Although "Manifest" never became the huge success that "Lost" was in the 2000s, it did at least outperform most of those other shows commonly accused of copying the "Lost" formula. The plane-related mystery box show lasted four seasons — four and a half, really — and it got to end on its own terms. That's a privilege that poor "Flash Forward" (canceled one season into a planned 3-to-5 season run) never got to enjoy.

Among the show's many "Lost" parallels is the character Zeke Landon (Matt Long), who is sort of like Desmond Humes in that he wasn't involved in the show's inciting incident. Like Desmond, Zeke was introduced late and quickly turned out to be both super important and thrown into the show's most interesting romantic storyline. Sure, Zeke never quite got an episode as strong as Desmond's "The Constant," but it was still fun to have him around.

One major...