Manifest Dead Reckoning S1E9: So Bad, So Sad

Spoiler Alert: We examine this episode in detail for those already familiar with the series. Why this episode when we didn’t cover the others? It’s a turning point in the show and its writers need help. Also, it’s so bad that it’s hilarious.

Pantsing is seat-of-your pants writing, renowned for the excitement it can generate, but sometimes reviled for its inability to make story-ends meet. The Pantser King was the television show Lost, where eventually, the plot itself was lost. The surprises were strong because its authors surprised themselves—until the show mired in its own confusion. That was nevertheless a much-envied success, so it should not come as a surprise that TV is clearly not done with pantsing. In fact, some have made it their religion. The problem is that the new shows have gotten “lost” early. (Look at Riverdale, e.g., which is now in some shaky territory itself).

Manifest, in only its ninth episode, is beset with poor writing compounded by stunningly bad directing. Looking a lot like The 4400, it was not a highly original concept to begin with and its creators obviously felt it needed a freewheeling approach.

At this point in the story, Team Calling has to rescue the missing plane travelers who are being held illegally at a particular location. NSA supervisor Vance, now their friend, insists that they do everything right to run a proper law enforcement operation. It’s ironic, then, that he knows the victims are being tortured in experiments yet he orders no ambulances to the scene. Hmm, I guess that’s covered under the idea that he doesn’t want to tip anyone off and blow the raid, but the two soldiers he posts outside could have called it in when the trap was sprung (along with, maybe, the bomb squad?)

After they raid the wrong building, Ben Stone’s son shows up and tells them how to find the real entrance. It’s come to him mysteriously, like all of his other hidden knowledge. He insists his father must join in on the rescue in person because he is “the only one who can see them.” What Ben can see, we don’t know yet.

They enter, they get into a firefight with the bad guys, and Ben very slowly and clumsily starts to rescue the electrocution victims by gradually removing the electrodes on their temples after being told to do that by the expert they have with them. The directing is such that he sometimes pretends the jellied contacts are welded on to the victims’ skin, and he must pull hard to get them off. Sure, he himself is hurting as he is indirectly affected by their pain, but that makes it all the more strange that the strike team doesn’t have anyone tasked for rescue.

In the confusion, now on their way out, the strike team splits into two groups. With no more gunfire to follow, all quickly get lost on their way out. Except for the people with Ben, who sees a set of lights reminiscent of a theater, or an airport runway (hint, hint). Now he stops to have a fascinating (to him) discussion about the fact that he sees the lights and no one else does. But oh! The expert reminds him that his kid said that before.

Good, now they have established the eeriness of the situation, they can run for their lives, yes? No. Ben is still uncertain of these lights that will show him the way out. He points his flashlight at the lights, plus looks behind him, and generally slows down. Do they not need to get out of there? The place is in flames, and the corridors are filling with smoke (smoke that somehow bothers no one). At a couple of points, they all stand still as if there is no studio set beyond their positions and they don’t know what to do about that. (Probably true).

Ben, now outside, goes to check on his son. That seems reasonable. But then Michaela asks, “Where’s Jared and Vance?”

Ben answers distractedly, “They went to get Lawrence with a couple of Vance’s guys.” Who is Lawrence?? No character with that name in the credits, but let’s assume it’s the bad guy.

Okay, so Ben somehow knows that. But he also knows that Jared and Vance cannot possibly get out of the underground bunker alive since he is only one who knows the way out. Yet he responds to his sister as if there is no problem.

Meanwhile, there are two remaining soldiers posted outside the bunker entrance, taking turns poking at the smoke with their rifle barrels with all the fear and confusion of extras who haven’t been told what to do.
The only clue for Michaela is that her friends might be in danger is a small explosion, which she runs toward. This is followed by a much larger explosion, which knocks her unconscious. Upon waking, this mishap does not prompt her to call for an ambulance outside while she still has cell service. Neither she nor her brother is inclined to do that. In fact, Ben suddenly turns cowardly and tells her that they should abandon everyone and get out of there.

She won’t. She runs into the tunnels to help her ex, and once she finds him unconscious, cries out helplessly as if phones were never invented. (Oddly, individual bricks–bricks?–are on fire in the background). By then, Ben has driven away with his son, and all the soldiers are dead, exited, or otherwise down.

Unexplained plot hole: Once home, Ben won’t tell his wife what’s going on. He simply lets her think he is endangering their lives instead of saving them. The son also won’t tell his mother a thing in defense of his father. Earlier, the writers’ excuse was that she doesn’t believe in the supernatural. At this point, however, Ben knows that there is a scientific explanation he can use, and he doesn’t. The authors have also peppered in the idea that maybe telling regular people about the callings makes them die automatically. Yet Ben has repeatedly made clear–even in this very episode–that he does not believe that. So all the excuses are gone, but the drama created by Ben’s widening rift with his wife is so convenient for the writers that they keep it on life support.

When Ben agrees to a split-up and moves out of the house, you might think that he’d warn his wife that people are trying to kill their son (so that maybe she can be alert to that possibility even if she doesn’t believe it), but no, he doesn’t. He makes a half-assed attempt to take his son with him and when she says no, he simply gives up and wanders out the door like a zombie.

If the show continues in this vein, Manifest’s destiny will not be a glorious one.