Running out of TV shows and movies to stream? The Purbalite is here to help, with another installment of our What to Binge Watch feature.
The Netflix series Manifest is a great show that ties trauma into a sci-fi plot.
Montego Air Flight 828 was having a turbulent flight on April 7, 2013. The flight was thought to have crashed the day it departed. But when the flight mysteriously reappears five and a half years later, the passengers and crew are exactly the same as they left and had not aged a day.
For passengers, this flight was only three hours, but in that time, their families and friends have aged five and a half years and have left them behind. As the passengers and families rejoin society, they discover what truly happened on Flight 828.
One is passenger Michaela Stone, played by Melissa Roxburgh, who has previous trauma before the flight from getting into a car crash and killing a friend. Michaela was engaged before the flight, but after her return, she finds that her fiance has moved on and married her best friend, Lourdes.
This series not only has a sci-fi aspect but brings real-life trauma and events into the plot. Manifest portrays feelings of loss, grief, and guilt. Michaela Stone has outlasting trauma from before the flight that continues to affect her throughout the series.
Some viewers may think that Manifest’s plot moved too quickly, or that it has unnecessary characters that have little impact on the show.
But considering the options for TV series in this genre, this show stands out. Overall, Manifest is a great watch and viewers who like drama and sci-fi films should add this to their watch list.
