The Saanvi Theory That Changes Everything On Manifest
The unexpected cancellation of NBC's "Manifest" was as shocking as some of the twists the supernatural mystery has thrown at viewers over its three seasons. While the story of Flight 828 and its passengers seems to be ending, fans still have plenty of theories to explain what they've already seen.
One of the most intriguing characters featured on "Manifest" is Saanvi Bahl (Parveen Kaur), a passenger on Flight 828 who lands in New York five years after her flight took off to find that her research has helped saved hundreds of young cancer patients. Saanvi soon takes a personal and scientific interest in the strange premonitions that she and the others have experienced since returning to the modern world. She is even invited to join the NSA task force, Project Eureka, by director Robert Vance (Daryl Edwards) to try and help the organization come to a meaningful conclusion as to what happened when Flight 828, and explain why everyone onboard disappeared for half a decade.
Towards the end of Season 2, however, Saanvi attempts to create a cure to end the callings for herself and Zeke (Matt Long), a hiker who reappeared after being lost in the wilderness and is experiencing similar visions. However, those attempts seemed to have unintended side effects for Saanvi, sparking a fan theory that changes everything on "Manifest."
Fans think that Saanvi may have created a dual reality for herself with her cure
Saanvi is prompted to create a cure because Zeke has an impending death date – delivered through a calling — looming in his future. Zeke develops a case of frostbite that seems to ensure that he will perish on the day that the visions have stated, and Saanvi creates a method to eliminate the DNA blood markers she believes are responsible.
To test her cure, Saanvi takes it herself. However, there are immediate adverse effects, as she beings to experience extreme short-term memory loss, finding herself unable to recall what she did earlier in the day and unexpectedly kissing her ex in public as if they were still together. Fans on Reddit theorized that when Saanvi eliminated those blood markers, she created two realities for her brain to try and synthesize, resulting in the disconnect.
Reddit user Fullonfacepalmist asked, "Could Saanvi's memory loss be a reversion to her preflight life? It seems like she is caught between two worlds." Other fans seem to think this is likely, with user Htgawmfreak explaining, "The medicine is forcing her to live out her life as tho she never crashed. Essentially an alternate reality."
These consequences seem to indicate that trying to block the callings may be harmful. Just a few episodes later, when Zeke follows his callings to save Cal (Jack Messina) in the Catskills Mountains and survives certain death, it seems that "Manifest" proved that pursuing those visions is the only way to escape a death date.