All Aboard?

Yet another Lost knockoff.

Last week's debut of the NBC drama Manifest did pretty well in the ratings.  The concept is simple--a flight takes off in 2013 but doesn't land until 2018, though no time has passed (okay, a bit over 3 hours) for the passengers.

There are about 200 people on board, and the show follows a handful.  There's Michaela, a cop who was having trouble with her fiance.  There's her brother, Ben, and Ben's son, Cal, who's got leukemia and doesn't look like he's going to make it.  Then there's Saanvi, a medical researcher hoping for a breakthrough.

After being lost (and presumed dead) for over five years, they land and are reunited with their loved ones.  Michaela discovers her fiancé--now a detective--has married her best friend.  Ben's wife has changed, too, though the show didn't reveal too much in its (well-named) pilot.  And Cal's twin sister, Olive, is now five years older than he is.

There's some good news.  Saanvi's research has proved useful in treating leukemia, so if Cal can get in the program, he's got a good chance.  Meanwhile, the authorities are investigating what happened, but not getting anywhere.

Oh yeah, on top of that, the people who were on the flight start hearing voices in their heads--their own voices, actually--telling them what to do.  And if they ignore their voice, it gets pretty insistent.  And these voices seem to know things, like slow down or you'll run over a kid about to rush into traffic, or investigate this lot where you'll find some children who have been kidnaped.

So that's the set-up.  The question is am I willing to watch a series going down this path?  I'm not sure if it's enough.  The situation holds some interest, but enough to sustain?  If this were a movie where the mysteries would be solved in two hours, or even a miniseries, I might take a chance, but year after year?  On top of which, the characters, so far, aren't much.

So for now I think I'm going to pass.  But if I hear good things, maybe I'll give it a second chance.

PS  The biggest mystery they haven't yet dealt with.  I would think the first thing the authorities would tell the passengers when they land in 2018 is "you'll never believe who's president."