Over the years, a multitude of shows tried to replaceLost, a trend-setting series and easily one of the most popular shows of the 2000s. Unsurprisingly, none of these attempts succeeded in that regard, as the ABC series' iconic status couldn’t be replicated by any of theLost-like mystery showsthat followed it. As for which one came the closest to pulling that off,Manifestwas arguably the strongest effort among them all.
Similar toLost,Manifestused an airplane disappearance as the springboard for its story.Manifestemployed a large cast of charactersacross different backgrounds to unravel a complex and wide-reaching mystery that turned out to be something so much bigger than just a vanishing airplane. While it may not have stranded Flight 828’s passengers on a tropical island or pitted them against a monster, the NBC series did well in recreatingLost’swinning formula, albeit with some key differences.
Manifest’s Original Mystery Was As Interesting As Lost’s
Manifest Kicked Off With A Compelling Mystery
Lostnever would have worked without a compelling premise, and the same was the case forManifest.Lost’sisland was an enigma from the start, with its resident monster and various goings-on offering an early hook for its audience. The plane served a similar purpose inManifest, as it too was able to instantly spark interest. The idea that an airplane full of passengers disappeared and returned five years later, with no one on board even realizing it, was an extremely thought-provoking premise for the show to focus on.
In addition to launching new mysteries, this fundamental concept benefited the drama immensely. Though the problems this situation handedManifest’smain characters weren’t exactly relatable due to the sci-fi nature of it all, they did manage to make them sympathetic figures. It was easy to care about them, asit came across as a realistic look at how people would be impacted if they returned after being missing from their loved ones' lives for five years. Just as it was inManifest,they wanted to understand how and why it happened, with the show also compelling the viewer to wonder about these things as well.
Manifest’s Large Cast & Number Of Episodes Were Similar To Lost’s
Manifest Brought Together A Diverse Group Of People
The clashing viewpoints and personalities and varying backgrounds of characters like Jack, Locke, and Sawyer had a lot to do with what madeLostwork. Similarly,the charactersManifestchose to be at the forefront of its story were integral to its popularity.Its decision to make a family its focal point separated it slightly fromLost’scast approach, but not completely. After all,Manifestdidn’t just explore the trials the Stone family went through together; it pulled other characters into their orbit as well. This allowed them to form dynamics with people from different walks of life they’d otherwise never get to know, like Saanvi, Vance, TJ, Adrian, and Zeke.
The format in which it told its characters' stories also carries comparisons toLost. As a network show,Manifestwasn’t a mystery show in the style ofStranger Things, The Leftovers,orFrom,which were able to utilize shorter seasons and more freedom with their content to deliver neat, concise storylines. BothLostandManifestcomprised long seasons, with episodes tackling standalone challenges for their characters, all the while offering developments along the way that gradually advanced the overarching narrative.
Manifest Left Room For A Lot Of Speculation And Fan Theories
Both Manifest & Lost Led To Dozens Of Fan Theories
Lostroped in viewers by raising all sorts of interesting questions about the island as its story progressed. Inserting a polar bear into the action, the mystery pertaining tothe French woman’s radio broadcast, and the presence of a monster, were all twists thatLost’sfirst season used to contribute intrigue to the story at an early stage.Manifestwas a lot likeLostin this respect, and that’s evident from season to season. As a multi-season story that was never going to answer its defining mystery in its first few episodes,it was necessary forManifestto offer at least some breadcrumbs and throw some new mysteries into the equationat the same time.
How it linked Al-Zuras to the passengers was akin toLostweaving an elaborate web that connected so many different people to the island, such as the characters in Desmond’s storyline, the Dharma Initiative, and more.
Doing this paved the way for a long list of theories about what was really going on inManifest. A shocking reveal about Flight 828’s connection to a16th-century explorer named Al-Zurasstands out as one of its biggest game-changing twists, and one that greatly expanded the scope of the story in a fascinating way. How it linked Al-Zuras to the passengers was akin toLostweaving an elaborate web that connected so many different people to the island, such as the characters in Desmond’s storyline, the Dharma Initiative, and more.
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BothLostandManifestalso contained some bizarre elementsto them as well.Lost, of course, had the polar bear, which felt like a seemingly random inclusion until that mystery was properly explained. Plus, there was the statue of the foot and the number sequence that always popped up at the oddest of times. NBC’s show was also good at delivering some head-scratching moments, such aswhenManifestthrust Noah’s Ark into the pictureand made Captain Daly’s whereabouts a mystery all on its own.
Manifest Was Very Successful (Despite Having A Lot Of Problems)
While it’s true thatManifestultimately didn’t rise to the level of popularity thatLosthad when it was at its peak, it was a success nonetheless. Its cancelation at NBC may suggest otherwise, but how things worked out shows thatManifestdid in fact acquire a sizable following. Apparently, having its first two (and eventually third) seasons brought over to Netflix was just the boost it needed. The streaming records it broke on Netflix were a testament to its story and ability to craft an interesting mystery. It was even enough to get the show properly revived on Netflix, where it was able to reach a definitive conclusion with one last season.
Unfortunately, not all of its similarities were considered positive.Lostfaced a lot of criticism, especially in its later seasons, for its lack of clear answers, with many of them being delayed all the way up until the final episodes.Manifest, to its credit, didn’t wait as long to explain what caused the disappearance of Flight 828, with that detail coming early in season 4. Butnot unlikeLost’sending, there was a degree of controversy surroundingManifest’sseries finale, with some of its answers being deemed unsatisfactory. This might not have been the most ideal connection toLost,but goes to show thatno series can follow its example without also copying some of its pitfalls.
Manifest
Cast
A supernatural drama series created for NBC, Manifest is an investigation of a fictional flight, Montego Air Flight 828, that went missing for five years after a moment of turbulence in the sky. However, the passengers and crew only felt a moment pass despite the rest of the world assuming they were all gone. The “survivors” now try to reacclimate to society as the world has moved on without them - but voices from beyond seem to beckon them somewhere unknown.
