Buckle up, Flight 828 passengers. The end of Manifest is in sight. The missing plane drama is set to ground its flight next year with a final batch of episodes.
Manifesters were left reeling when NBC cancelled the series after three seasons in June 2021, leaving multiple unresolved cliffhangers. Thankfully Netflix swooped in and saved the series, giving it one final season of 20 episodes to bring the story of Flight 828 to a close. The first half of the fourth season dropped on the streamer on November 4th, taking the top spot in its first weekend. Season 4A hit the ground running, wasting no time in tying up what was left over from season 3. One primary overarching theme saw Ben (Josh Dallas) track down his daughter Eden, who was taken by Angelina (Holly Taylor) in the last season finale after she killed Grace.
Creator Jeff Rake envisioned a six-season plan for the series, though he has said that they can change and wrap up by season four. Condensing three seasons into one means that the fourth season -- specifically the second half -- has a lot to resolve in a short amount of time. Here's what needs to happen in the final ten episodes to ensure that Manifest makes a smooth landing.
What Is Cal's Purpose?
In the third season finale, Cal (Ty Doran) returns after his disappearance from the Eureka facility just as Grace is dying. The only catch is he is now five years older. When pressed by his family, Cal knows that he aged up for some purpose but doesn't know what it is. He encounters Captain Daly and Fiona in a Calling, who offer conflicting advice on whether he should "return" from wherever he went. Ultimately, he follows Fiona's advice and returns, believing there is "more to do."
Throughout the entire series, it's clear that Cal has a higher purpose when it comes to the Callings. It's heavily implied that unlocking the entire mystery depends on him. So where did he go when he disappeared from Eureka, and why did it age him? Cal struggles to understand what happened to him, a move that is complicated by the return of his cancer (more on that later). If Cal is able to understand why he was sent away and what his ultimate purpose is, we might be one step closer to unraveling the mystery and his purpose within it.
What Is Zeke's Ultimate Fate?
It seems like Zeke (Matt Long) just can't catch a break. After redeeming himself and beating his death date in the season two finale, Zeke and Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) seem like they can finally be happy together. Zeke's gained empathetic abilities make him an invaluable asset to the passengers when trying to ascertain whether someone is trustworthy. Zeke and Michaela's relationship is initially complicated by the reveal that she still harbors feelings for her ex Jared (J.R. Ramirez). However, this plot point is resolved without many issues, as Michaela admits she does not want to love Jared and commits herself to Zeke.
Throughout season 4A, Zeke takes advantage of his new abilities, even becoming a counselor who is literally able to feel exactly what his clients feel simply by holding their hands. This backfires when he absorbs too much, taking on all of their anger and hurt, causing him to relapse and hurt the clients. Zeke recognizes that he survived his death date for a reason and has to use his empathetic abilities for good. So when he grabs a dying Cal's hands, we know what is coming.
Zeke absorbs Cal's cancer and seemingly dies while Cal is returned to health. Zeke is at peace with his fate, knowing he has made up for all the hurt he has caused. The reason for "seemingly" is that we've seen Zeke die once before, only to survive it. Whether that will be true a second time remains to be seen. In any case, it's likely that we have not seen the last of him.
The Mythology Expanded
Ever since the first season, Flight 828 has been tied to ancient myths and the divine. These include Olive's (Luna Blaise) discovery of a tarot deck from philosopher Al-Zuras depicting a similar phenomenon to Flight 828, as well as a piece of driftwood ostensibly from Noah's Ark coated in the same minerals as 828 passengers. An ancient parchment of Maat, the Egyptian goddess of truth and harmony, offers clues about how the passengers must work together to beat the death date. Finally, the Callings themselves are interpreted as messages from "the divine."
The fourth season expands on the supernatural elements, including that sapphire can be used to generate artificial Callings. Saanvi (Parveen Kaur) is able to listen to everyone's Callings on the plane's recovered black box, suggesting that whatever sent the Callings may want them to be preserved. Tying these interconnected mythological elements together into one central theme should be a core focus of the final episodes. This brings us to...
What Happened to Flight 828?
The biggest question that needs to be answered by the end of the series is the same one that's been asked since the beginning. What happened to Flight 828? It seems like every episode gives a new clue or implication about where the passengers disappeared, but we still don't have an official explanation. With the advanced knowledge that season 4 is the last, Rake has assured fans that the team will wrap up the story.
The ending will likely be anything but smooth for the Stones and their allies. Angelina is still out there looking for Eden, "her guardian angel." The government infiltrated Saanvi and Vance's (Daryl Edwards) secret lab. The threats from anti-828 hate groups are still alive and well. The pieces of the missing plane puzzle are there; all that's left is to put them together into a satisfying conclusion.
There is no confirmed release date yet for Manifest season 4B, so all we can do is wait and see if they can manifest an ending that sticks the landing.