Manifest Character Review: Saanvi Bahl

*For the foreseeable future, some Character Review posts may not be published every Thursday as they have in the past.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

Strictly speaking, science is neither bad nor good. It is merely a tool that can be molded to the needs whomever is using it. On Manifest, Saanvi Bahl (Parveen Kaur) is one of the passengers on Flight 828. She is a medical researcher focusing on finding a cure for leukemia. Her laptop is destroyed when the plane is hit by turbulence.

When the plane finally lands five and a half years later, Saanvi discovers that the research she completed prior to getting on the flight has saved lives. She also learns that Cal Stone (Jack Messina) is also cancer free. Curious as to how and why the flight contributed to his sudden remission, Saanvi dives deep into further research with the help of Cal’s father, Ben (Josh Dallas). She also experiences “the callings”, similar to those of other passengers on the flight.

Her work does not go unnoticed. The Major (Elizabeth Marvel) has plans to use the information that Saanvi uncovered. She has the will and the means to obtain the data using less then honorable methods. Saanvi is also targeted by those who believe in conspiracy theories about the people on 828.

If that was not enough, her personal life is a mess. Saanvi was supposed to be traveling with her girlfriend, Alex Bates (Sydney Morton). But Alex never made it to the airport.

To sum it up: There are never one set of challenges in life. Most if not all of us are juggling issues from both our personal and professional lives. It is how we handle what is our plate that matters. What I like about Saanvi is that she forges ahead, regardless of who or what stands in her way. It would be easy to give up, but she doesn’t. Her determination is a lesson that I think we all could learn from.

That is why she is a memorable character.

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Flashback Friday: Mega Disasters (2006-2008)

Living on Earth requires the understanding that every once in a while, Mother Nature will reveal how powerful she is.

Mega Disasters aired on The History Channel from 2006-2008. Using a baseline of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004, the program explores the potential destruction that awaits humanity.

When the program originally aired, the predictions made were purely speculative. Seeing this show through 2020 eyes, I can’t help but think that we were warned. Instead of heeding the warning of man made climate change, we went on as if everything was fine. The reality is that if we don’t do something today, there might not be a tomorrow.

I recommend it.