Even Manifest Admits Angelina Being The Villain Is Stupid

Manifest season 4 part 2 proved that even the show itself is aware of how ridiculous it is that Angelina has become its biggest villain.

Warning: Spoilers for Manifest season 4 part 2

It would seem that even Manifest itself is aware of how ridiculous it is that Angelina was able to become the show’s biggest villain. Played by Holly Taylor, Angelina Meyer started her arc as a troubled young Flight 828 passenger whose family situation made her somewhat of a sympathetic figure. But by the end of the season 3 finale, it was clear that Angelina was in fact a massive threat to the Lifeboat.

Murdering Grace at the end of season 3 unsurprisingly positioned Angelina to serve as the next antagonist for Ben, Michaela, Jared, and the other main characters to deal with in the series. As it turned out, though, this was hardly the extent of her role. She was a thorn in the side of the passengers for months, with no one managing to take her off the board. By acquiring the Omega Sapphire, Angelina completed her evolution into Manifest’s main villain. She increased her body count in Manifest season 4 part 2 by orchestrating the deaths of both Captain Daly and Fiona. It took until the series finale, but Angelina finally faced comeuppance for her actions when she failed to pass judgment.

Manifest Admitted Angelina Not Dying Was Ridiculous

An often-criticized element of Manifest season 4 part 1 was the heavy amount of plot armor provided to Angelina. The passengers themselves echoed these complaints when it was discovered that Angelina was still around. They wrongly believed her to have died during Ben’s encounter with her at the church. Michaela reacted to this reveal by comparing her to a cockroach in reference to how hard it is to apparently kill her. At first, Ben was in disbelief after learning that Angelina was alive, but then remarked, “It is Angelina. Of course she survived.” Ben then went further by saying, “Is it too much to ask that she be gone for good?”

Ben’s comments highlight the growing frustration with Angelina’s villain status on Manifest. There was more than one occasion when it felt like Angelina should have been killed or arrested, but she always got away regardless. Considering that Angelina didn’t have any special powers, talents, or even allies she could rely on, it was hard to believe that Angelina could continuously evade capture or death. Even when her plans were foiled, circumstances would always work out in her favor, allowing her to miraculously escape unscathed. The church fire was just one instance of this, with the fight at Adrian’s safehouse being another.

The Omega Sapphire Couldn’t Fix Manifest’s Angelina Problem

Having the Omega Sapphire fused to Angelina’s hand offered the show a way to justify the character being Manifest’s central antagonist. In truth, it certainly made her more menacing, especially since it enabled her to kill Daly and Fiona without putting herself in harm’s way. But as demonstrated by later events, the Omega Sapphire’s abilities weren’t enough to solve the issue. Thanks to Jared and Vance, Angelina was apprehended, which likely should have been the end of the threat she posed. But true to form, Angelina came out on top again, this time escaping when Ben tried to use Saanvi’s serum on her. Her plot armor was finally stripped away in the Manifest series finale, with her character being denied a chance to live again in the show's rewritten reality.