Summary

• Manifest season 4 on Netflix finally answered many of the show's unanswered questions, providing closure to the mysteries surrounding Flight 828 and the Callings.
• The divine connections in Manifest were explained, revealing that the passengers were brought back to life by a divine entity and given the Callings to help others.
• The concept of the Death Date and how the passengers can survive it was explored, with the characters realizing that passing their individual tests and making morally right choices is the key to survival.

Manifest’s explained several loose ends thanks to its return for season 4 on Netflix, although several of its mysteries still remained unresolved by the finale. Throughout its first three seasons, Manifest explained that Flight 828 passengers worked hard at heeding the Callings they received in each episode. Ever since Manifest debuted in 2018, the passengers have been determined to learn the truth behind the plane’s disappearance, the purpose of the Callings, and how they could survive the Death Date. Manifest was canceled after season 3 by original network NBC in 2021, leaving these questions unanswered — though thankfully, it was renewed by Netflix for a fourth season in 2022.

By the end of the series, the characters in Manifest realize Flight 828 wasn’t an isolated incident. Since Manifest received a proper ending, even if it was only four seasons, rather than the planned six, many of the unresolved questions were finally answered. Season 4 on Netflix solved some of the biggest mysteries, and the finale of Manifest season 4 explained a great deal of what had actually been happening while leaving a little open-ended speculation for viewers to speculate over after watching the finale. The show is already acclaimed, but with the mysteries of Manifest explained in full, its depth can truly be appreciated.

Ben’s Resurrection Theory Explained

Ben Believed The Flight 828 Passengers Had Experienced Divine Intervention

Manifest explained what happened to the passengers (and the plane) when it disappeared, finally giving the fate of Flight 828 meaning. In the season 3 premiere, Ben came up with the theory that everyone who had this experience died. After finding Flight 828’s tailfin, Ben took the discovery to mean that the original plane crashed during the storm that night, and the plane that exploded in season 1 was a “resurrected” version.

Ben now thinks everyone on the plane died in the storm in 2013 and was brought back to life five years later, possibly by divine means. Adding credence to Ben’s ideas is the fates of the three meth addicts. Jace, Kory, and Pete all seemingly drowned in the season 2 finale, but were shown waking up at the end of the season 3 premiere. Divine intervention was confirmed in the final season, making Ben's theories correct.

Manifest’s Divine Connections Explained

Sapphire Reveals The Presence Of God In Manifest

Season 3 is built on the theory that the central Manifest mystery is related to a divine entity, whether God or something else. The idea is that God may have resurrected the passengers and given them the Callings, so they can help people. The research at Eureka provided some degree of evidence of a supposed divine link to the Flight 828 passengers, as Manifest explained.

This was demonstrated in Manifest when elements of sapphire were found on subjects who had disappeared and returned. Afterward, Dr. Gumpta noted that sapphire has long been thought to be the “signature” of the divine. If that’s true, that would explain why sapphire was found on the tailfin, the Noah’s Ark driftwood, Ben’s glowing hand, and the three meth addicts throughout Manifest season 3. It would mean that they were all touched by God.

How The Passengers Can Survive The Death Date

The Death Date In Manifest Is A Divine Test

The biggest threat facing the characters in Manifest is the dreaded Death Date, which hinges on the concept that a person who returns from a disappearance only gets to live for as long as they are gone. In other words, the passengers are all destined to perish on June 2, 2024, which is exactly five and a half years after their return. Ben, Saanvi, Cal, and Michaela have a long time to wait before their Death Date comes (which likely wouldn’t have arrived until the planned final season), but other characters were gone for much shorter periods, such as Zeke and the meth addicts.

It was based on them that the passengers were able to learn if it was possible to avert their fates. Zeke nearly dies on his Death Date in the season 2 finale, but by following his Calling and saving Cal, they were, fortunately, able to prevent his demise. Zeke now serves as living proof that getting past the Death Date in one piece is possible. The conflict with the meth addicts threw a wrench into this in the middle of season 3. Just as they did with Zeke, the main characters tried to help them avoid their Death Date by following their Callings, but a misinterpretation of a vision resulted in Jace trying to kill Michaela and Cal.

An old story from ancient history called “The Last Trial” clues Olive into what the Death Date is: a test made by the Callings (or whoever sends them). If a person fails to make the morally right choice, they perish when their Death Date comes. That's why Zeke was able to get past it in season 2. By this logic, it made sense that Kory and Pete could too, but it was not so. Instead, they died along with Jace.

Kory and Pete dying for their mistakes is how Manifest explained to viewers the underlying rules of the Death Date. The remaining passengers of Flight 828 figure out that the only way for them to live beyond June 2, 2024, is for all of them to pass their test. If one character makes the wrong decision, it could doom the rest of them. It’s a demanding task, but at least they finally know what has to be done.

Meaning Of The Peacock Sightings Explained

The Peacocks Foreshadowed Manifest's Noah's Ark Twist

At Eureka, Saanvi finds 6,000-year-old peacock DNA on a piece of ancient driftwood. After further study, she determines the driftwood once belonged to Noah’s Ark from the Bible. According to her research, the peacock DNA carries the same genetic marker as the passengers and everyone else who’s disappeared, which would indicate that Noah’s Ark and Flight 828 both experienced the same mysterious phenomenon. Though the Noah’s Ark connection is one of the show’s most shocking twists, it doesn't come without a proper setup.

Both Ben and Cal have Callings that involve peacocks, but none of the characters ever really understand why. After realizing that these birds frequently appeared in their research, Ben and Olive speculate on their importance but don’t get anywhere. However, by the finale, it becomes clear that Ben’s peacock vision from Manifest season 1 was foreshadowing the connection to Noah’s Ark. The peacock that Ben saw may be the very same peacock that traveled aboard the ship 6,000 years ago. Ben could have seen him because everyone who has had this experience (including animals) is connected via the Callings.

Season 4 On Netflix Solved Most Of The Manifest Mysteries

The Return Tied Up Many Of Manifest's Cliffhangers

Manifest season 4, part 1 explains the Callings' purpose or at least provides some clarity regarding this factor for the passengers of Flight 828. Flight 828 was trapped within a divine consciousness where the higher power divvied out the Callings to prevent a volcanic apocalypse. That explains that the dreaded Death Date was never connected to the passengers at all. Rather, it refers to this aforementioned apocalypse. That said, Manifest season 4, part 1, brings even more mysteries into the mix, which were explained in part 2.

The end of the series reveals what the Manifest mysteries and the disappearance and return of Flight 828 all mean. However, not all the characters make it back home alive despite figuring out the truth of their situation. In the finale, the Death Date arrives and all the passengers are brought together by a beacon of light. When Flight 828 emerges from the lava fissure along with the beacon they all must board to receive their final judgment. 11 of the passengers fail the test and perish, including Angelina, who killed Grace and kidnapped Eden.

Those who passed arrived back in the time and place they were supposed to land 11 years before, and are reunited with their loved ones. The passengers of Flight 828 retain the memories of everything that happened, so they have hindsight and make decisions to better themselves and the people they care about. Michela turns down Jared's proposal, knowing he will find someone better in the future. She reunites with Zeke, who is alive again. Manifest explained through the character's responses to what happened that they all had a divine destiny, and that is why they were chosen.

What Were The Callings On Manifest?

The Callings Were Part Of The Divine Test

One of the biggest Manifest mysteries has to do with the Callings, which are key to explaining why some Flight 828 passengers pass the final test and others don't. These Callings are what determine if the passengers survive their Death Date. This also causes problems. As Olive learns in season 3, if they don't all follow the Callings, bad things could happen to the group as a whole. When the final judgment came around, those who did not follow their Callings and did not find redemption ended up suffering through the plane exploding. While the "It's All Connected" line was explained, things didn't work out for those that failed the test.

However, there was one last chance for everyone. Saanvi, Adrian, and Eagan almost died at that point. However, Eagan saved Adrian by sacrificing himself and Adrian realized this was a completely selfless move. Ben even talked about how many good things Saanvi had done, and it ended up saving all three of those people. However, those passengers who went on their vendettas and ignored their Callings, such as Angelina and her followers, did not pass the test. Angelina thought she was sent by God, but this arrogance and conceit doomed her, and she did not make it out of the Manifest ending alive.

There Are More Unsolved Manifest Mysteries

Manifest Season 4 Didn't Tie Up Every Loose End

Some other Manifest mysteries remained after the season 4 finale. One unexplained Manifest plot point concerns Cal Stone, who, as a child who was only 11, and is the only character who doesn't retain their memories of the events of the show. It might have to do with his sacrifice with the sapphire, but the possibility remains that Cal was allowed to be a child again. He doesn't have to remember everything the passengers went through, and his reward for his selfless work is to grow up as a child with his twin, and not have to let this weigh upon him.

However, there is one Manifest mystery remaining. The plane has now landed in the time and place it was originally supposed to, yet the public has no idea what happened, and 11 people on Flight 828 are now mysteriously not on board. This includes Vance and Drea, who show up to investigate the fact the plane lands with missing passengers. This could lead to further stories in the universe, as Vance sets out to investigate what happened to the missing 11 passengers, while Drea asks Jared to tag along with them as they look into the situation. With a possible Manifest spinoff series in the works, the Manifest mysteries might continue in one form or another.