Mystery box thrillers are incredibly compelling in the beginning, but their formula can often backfire. Even some of the best mystery box shows like Lost and The Leftovers have suffered because their ambition outweighed their ability to offer closure. Owing to this, it is hard not to deny that even executing a consistently engaging mystery box narrative is not an easy feat.
One of Netflix’s better supernatural dramas, Manifest, seems to have mastered the art of laying out one mystery after another without ever turning viewers off. Interestingly, NBC was Manifest‘s network home before it was canceled after a three-season run. This is when Netflix stepped in and rescued the series, allowing it to last for one more season.
The show has performed so well on Netflix that the streaming service has also ordered its spin-off, Arrivals: A New Manifest Mystery. In terms of critical reception, Manifest is not exactly among the best supernatural dramas of our time. It does, however, deserve kudos for knowing how to consistently keep viewers intrigued by its story.
Love It Or Hate It, Manifest Knows How To Keep Viewers Glued To Their Screens
Lost pioneered modern day mystery box storytelling. It constantly expanded its mythology and, at times, did not even bother looking back at some of its unresolved mysteries. Manifest matches Lost‘s ambition and approach in the sense that it features everything from interconnected character backstories and compelling religious mythological symbolism.
Unlike Lost, however, Manifest takes a more organized approach towards mystery box storytelling. It introduces a fixed set of narrative devices that drive its ever-growing set of mysteries. For instance, it features the “Calling” protocol, which is a mysterious hallucination that gives its characters a purpose in each episode.
The “Death Date” is another narrative engine in the series that drives its stakes. Manifest places a fixed deadline on every puzzle or mystery through the established “death date,” which ensures viewers have something to look forward to.
Instead of randomly pulling out one trick after another from its hat, Manifest also carefully ties every overarching mystery to the central phenomenon (Flight 828). With this, the show maintains a semblance of continuity and internal logic instead of descending into complete chaos.
Manifest Runs Its Plot A Little Too Thin, But It’s Still Extremely Addictive
Similar to Lost and The Leftovers, Manifest, too, has its own set of issues. There are times when it relies on over-exposition, especially when its characters explain their “Callings” to others. Even its recurring buzzwords that give it a sense of structure become increasingly redundant after a point.
Since the show packs a lot of story beats in its runtime, it even, at times, ends up forgetting the golden storytelling rule of showing and not telling.
Yet even when its lore begins to inflate and its “Calling of the Week” format begins to wear out, Manifest never loses its grip on giving viewers the gratification they seek. More often than not, it promises to provide explicit answers to its mysteries and also gradually delivers on the promise.
Even when it comes to its characters, Manifest carries an earnest moral core where it avoids being too cynical. In fact, even its core concepts like “Lifeboat“ and “Callings” are all about the importance of empathy and forgiveness.
Like The Leftover and Lost, Netflix’s Manifest is far from being perfect, but it delivers exactly what one expects from a mystery box drama and barely leaves any dull moments in its 62-episode runtime.
