Manifest Character Review: Michaela Stone

*For the foreseeable future, some Character Review posts may not be published every Thursday as they have in the past.

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about the characters from the television series Manifest. Read at your own risk if you have not watched the show.

There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front of us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations.

When times are tough, belief is sometimes all we have to get by. On Manifest, Michaela Stone has just survived a very strange plane ride. Arriving back in New York City with her brother Ben (Josh Dallas) and nephew Cal (Jack Messina) five and a half years after getting on a flight home from vacation, she finds that her world has changed. Her mother is dead and her now ex-boyfriend Jared Vasquez (J.R. Ramirez) is married to Michaela’s best friend.

Things get complicated when Michaela has to go back to work as a police officer with Jared as her partner. Then the callings come, guiding her to do things that are not quite explainable. This leads her to Zeke Landon (Matt Long), bringing up Jared’s jealousy after they slept together. Eventually, Zeke and Michaela get married.

Through all of this, she follows the callings, believing in their message. While she goes on belief, her brother Ben goes on logic, looking for some sort of connection for what they have been through.

To sum it up: Some may think that believing is hokey or old fashioned. But it is has the power to give us hope when we have none. Michaela’s belief in following what she knows is right leads her to answer the questions in front of her and find the love of her life.

Which is why she is a memorable character.

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Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man Book Review

No one knows you like your family. We may be able to put on a face for the outside world, but not for those who know us best.

In the last couple of years, there has been a flood of books about you know who and his attempt at being President of the United States. One of the most recent books is written by his only niece, Mary Trump. It is entitled Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.

In the book, Ms. Trump, a trained psychologist, describes how you know who became the man who he is today. The fourth of five children from New York City, he was raised by two parents who can only be described as lacking parental inclination. When her late father, Fred Trump Jr., became a disappointment to his father, the spotlight fell on you know who. Tracing the patterns from childhood to the present day, she tells the story of the President as only a family member can.

This is an incredible book. It is one of those books that is hard to put down. The narrative is compelling, well written and just a good read. It is also a reminder of why you know who needs to be a one term President.

I absolutely recommend it.

Throwback Thursday-The Graham Norton Show (2007-Present)

Talk shows are a dime a dozen on television. For such a program to last, it has to stand out from the pack.

The Graham Norton Show premiered in 2007 in the UK. Hosted by Graham Norton, this talk show has all of the hallmarks of the genre with the celebrity guests and performances.

I love this show. Graham is brilliant, hysterical, and a little on the naughty side. Instead of coming off as your talk show, it like a party that everyone wants to be at. I can’t think of a better reason to watch.

I absolutely recommend it.