When Manifest first premiered on NBC in 2018, the story of a plane disappearing and coming back after five and a half years, with the passengers not aging a day, captivated audiences. After three seasons, however, the network sunk the “Lifeboat,” and the Callings seemed to be over. However, Netflix answered prayers and saved Manifest for one final season. With only 20 episodes to finish off a story that was initially supposed to have six seasons total, the Death Date came sooner than expected, and there was no way of knowing just what exactly the ending had in store to wrap up Flight 828’s biggest mysteries. The Manifest series finale offers closure for not only the characters but the fans.
The ending is also a full-circle moment that takes us back to the very first episode and not only closes a door but opens another one that has endless possibilities. Thanks to Netflix, the story was able to both have closure and the potential for even more stories.
Let’s look into the Manifest Season 4 Part 2 ending explained.
What Happened At The End Of Manifest
In Season 4, Episode 20, “Final Boarding,” the Death Date arrived, and the passengers were brought together by the beacon of light that formed from a lava fissure after Cal connected his sapphire with the sapphire of a piece of Driftwood from Noah’s Ark. Thanks to Cal, Flight 828 came out of the fissure, and the passengers had to board it in order to complete their final judgment. 11 of the passengers don’t survive, and Angelina, who killed Grace in the Season 3 finale, kidnapped Eden, and created a whole lot of problems for the passengers and the Lifeboat, was one of them.
After all was said and done for the final judgment, Amuta, the 828 co-pilot, and Michaela decided to fly through The Glow once again, knowing that was the only way. This took them through what can only be assumed to be the divine consciousness, and after walking through the plane’s door, the passengers walked through another door and into the airport in Queens 2013.
They were at the place and time they were supposed to land 11 years ago, and everyone; Grace, and Ben and Michaela’s late mother included, are where they were supposed to be, waiting for 828 to land. Everyone reunited with their loved ones or called those who weren’t there, knowing that they have a second chance to make things right. The passengers remembered what happened, excluding Cal. Saanvi and Alex reunited, Michaela turned down Jared’s proposal since she knew that someone else better for him will come along very soon, and she reunited with a now very alive Zeke, who was doing cab pickups that night.
Since it is Flight 828, though, the mysteries are still there, as Drea and Vance were both at the airport to investigate the flight since there were some passengers who were just missing, and this was when Drea and Jared bumped into each other, setting the course for their future, proving that even the little details matter the most.
How The Passengers Survived And Why Some Didn’t
Throughout Manifest, the passengers, or those that have a connection like Griffin and Zeke, had to follow Callings. Essentially, these Callings determined whether or not someone would survive their Death Date. In Season 3, Olive discovered that the passengers came back together, so they would all be judged together, meaning that if one of them doesn’t follow the Callings, bad things would happen.
In the finale, the passengers got on 828 for their final judgment, and those that were not redeemed would experience what they would have experienced had the plane really exploded. Some of the passengers, like Saanvi, Eagan, and Adrian, were close to dying and turning to ash but ended up redeeming themselves (or others) in their final seconds. Eagan sacrificed himself to save Adrian, Adrian mentioned how selfless that was, and Ben talked about all the good that Saanvi had done.
Some of them did not experience the same fate, unfortunately, and did not make it. Angelina and her followers, along with a few others, did not pass the test, no matter how much Angelina wanted to believe she was the angel sent by God. She abused her power, she brought other passengers into her game, and they did not redeem themselves. Even when Angelina’s shadow came up and turned into what can only be described as the Angel of Death, Ben and Michaela told it everything that the rest of the passengers have done for good, which saved them all.
Why The Passengers Remember But Cal Doesn’t
Since the beginning of the series, it’s been said that Cal Stone is a key part to whatever was going on with the passengers. He’s always been connected to 828, and it was found out he was the so-called “Dragon” that was the key to saving everyone. In the penultimate episode, he connected the sapphire that was in his scar with the sapphire that was on the Driftwood from Noah’s Ark that was in the fissure. In a way, he sacrificed himself.
When the rest of the passengers went back to 2013, he didn’t necessarily come back, because he was already gone. However, he was again only 11 years old and didn’t remember anything. This could be because of what happened with the sapphire and what he did with 828 and bringing it back up to the surface. There’s no clear answer as to what happened with Cal and why he had the weight of 828 on his shoulders, but now that he’s a kid again and remembers nothing, he’s able to have his childhood back and can grow up with his twin.
The Passengers’ Written Destinies
Throughout Manifest, there’s been this unwritten rule about destiny and how whatever has happened is supposed to happen. This is why the passengers were chosen; Zeke almost met Michaela on numerous occasions; it was all about destiny. When the passengers are back in 2013, their destinies are waiting for them.
Ben was able to reunite with Grace and fix their relationship and have hope about curing Cal; Saanvi reunited with Alex, who was sorry about not getting on the flight and wants to start a new life with her; Michaela broke it off with Jared and told him that the person he deserves is out there waiting for him, and he later ran into Drea; Michaela also reunited with Zeke after remembering he was doing cab pickups at the airport. While there were some things that didn’t happen, such as TJ and Olive being endgame, TJ did get to reacquaint himself with Violet, who was able to come back after dying in Season 4, Part 1.
It may not be the ending that some fans would have wanted, but it seems like this was the ending that was planned all along. It was just written in the stars.
The New 828 Mystery
The mysteries of Flight 828 will never end, even with the series ending. While the passengers landed safe and sound in Queens in 2013 and got back some people they lost along the way, there were still the 11 that returned. So, instead of investigating a flight that never came back, police are investigating a flight that mysteriously has missing passengers. Vance, of course, is investigating, and Drea, a third-year cop, is also investigating. After she and Jared have a playful back and forth, she asks him to tag along, and so he does.
This opens up the possibility of more unanswered questions and what could happen with this new mystery, especially since the fans and the passengers know what happened. While the series is now done, there’s always the possibility for a spinoff, but until then, it’s fun to think about what could happen next. Josh Dallas did tell The Hollywood Reporter that “there’s major sequel or spinoff potential,” so you never know what might come in the future.
Manifest may be over, but there are many shows coming up on the Netflix TV schedule that will surely fill the void, even if they're not as twist-filled as the mystery of Flight 828.
