NBC still has to make a decision on many of its TV shows and Manifest is one of them. It deserves a third season and here’s why.

There is no doubt in my mind that Manifest deserves a third season on NBC. It’s one of the many shows on the network still on the bubble, but there are a lot of reasons the network should renew it.

Of course, the main reason is the story. This has been a smart story from the beginning. It all started with a mystery of a plane time traveling, but it’s grown to something else. In fact, it looks like the show is moving away from the question of why the passengers traveled and into the idea that they need to be saved from certain doom—and not all of them can be. We’re moving into a world where more people are traveling, so it’s going to be time to figure out what connects all these people.

But there are more reasons to renew the series. It’s all about the fans.

It’s a strong show for NBC

While the average ratings for Manifest Season 2 were down compared to the first season, the overall performance was strong. The show sits seventh in the demo out of all NBC scripted shows. That’s seventh out of 21. It’s sandwiched between many renewed shows, including New Amsterdam, the One Chicago shows, The Blacklist, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Considering the network needs a strong demo, it’s a no-brainer.

Even the average audience keeps it in seventh place. It’s not always that something like that happens. In fact, a strong demo can still equal a week total audience—and therefore, a cancellation. Manifest is in a strong position.

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Manifest: The Complete First Season (DVD)

Manifest Season 2’s audience was loyal

There’s always a drop between seasons on average. Well, most of the time there is. Plus, this drama moved from the fall to a midseason lineup, which leads to a drop in the ratings. There doesn’t mean there’s anything to worry about.

NBC would look at how the show performed throughout the season. Just because a season starts strong doesn’t mean it will end that way. This is usually when a show is in a dangerous position, because the network worries that there will be another drop with the next season and throughout that new season. There’s something great about the Manifest Season 2 audience.

Apart from a drop from the first to the second episode, the audience and demo were loyal. It was a relatively stable performance. Sure, there were ups and downs but that’s always the case. People don’t watch live all that much anymore. This was a strong outing for the season.

It’s a smart show

On top of all that, this is a show that makes us think. It’s not afraid to throw us for a loop. It’s not afraid to see the characters tested. We get to see people reacting in dangerous situations and making life or death choices—in Zeke’s case, it was literal life or death.

The show’s trajectory has been smart. It’s developed from the initial question of how the passengers time traveled. Do we always need an explanation? In this case, we’ve moved onto the why, onto the what’s next, and onto the who else can travel types of questions. This is a show that isn’t afraid to make us think and feel at the same time. We need more shows like this.

So, yes, I do think Manifest Season 3 is necessary. I also think NBC would make a bad move canceling it unless there just isn’t a strong story (and I can’t see that being the case) or if key players weren’t on board (and I can’t see that happening either). So, please, NBC, put us out of our misery and renew Manifest for a third season.

MORE: Will Manifest be renewed for a third season?

Why do you think the show deserves to be renewed? What would you like to see on the third season? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Manifest Season 2 is available to stream on Hulu.