With a final season with 20 episodes on Netflix, Manifest gets to wrap up the mystery of Flight 828. Creator Jeff Rake had originally charted a six-season arc, but that plan was dashed due to NBC’s cancellation. The final episode of the series has revealed a ton about the characters, but if you still need an explainer, here’s how it all ends.
The final episode of Manifest, titled “Final Boarding”, begins on ‘Death Day’ with Ben, Michaela, Saanvi, and TJ experiencing panic attacks after Cal mysteriously disappears. They believe they are meant to die on that day, just as they died when their plane exploded. Olive and TJ find a clue, the volcano card with an inscription that leads them to Angeline’s cult centre.
Olive, Jared, Drea, and Eden head to the centre but find it vacated. Meanwhile, the rest of the passengers arrive at the campsite after Cal’s beacon lights up. They rush to board Flight 828 when the volcano erupts. But just then, Angelina’s cult arrives, claiming that the plane is an ark meant only for them.
Olive finally deciphers the inscription on the rock: “Forgiveness lightens the heart”. She realises that Ben carrying her through the fire in a picture is actually him carrying Angelina. Olive calls Ben and tells him that he must forgive Angelina to survive his Death Date.
Ben makes the right choice, and instead of shooting Angelina or leaving her behind to die, he carries her onto the plane exactly as in the photo. Captain Amuta and Michaela take off with everyone, and some of the passengers start to die, escalating the chaos and panic.
But it is revealed that only those who deserve it will perish. Saanvi survives. Adrian sacrifices himself. But the shadowy figure of Death appears when Angelina dies. Ben and Michaela beg this figure for everyone’s lives.
During these events, Jared helps Drea deliver her baby, and Olive prepares for the end with Eden. However, after the shadow disappears, the volcanic activity stops. The plane flies into the ‘Glow’ and lands safely in New York, but it is now April 7th, 2013, the original landing date. The worthy ones have been given a do-over.
The survivors finally meet their happy endings. Ben is with Grace, Jared is with Drea, and Michaela hopes to be with Zeke. The police investigate the disappearance of the eleven missing people, unaware of the time-travel events. The episode ends with Michaela’s voiceover reflecting on the day life changed forever.
Rake told Tudum that just because the characters get a do-over and land back in 2013, it doesn’t mean the previous season’s events didn’t happen, “We bend over backwards to try to make clear that everything you’ve watched happened. This is real. We’re not trying to mess with people’s minds. It’s all real. This all happened.”
Manifest season four part two is now streaming on Netflix.
