by The Collected Mutineer

Every year I tell myself that I won’t watch any new TV shows, because I’m already keeping up with (or frantically binge watching) about five too many. But each year, I’m pleasantly surprised by a new addition to the list. This fall season, that surprise came in the form of NBC’s new drama Manifest, starring Josh Dallas of OUAT fame.

Manifest centers around a group of passengers who were aboard together on Montego Air flight 828—when it disappeared completely. Five and half years later, the airplane reappears with no time having passed at all for the people who were on board. Several of them begin to experience strange sensations, like urges to go somewhere in particular or voices in their heads telling them to do certain things. Michaela Stone, a police officer, and her brother Ben are some of our main protagonists who must deal with the aftermath of this strange event.

Here are five reasons why you should join me in watching the first season of Manifest.

Not-your-average family dynamics

In their five year absence, Michaela’s fiance married someone else. Ben’s daughter is five years older, while her twin who was on flight 828 is the same age he was when they took off. Their family dynamics are completely screwed, particularly when Ben realizes that his wife was in a relationship with another man. She ultimately chooses to stay with her husband-returned-from-the-dead, but the damage is still lurking under the surface. It’s like a really unhappy version of My Favorite Wife (which is a fantastic Cary Grant movie, for those of you who haven’t seen it).

Aviation mysteries galore

“It must be aliens”

There hasn’t been much given away yet in terms of how the flight disappeared for five years or went through a wormhole or what have you—but am I the only one who thinks it might be aliens? Angels? I’m not sure, but I’m dying to find out. Also, did I mention this show has Prince Charming on it? Prince Charming + Aliens = a win in my book.

Manifest airs on Monday nights at 10/9c.