Today's Entertainment

2 • October 7 - 13, 2018 • Brainerd Dispatch By Kyla Brewer TV Media B inge-watching your favorite TV shows can be fun, but there's something exciting about waiting for a mystery to unfold week after week, building anticipation with unexpected twists and turns. A new series is poised to take over the air- waves as TV viewers clamor to find this season's new "it" drama. After a turbulent but otherwise routine flight, the passengers and crew onboard Montego Air Flight 828 land and discover that they've been missing for more than five years in the new show "Manifest," airing Monday, Oct. 8, on NBC. Back on solid ground, they're told that while they may have departed Montego Bay, Jamaica, on April 7, 2013, the day's date is actually Nov. 4, 2018. Amazingly, none of the 191 passengers and crew have aged a day. As government agents investi- gate and the passengers attempt to return to their normal lives, some of them wonder if they are destined for something greater than they've ever imagined. While various media outlets have likened the new NBC series to ABC's former hit "Lost," this is no knockoff. At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, series creator Jeff Rake explained that "Manifest" will tackle the debate over science ver- sus faith, an ambitious goal for a prime-time drama. He explained that he may not have all of the de- tails worked out just yet, but he al- ready has "an endgame" in mind for the series. Rake may be in the know, but se- ries star Josh Dallas ("Once Upon a Time") said he isn't interested in knowing too much about where the show is going. "It's better for me on this partic- ular project for me to not know, and discover along with the fans," the actor said at Comic-Con. He also explained what made him so inter- ested in playing his character, Ben Stone. "I'm a spiritual guy, I believe in the universe; Ben is a mathema- tician and scientific. I found that to be intriguing and interesting. He likes to be the smartest guy in the room." Ben was one of the passengers who fatefully decided to wait for Flight 828 when his original flight was overbooked. He and his son, Cal (newcomer Jack Messina), vol- unteered to stay behind while his wife, Grace (Athena Karkanis, "The Best Years"), and Cal's twin sister, Olive (newcomer Jenna Kurmem- aj), took the first flight with his parents, Steve (Malachy Cleary, "Demolition," 2015) and Karen (Geraldine Leer, "The Good Cop"). Grace is elated to have her family back together, while Cal and his now big sister Olive (Luna Blaise Boyd, "Fresh Off the Boat") strug- gle to make sense of their sudden age difference. Also central to the mystery is Ben's sister, Michaela (Melissa Rox- burgh, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days," 2012), who was also on the flight with Ben and her nephew. Before the flight, she faced pres- sure from her mother to finally mar- ry her beau, Jared (J.R. Ramirez, "Arrow"). After the flight landed, she was crushed to learn he had moved on and has married another woman. Prior to the doomed flight, the Stone family had been struggling to cope with the reality that Cal's leu- kemia hadn't been responding to treatment. However, when they re- turned from their mysterious ad- venture in the skies, they learned that a new treatment just might save him. Strangely, the woman whose research led to the develop- ment of the treatment appears to have been on Flight 828 with them. Saanvi (Parveen Kaur, "Beyond") is a brilliant graduate student and re- searcher who reels from the news that her work may be saving lives. In addition to mystery, medical drama and romance, "Manifest" appears to feature a supernatural element, much like its genre prede- cessor, "Lost." Some of the passen- gers begin to experience unusual phenomena. For example, Michaela tells Ben she's been hearing voices. As the mystery unfolds, it's clear that some people consider the inci- dent a miracle. Emotionally gripping with an overarching mystery, "Manifest" has all of the elements of quality television, and it's no wonder with a stellar cast and Hollywood icon Robert Zemeckis in the cockpit. Known for films such as "Romanc- ing the Stone" (1984), "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988), "Forrest Gump" (1994) and the Back to the Future franchise, the Oscar winner serves as an execu- tive producer of "Manifest" along- side Rake, Jack Rapke ("Cast Away," 2000), Jackie Levine ("Wonder Woman," 2017) and Dave Frankel ("The Devil Wears Prada," 2006), who also directed the pilot. Before its premiere on Monday, Sept. 24, the show had TV critics buzzing, and it even made USA To- day's list of "10 Shows You Need to Watch." NBC showed faith in "Manifest" with a series order in May 2018, and it's even bestowed the show with a primo prime-time spot following ratings powerhouse "The Voice." It'll still face serious competition from other major broadcast networks as it goes head to head with ABC's "The Good Doc- tor" and CBS's "Bull." Find out whether the new mys- tery drama has what it takes to rise above the competition. Don't miss a new episode of "Manifest," air- ing Monday, Oct. 8, on NBC. A cut above NBC's 'Manifest' mixes mystery, drama and more Cover Story this week J.R. Ramirez in "Manifest" The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon I heard there's a new documentary about dating apps called "Swiped." People thought the preview looked good, but when they showed up, it looked like a completely different movie. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Playboy just announced that, starting in 2019, they'll publish only four issues a year. By 2020, they're just going to send you a shovel and say, "Go dig up the issues your uncle buried in the woods." The Late Late Show With James Corden Recently, passengers on a United Airlines flight from Scotland to New Jersey got a bit of a shock when the pilot came out of the cockpit, changed out of his uniform, and fell asleep in a first-class seat. The only way this could have been more concerning for the passengers is if the pilot also had an emotional support dog. Jimmy Kimmel Live The Steelers and Browns game ended with a 21-21 tie. The Browns turned their franchise around the only way they knew how: by becoming a soccer team. At this point, there are more books about Trump than there are about hobbits. Late Laughs 501 W Washington St., Brainerd, MN 218-828-1823 www.heartlandtireservice.com MARK YOUR CALENDAR! OUR BIGGEST ONE DAY SALE OF THE YEAR It's Black FrIday NovemBer 23 rd deal tIme! 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