Manifest season 4, part 1 was full of much-needed answers, but three important mysteries – all three of which being about Al-Zuras – remain unresolved. Ever since season 2, the Flight 828 passengers have understood that they somehow share an odd link to a 16th-century Egyptian explorer. For a reason they struggled to comprehend, Al-Zuras and his crew disappeared and returned just like the plane did, and even suffered from Callings that inexplicably involved the passengers themselves.
What they uncovered about the Callings and the nature of their predicament finally shed light on this connection and their situation in general. Apparently, all of the people who have gone through this phenomenon were sucked into a divine consciousness that provided them all with messages which they’ve been gradually recalling ever since they returned. It would seem that this is what Cal meant when he said “it’s all connected” in reference to Al-Zuras in season 2. Apparently, both he and his crew were selected by the divine consciousness as well.
How Did Al-Zuras See Flight 828?
Obviously, Al-Zuras' ship was stuck inside the divine consciousness, not unlike what happened to Flight 828 between 2013 and 2018. What's still not clear though, is how Al-Zuras caught a glimpse of the plane. A Calling confirmed in season 2 that the "silver dragon" Al-Zuras saw flying above the ship during the storm was Flight 828. It makes sense, of course, that they were both in the same place, but their time within the divine consciousness did not coincide. The passengers didn't find their way there until several hundred years later. Based on the timeline of events established in season 2, Al-Zuras and his people were only trapped in the divine consciousness for ten years before being sent back.
One could explain this by arguing that the divine consciousness exists outside of time, but the circumstances of Cal's run-in with Daly and Fiona suggest otherwise. If they all coexist within the divine consciousness regardless of when they were brought there, Cal would have seen more than just the two of them. He would have seen every person who ever entered the divine consciousness. That must mean an entirely different explanation exists for Al-Zuras laying eyes on Flight 828.
What Happened To Al-Zuras?
When discussing Al-Zuras' life, TJ said that Wikipedia doesn't include a date for Al-Zuras' death. The show pointedly revealing that Al-Zuras' fate is unknown feels particularly important to the show's overarching story. In fact, the show deliberately not revealing it is a sign that it'll be relevant eventually. Furthermore, the passengers diving into this mystery actually feels necessary.
The connection between Al-Zuras and the passengers makes his journey crucial to understanding their own future. If it were to be discovered that he lived more than ten years past the date of his disappearance, the passengers could develop an idea of what they're supposed to do. Tracing Al-Zuras' steps could provide a framework for the passengers as they plan their next moves in Manifest season 4, part 2.
Why Did Al-Zuras Have A Death Date (& How Did He Know About It)?
While they don't know when Al-Zuras died, they do know that he had a Death Date. He discussed his crew's awareness of their impending deaths in his journal. Exactly how they knew about the fates that awaited them wasn't addressed, but is certainly worth pondering. Ben and the others only knew about their own Death Dates because of what happened to Griffin in season 1. For Al-Zuras to know about it, other people he knew must have disappeared, or the Callings tipped him off about it somehow.
There's also the matter of why Al-Zuras and his crew had Death Dates. It's accepted at this point that the passengers were picked by the divine consciousness to stop the apocalypse in 2024, but Al-Zuras' incident took place centuries before that. Characters like Zeke, Griffin, and the three meth addicts might have been chosen so that they could help the passengers accomplish their goal, but that can't account for the crew of a 16th-century vessel. Did they have to stop their own apocalyptic event, or did they secretly contribute to the passengers' efforts in some other way that hasn't been revealed yet? While Al-Zuras has been a bit of an afterthought in Manifest season 4, these are all questions that Ben, Michaela, and Saanvi need to be asking when the show returns.