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There are more serious crimes in the world of television than to be without originality. And "Manifest", a new drama broadcast Monday on NBC, is resolutely original. But worse than that, it's so boring.
The principle seems cool: Flight 828 takes off from Jamaica, experiences brief turbulence, then lands – except that five and a half years have passed on the ground, even if only a few hours have passed for everyone. on board.
A series of mysterious aircraft incidents immediately evokes memories of "Lost". There are also obvious traces of "The 4400", a program broadcast in the United States from 2004 to 2007, in which 4,400 people missing and presumed dead for years reappear. in mass, not having aged at all, and now all have subtle supernatural powers.
Neither "Lost" nor "The 4400" are perfect, but they always try to make interesting choices. "Manifest", on the other hand, makes the choice the least interesting and decides to be a generic and joyless police show.
Our point of entry is Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh), a police officer who is still dealing with personal trauma when she, her brother (Josh Dallas) and her young nephew (Jack Messina) – who has cancer, my dear – agree to be reverse. original flight and end up on 828 instead. Her parents, sister-in-law and niece take the previous flight.
After the flight, the niece (Luna Blaise) is now a teenager, while her twin brother is still a small child. Michaela's mother is dead. And his boyfriend (J.R. Ramirez) did detective, but he also married his girlfriend. We all thought you were dead! Life had to go on! It would be sadder or more emotional if someone had a living chemistry or apparent links. As it stands, it plays like a to-do list, not a story.
It's then that the supernatural stuff comes in. Michaela starts to hear a voice, pushing her vaguely: she insists that the bus driver slows down, saving a child who runs in the street. She releases dogs, which leads to greater revelation, but not in a fun way. And, hey, there was also a cancer doctor and maybe his research will save the little nephew after all.
Does everyone of the flight develop superpowers? Is everyone connected in a quest for the greatest good? Does the number 828 – which continues to emerge – have a meaning that goes beyond human comprehension? Probably. But also, who cares?
"Manifest" has a lack of frustrating propulsion, a central dullness whose strength field is so strong that it bends all the interesting parts to itself. The oncologist, who missed five years of research, is stunned to learn that his assumptions have led to a revolutionary new treatment – it's an intriguing concept that could be a fascinating plot. Instead, an older colleague is just giving him lectures and trying to protect the study. "We can not save everyone," he says, as if it were not a line and a miserably abusive conflict over a dozen doctors' shows.
NBC has put only one episode of "manifesto" at the disposal of critics, and it is possible that the series will flourish into a spiritual drama and rich in action. I am skeptical about his long-term promise, however, because whatever the premise, whatever the mystery, any saga that attempts to create a series is based on the viability of his characters, on their appearance. And no one here feels like a person in the first place.
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