Roxburgh, and J. R. Ramirez joined the pilot’s main cast. Athena Karkanis, Parveen Kaur, and Luna Blaise were cast in main roles the following month. In August 2019, Yasha Jackson, Garrett Wareing, Andrene Ward-Hammond, and Ellen Tamaki were cast in recurring role for the second season. In October 2019, Leah Gibson and Carl Lundstedt had been cast in recurring capacities. 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.

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, “Manifests 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 Todays 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 LostBreaking 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, Varietys 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 Timess 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 Posts Hank Stuevercompared 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 “Manifesthas 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.

Viewership and ratings per season of Manifest
Season Timeslot (ET) Episodes First aired Last aired TV season Viewership
rank
Avg. viewers
(millions)
Date Viewers
(millions)
Date Viewers
(millions)
1 Monday 10:00 p.m. 16 September 24, 2018 10.40 February 18, 2019 5.36 2018–19 9 12.61
2 13 January 6, 2020 4.73 April 6, 2020 4.36 2019–20 38 7.70
3 Thursday 8:00 p.m. 13 April 1, 2021 3.99 TBA TBD 2020–21 TBD TBD

Season 1

Viewership and ratings per episode of Manifest
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)
1 “Pilot” September 24, 2018 2.2/9 10.40 2.0 7.99 4.2 18.40
2 “Reentry” October 1, 2018 1.8/8 8.45 1.8 7.51 3.6 15.96
3 “Turbulence” October 8, 2018 1.6/7 7.45 1.8 7.38 3.4 14.85
4 “Unclaimed Baggage” October 15, 2018 1.5/7 7.46 1.7 6.88 3.2 14.35
5 “Connecting Flights” October 22, 2018 1.4/6 7.29 1.6 6.34 3.0 13.63
6 “Off Radar” November 5, 2018 1.2/5 6.28 1.8 6.97 3.1 13.24
7 “S.N.A.F.U.” November 12, 2018 1.1/5 6.10 1.6 5.81 2.7 11.91
8 “Point of No Return” November 19, 2018 1.1/5 5.56 1.5 5.95 2.6 11.52
9 “Dead Reckoning” November 26, 2018 1.1/5 5.97 1.3 5.47 2.4 11.44
10 “Crosswinds” January 7, 2019 1.1/5 5.84 1.5 5.74 2.6 11.58
11 “Contrails” January 14, 2019 0.9/5 5.46 1.5 5.54 2.4 11.00
12 “Vanishing Point” January 21, 2019 1.0/5 5.37 1.3 5.37 2.3 10.74
13 “Cleared for Approach” January 28, 2019 1.0/5 5.54 1.4 5.47 2.4 11.01
14 “Upgrade” February 4, 2019 0.9/4 5.26 1.3 5.36 2.2 10.56
15 “Hard Landing” February 11, 2019 1.1/5 6.00 1.2 5.13 2.3 11.13
16 “Estimated Time of Departure” February 18, 2019 1.0/5 5.36 1.2 4.98 2.2 10.34

Season 2

Viewership and ratings per episode of Manifest
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)
1 “Fasten Your Seatbelts” January 6, 2020 0.9/5 4.73 0.9 4.28 1.8 9.02
2 “Grounded” January 13, 2020 0.7/3 3.49 0.9 4.14 1.6 7.64
3 “False Horizon” January 20, 2020 0.7/4 3.64 0.9 4.15 1.6 7.79
4 “Black Box” January 27, 2020 0.6/4 3.72 0.9 3.91 1.5 7.63
5 “Coordinated Flight” February 3, 2020 0.7 3.55 0.9 4.05 1.6 7.60
6 “Return Trip” February 10, 2020 0.6 3.70 0.8 3.87 1.4 7.57
7 “Emergency Exit” February 17, 2020 0.6 3.70 0.8 3.75 1.4 7.45
8 “Carry On” March 2, 2020 0.7 3.64 0.8 3.73 1.5 7.37
9 “Airplane Bottles” March 9, 2020 0.6 3.67 0.7 3.47 1.3 7.14
10 “Course Deviation” March 16, 2020 0.8 4.29 0.7 3.43 1.5 7.72
11 “Unaccompanied Minors” March 23, 2020 0.7 4.12 0.8 3.62 1.5 7.75
12 “Call Sign” March 30, 2020 0.7 4.08 0.9 3.75 1.6 7.83
13 “Icing Conditions” April 6, 2020 0.7 4.36 0.7 3.20 1.4 7.56

Season 3

Viewership and ratings per episode of Manifest
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
DVR viewers
(millions)
Total
(18–49)
Total viewers
(millions)
1 “Tailfin” April 1, 2021 0.7 3.99 TBD TBD TBD TBD
2 “Deadhead” April 8, 2021 0.5 3.15 TBD TBD TBD TBD

Accolades

Year Association Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2019 Saturn Awards Best Science Fiction TV Series Manifest Nominated
2019 Imagen Awards Best Primetime Program – Drama Manifest Nominated