Multiple major and supporting Manifest characters deserve to have their stories ended properly if the series receives a two-hour movie finale. Following NBC’s decision to axe the show after the conclusion of season 3, it was reported that Manifest may stand a chance at coming back. It’s possible that the series could return with a fourth season or a two-hour special.
Fortunately, Manifest’s cancellation hasn’t necessarily doomed the show. The first two seasons have performed remarkably well on Netflix since the show ended. In fact, the series managed to maintain the #1 spot on Netflix’s charts for an impressive period of time. Netflix at first passed on picking up Manifest for season 4, but its continued dominance led to reports that it could lead the streaming platform to change its position on the show’s future. It’s also been said that NBC might be rethinking its choice as well. All things considered, Manifest season 4 is still on the table.
However, neither Netflix or NBC may not be willing to order an additional season. For this reason, Manifest showrunner Jeff Rake is currently working out a two-hour movie to wrap up all the loose ends. It’s contrary to his original six-season plan, but it’s better than there not being any ending at all. An issue with such a scenario, though, may be getting all the necessary characters back. Depending on how long it takes for NBC or Netflix to greenlight a movie, new TV and movie commitments made by the actors could get in the way of having everyone on board. But hopefully, a Manifest movie would be able to feature all of the main characters. Here are the ones who need to return for a potential two-hour ending.
Michaela
Michaela’s arc in Manifest concluded with her giving up her job at the police department. For any season-long story, that would complicate things for Melissa Roxburgh’s character, especially since she’s grown accustomed to relying on police resources episode to episode in her attempts to decipher the Callings. A movie event could see Michaela work independently of the police force in her efforts to follow the Callings and “save the lifeboat”.
Jared
The Manifest season 3 finale teased the return of the Michaela-Zeke-Jared love triangle, and while that may not be a great story option for the movie, it should at least give some closure to Jared (J.R. Ramirez) and his problems with Michaela. Though he clearly struggles with letting go, a Manifest movie can finally give Jared a chance to move on. That may be possible now that he and Michaela are no longer working together as detectives.
Zeke
A Manifest movie should address Zeke’s “we need to talk” comment to Michaela in the season 3 finale. Considering that the remark came after seeing her talking with Jared and possibly sensing lingering feelings for one another, it may be that Zeke is thinking about ending their marriage. The movie can determine whether or not Zeke and Michaela break up or stay together. Also, it can reveal the true purpose of Zeke’s empathic powers. Did he receive them as his reward for surviving the Death Date, or is he supposed to use them to help the Flight 828 passengers get past their own Death Date? These are questions that need answers.
Ben
After Ben (Josh Dallas) expressed his determination to save the lifeboat without losing himself in the process, Manifest delivered two life-changing events for the character, but didn’t show how either would affect him. Ben’s wife, Grace (Athena Karkanis) lost her life in the season 3 finale, and Cal (Jack Messina) disappeared and abruptly returned five years older within the same day. What impact this will have on Ben’s future and state of mind was one of the biggest questions left by the finale.
Olive
One of the finale’s cliffhangers involved Olive (Luna Blaise) and her younger sister being kidnapped by Angelina (Holly Taylor). It’s likely that this would be the first issue to be resolved by the movie. Before Ben, Michaela, and the others can think about saving the lifeboat, they would understandably focus their attention first on saving Ben’s daughters.
Angelina
Angelina isn’t integral to Manifest, but as the villain who just murdered Grace and kidnapped Olive, it’s important that the show resolve her storyline before moving on. Since there’s a limit on what Manifest can do in two hours, it would make sense for Michaela and Ben to defeat Angelina within the first act.
Cal
Manifest opened up a new mystery when Cal showed up at the end of the finale, played by a new, older actor. Somehow, Cal is now 17, which is the same age he’d be if the plane hadn’t disappeared. According to Cal, he now understands what has to happen next. Looking at this scene and his importance to the show up to this point, it’s apparent that the intention is for Cal to be instrumental to their survival. If and when Manifest returns, Cal can also explain where he went when he vanished.
Captain Daly
Cal isn’t the only character to experience a mysterious vanishing in the finale. In the last scene of the episode, Captain Bill Daly (Frank Deal) suddenly materialized in the cockpit just long enough to plead for help. Then, he was gone again. It was the first time the Flight 828 pilot has been glimpsed since he disappeared in a season 1 episode, believing that he wouldn’t be back until 2024. It may be that he’s traveling in time. If time travel really is the answer to everything, his situation could be the key to figuring out what really happened to Flight 828.
Saanvi
Saanvi (Parveen Khaur) has made it clear she’s ready to face jail time for killing the Major, but instead of that happening, she could instead earn the redemption she wants by continuing to work at Eureka as a scientist. Following up with how she was handled in the two-part finale, the movie can show her working alongside Ben to finish what they started together and save the lifeboat.
Adrian & Eagan
Adrian (Jared Grimes) and Eagan (Ali Lopez-Sohaili) aren’t exactly evil, but they do serve as threats to the main characters. As Flight 828 passengers who refuse to align with Ben, they represent one of the obstacles that Ben and the others must overcome in order to save the lifeboat. If people like Adrian and Eagan don’t eventually see reason, saving the passengers from their Death Date may become impossible.
TJ
Even though TJ (Garrett Wareing) was quickly turning into a valuable partner for Ben in his investigations into the Callings, Manifest wrote him out in season 2 by sending the character to Egypt to investigate the Al-Zuras mystery. It’s possible that he’ll make his long-awaited return in a movie. If so, Manifest can use him to revisit the Al-Zuras Calling the passengers shared in a season 2 episode. TJ can come back to shed more light on Al-Zuras’ experiences with the Callings in the 16th century. If he too survived the Death Date, TJ can use that information in their own mission.
Vance
For a time in Manifest season 3, the friendship between Vance (Daryl Edwards) and Ben was strained by his decision-making as the new leader of Eureka, but now the two are seemingly back on the same page. As one of Ben’s staunchest allies, Vance feels like a character who deserves to see this journey through to the very end.