DVD Review: “Manifest” Season 1 The DVD set provides no extras, but we get a delightful commercial-free binge

Sometimes the simplest options offer surprising results.

I was initially disappointed to learn that the home video release of the premiere season of NBC’s Manifest would not include any bells, whistles or goodies. I love listening to creator commentary tracks, and just about everyone enjoys a handful of “Behind the Scenes” featurettes and the all-important blooper reel, but this release contains none of those extras.

Luckily, there are some nice extras on Manifest‘s YouTube channel, especially in their “The Mystery of Manifest” playlist.

Even though the series is available on Hulu, I don’t have their commercial-free package. It was never that important a feature for me — 75 to 90 seconds of max per ad break, compared to 4 minutes or more on TV is an acceptable trade off. With the DVD, it’s easy to watch the episodes through, entirely free of ads, adding an immersion of atmosphere to experiencing the show.

Watching 3-4 consecutive episodes this way creates a stronger undercurrent of tension to the greater story arc as each subsequent thread to the mystery around Montego Air Flight 828 is revealed. That’s a surprise, considering how many fans of the show (myself included) find themselves screaming in frustration at the twists and reveals in the story while live Tweeting along with the initial broadcasts. But knowing the next episode is at my fingertips on the DVD alleviates some of the tension caused during the regular season by having to wait a week for the next chapter of the story. Overall, it’s still an enjoyable mystery to follow along with.

Keeping away from spoilers, each of the first season’s main threads are pulled together, then cast out again as new threads for other connected mysteries just barely revealed by the season finale. Nicely done, showrunners and writers room. We are fortunate there’s a Season 2 on the way to continue tormenting us as we follow these new mysteries.

For a more detailed breakdown of the first part of Season 1, dive into our TV series review, “5 Episodes In: Manifest”.

Street Date: July 23, 2019
DVD Presented in 16×9 widescreen format
Running Time: Approx. 704 min

16 ONE-HOUR EPISODES

Pilot
Reentry
Turbulence
Unclaimed Baggage
Connecting Flights
Off Radar
S.N.A.F.U.
Point of No Return
Dead Reckoning
Crosswinds
Contrails
Vanishing Point
Cleared for Approach
Upgrade
Hard Landing
Estimated Time of Departure

When Montego Air Flight 828 landed safely after a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers were relieved. Yet in the span of those few hours, the world had aged five years and their friends, families and colleagues, after mourning their loss, had given up hope and moved on. Now, faced with the impossible, they’re all given a second chance. But as their new realities become clear, a deeper mystery unfolds and some of the returned passengers soon realize they may be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible.

Manifest stars Melissa Roxburgh (“Valor,” “Supernatural”), Josh Dallas (“Once Upon a Time”), Athena Karkanis (“House of Cards,” “Zoo”), J.R. Ramirez (“Power”), Luna Blaise (“Fresh Off the Boat”), Jack Messina (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) and Parveen Kaur (“The Strain,” “Saving Hope”). The series is produced by Jeff Rake Productions and Compari Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television.