Manifest is a supernatural drama television series created by Jeff Rake. Season 4 Part 2 aired on Netflix on June 2, 2023. Let’s discuss the last 10 episodes together, shall we? Joining me (Rike) are Mandy, Anna Maria and Elle. Are you ready for this one? Let’s go then, but don’t forget to fasten your seatbelt before starting to read this.
Q: How do you feel going into this last piece of our favorite show?
M: It feels bittersweet to think this is it. This is the end. I’ve been in this fandom for so many years since season one. I remember every little exciting thing, all the interviews dropped, the new season announcements, the staying up till 4 am just to be able to live tweet with the cast and crew. It was all so fun to do and to know that this is it. That after this, it all ends -still hoping for that spinoff though-.
But just the thought that after this one there won’t be any new episodes anymore really makes me emotional. I am no near ready to say goodbye to this wonderful cast and crew and the little plane show. But also gratitude for having been there for so long watching this incredible journey and watching everyone grow. Thankful for the memories, friendships and lessons this show has given me.
A: It was really emotional knowing this was gonna be the last part of Manifest. I was looking forward to seeing how it was going to end, and what was going to happen with our main characters, but I also knew it was going to be sad to say goodbye to them.
E: It’s hard to describe. I’ve seen this show through so much; from cancellation to sudden rise to record breaking popularity and revival. It’s crazy that it’s ending, but I’m so thankful that we get some answers. Saying goodbye will be heartbreaking. Manifest has become my go-to for any emotion. If I’m happy and celebrating, I watch Manifest. If I’m sad or angry, I watch Manifest. Overall, I’m just grateful that we will see this journey through to the bitter end. And, something tells me that it may not end here.
R: Mixed feelings. I truly want to know how it ends and why it’s all connected, but on the other hand, I also don’t want this show to end. It means saying goodbye to this amazing cast, writers and producers, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to do so. However, I’m super grateful that we made this one last season happen. Hopefully there will be some closure. Let’s see what’s going to happen.
Q: Which character arc is your favorite?
M: This is such a hard question to answer. I think there are so many beautiful character arcs/developments throughout the show. First of all, watching Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) struggle with the feeling of guilt for what happened with Evie (Simoné Elizabeth Bart) throughout the show, to being able to embrace that guilt and forgiving herself. Allowing herself to find happiness in life too. That was such a powerful arc. Ben (Josh Dallas) definitely has grown a lot too. The fact that he was able to forgive the one person he hated the most, in the end, was really showing how much he has grown throughout the show. I also loved to see how Jared (J.R. Ramirez) was more relaxed and peaceful, how Saanvi (Parveen Kaur) found love too in the end.
So many characters had a beautiful arc, but I think Olive’s (Luna Blaise) arc is my favorite one. She’s grown into this strong, powerful, smart young woman who would do anything for the people she loves. She’s taken so much responsibility in making sure her family is taken care of in season four, helping the passengers solve the callings. She finally got that chance to spend more time with her father, and I think it’s so beautiful. She always is the light in the darkness, the little spark of hope for when people have lost it. She’s come such a far, long way, and she is so strong and powerful. Definitely my favorite character of the show by far.
A: That’s a good question, since I feel many characters have had a great arc. I feel like Ben has grown a lot over the seasons. Also, Olive has taken so much responsibility for helping solve the callings and saving the passengers, and she has grown a lot. But in the end, I think I have to say Cal (Ty Doran). He sacrificed so much, and was willing to take on the task of getting all the callings in the end.
E: It’s honestly impossible to choose just one. Everyone has grown so much. However, one I want to highlight is Olive. When we meet Olive in season 1, she’s a scared little girl. At 15, she’s been through far more than the average kid, and this has clearly taken a toll on her and essentially stolen her childhood. In the final episode, however, we see her get a chance to reclaim her childhood and get the ultimate second chance. Even before this happens, it is clear that Olive has become a confident and strong woman. She can make her own decisions and take care of herself, and even parent her little sister. Olive has grown so much, and it’s been an immense privilege watching Luna grow up on screen as well.
R: Guess I have to decide between Zeke (Matt Long) and Vance (Daryl Edwards). One sacrificed his own life in the end, and the other risked his life and livelihood to get to the bottom of what happened on that flight. Zeke has been my favorite character from the start. Maybe it would be too easy to choose him. However, he will always have a special place in my heart because of his selfless nature and growth throughout the show. In the beginning, it seemed like Vance’s intentions weren’t good at all. However, things changed. He becomes an ally to 828ers and is always there for Saanvi and Ben whenever they need him. Vance consistently stands up for his beliefs and literally throws himself into a lot of dangerous situations just to help out 828ers. Truly a hero.
Q: Did the series finale and the season in general live up to your expectations?
M: I enjoyed the season overall. I honestly had set no expectations, because I really wanted to let myself be surprised and not get disappointed if certain things didn’t happen. There were so many moments in the show that I absolutely loved. The only thing that felt off to me was the way Jared responded to the break up with Michaela. In the pilot, he tells her that it was two years before he even looked to another woman. But in the finale, he had no problem looking to another woman after five minutes. So that felt really weird and off to me. This man has been pining over Michaela for four seasons, and when she breaks up with him, he suddenly doesn’t care and is fine with it. It seemed strange to me.
I don’t really care about what ships do and don’t end up together in the end. To me, the story being told is more important than the endgames. The end message of the show about forgiveness, love and hope is something I absolutely loved. It’s so important in life, and I love that they passed on that message to us the viewers. I have to admit though, I was secretly hoping we could see what happened to the passengers on the flight when they disappeared. Too bad we didn’t get to see that.
A: The season finale and the season in general was really fun and action-filled, so I would say most of it lived up to my expectations. I think it was a really surprising and interesting twist with the passengers landing back in time when they were supposed to land. What I found disappointing, though, was the writers choice of making Drea (Ellen Tamaki) pregnant. It felt quite random, and it feels like they just did it so they could find an excuse to make Mick choose Zeke, because she saw how excited Jared was over the fact that he was going to be a father.
The writers had never presented having a child or not as a big issue between Jachaela, so introducing that now in the ending felt unnatural to me. Apart from the fact that Jachaela did not end up together, despite the build up and reconnection, I enjoyed the season a lot.
E: I have very mixed feelings. I love Manifest, and nothing will change that. Much of the season was perfect. Part one felt fulfilling and suspenseful, but, in my opinion, part 2 failed in some ways to bring the story home. I have always said the story is essentially Michaela and Jared’s love story. It began with Michaela’s choice to say ‘yes’ and marry Jared, and my firm belief was that it should end with them finally getting together. This didn’t happen, and in many ways it felt like the ultimate betrayal, especially after fighting for so long to save Manifest. Many of the lines that our beloved characters had said early on felt as if they’d been plowed over.
I have trouble understanding what happened to Michaela telling Jared “I want everything you want”. I can’t comprehend how the loyal Jared that we’ve grown to love would just accept Michaela breaking up with him. To me, it seemed as if Jeff had been so stuck in achieving his original planned ending, that he’d forgotten to look at what was actually happening on screen. It seemed as though he went through telling the story he set out to tell, but lost the integrity of what makes Manifest so great. Melissa and JR have such great chemistry, and it’s impossible not to root for them!
Another issue I took with the final episodes was the situation with Ben and Saanvi. It seemed as though Manifest had failed to come through for its queer fans. I’ve always felt that Manifest is unique in that, despite the cancellation of many sapphic shows, it was given a second chance. However, having Ben and Saanvi hookup seemed like another betrayal. Especially after learning that the writers discussed something happening between Drea and Saanvi and ultimately decided against it. Building on this, I felt as though Saanvi’s sapphic love story with Alex (Sydney Morton) was sidelined. The two were never given screen time or even proper closure, and that was upsetting. Overall, I felt like the final episodes were amazing in storyline and cinematography, but fell flat in terms of the series-long relationships built.
R: I can agree with most of what has been said above. You may have noticed that I like Zeke and Mick together. That’s no surprise. So the ending made me truly happy. I could rewatch the cab scene over and over again. However, the things that happened between Jared and Mick felt not right at all. Why do you try to build something when you are gonna destroy it in the end, or towards the end? It didn’t make sense to me. But like I already said, I can’t complain, with my favorite people ending up together again. There’s just this little bitter aftertaste, but I can live with it.
Besides the whole “shipping” stuff, the season was truly fun to watch, and one could already guess what would happen in the end, but that’s not a negative aspect. As soon as I saw the plane, there was no other way on how it’s all going to be connected. The last few minutes made me go super emotional, not gonna lie. I probably already said this, but I will truly miss this cast and this show.
Did you guys enjoy watching the final episodes? Don’t forget to check this place when we will be back with some more supernatural content. In the meantime, why not check our review of the latest episode Season 4 Episode 10 “Inversion Illusion” by clicking on the link here.
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Rike is a very optimistic person who's trying to make the best out of everything. She's passionate about traveling, concerts, football and conventions. Most of the time she’s carrying her camera around to capture some moments. Her favorite football club is Borussia Dortmund and if she’s not watching the games on tv she's probably being in the stadium supporting the team.
