Manifest Review: Point of No Return (Season 1 Episode 8)
Ben goes on a mighty adventure on Manifest Season 1 Episode 8, “Point of No Return,” as Michaela deals with the fallout of three mysterious deaths and a suicide. It’s an episode that could have been made very weighty but is instead muddled by Ben’s antics.
The episode leans almost too heavily on Ben’s story, relying on pseudo-complex jargon to carry the episode as he magically becomes some sort of scheming mastermind. From figuring out that the Singularity Project should be bugged to breaking into UDS — where did Ben acquire these skills?
On top of that issue, we’ve lost sight of the tender Ben/Grace narrative. Saanvi is again nowhere to be found, and unfortunately, Cal’s story feels very superficial. He’s still being used as a conduit and a prop rather than an actual character, helping to signal when UDS is doing something to the passengers. Plus, his school/personal life storyline is barely fleshed out at all.
I’m unfortunately disliking Jared much more than I was expecting.
I absolutely loved J.R. Ramirez on Jessica Jones, so it’s really just the underutilization of his character on this show that’s an issue. He’s too broody for me to like him as a sidekick to Michaela, and the show keeps drawing out the whole Jared/Lourdes/Michaela situation beyond what’s interesting.
Sorry — Michaela’s work as a detective is much more interesting than her personal life with Jared. Plus, they interfere with each other, and there’s really only enough time in each episode to focus on one aspect. As a result, it all has turned into a muddled mess.
Is Michaela actually okay with Jared being with Lourdes, or is the episode forced to gloss over her inner struggle?
Just as the show tries to stray into sci-fi, we’re pulled right back into this religious nonsense. “Angel of Death”? Michaela’s story almost becomes entirely disconnected from Ben’s during this episode, and I had trouble keeping track of either one.
The drama is still entertaining enough to be bearable, but it’s hard to focus and actually dive into the Manifest world. I just want to see Ben and Michaela uncover a huge plot of government conspiracy — that’s the juicy stuff!
I’m also still confused by Vance’s presence. We’ve cleared him as not being an antagonist, but he’s still messing with Ben’s situation more than anything. Unless there’s some sort of government information that’s going to help, it’s the Michaela and Ben team that I’m rooting for as of now (sorry, Vance).
The Singularity Project big bad is also a bit underwhelming. A rigid white guy with some sort of unknown vengeance and a bit too much of a forehead crinkle? Okay, thanks, but no thanks.
Plus, the UDS people are just being thrown around like pawns. It isn’t particularly fun, since we have no idea what they’re really doing or what their motives are (except some guesses from Ben and Fiona).
What did you think of this episode of Manifest? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Manifest airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC.
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Olivia Popp
Olivia Popp is a freelance writer, artist, and entertainment fanatic who started living and breathing television ever since her parents told her in elementary school that it would rot her brain. Now, she's a film student and TV apologist with a penchant for providing forceful and unsolicited series recommendations to anyone within earshot. Ask her about science fiction, comedy, nature photography, filmmaking, tasty cheese, or even more television.