ComScore

7 of the Biggest Unanswered Questions from ‘Manifest’ Season 4 Part 2

*Warning: Major spoilers ahead*

After five years of studying clues and meticulously researching fan theories, we've officially made it to the end of Netflix's Manifest—and as expected, it was an emotional final stretch. The passengers of Flight 828 had their final landing in Season 4 Part 2, which, fittingly, dropped on June 2—the same day as the apocalypse and the 828ers' mysterious "death date."

Fortunately, the final 10 episodes answered some critical questions about Flight 828’s disappearance and the “Divine Consciousness,” from the significance of Cal's scar to the meaning behind that peacock. However, the writers still left some room for interpretation by leaving a few questions unanswered, which makes this show all the more fascinating. Keep reading for seven of Manifest's unanswered questions that had us thinking long after the credits started rolling.

manifest unanswered questions 1
SCOTT MCDERMOTT/NETFLIX

1. Why Were the Passengers from That Specific Flight Called?

There's one particular scene that keeps replaying in our mind. It happens in the final episode, where a frantic Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) and Ben (Josh Dallas) confront a shadowy grim reaper that forms from the ashes of dead passengers. Michaela simply asks, "Why did you choose us? We're just a group of 191 regular people, but you chose us."

The ominous dark figure says nothing in response, but continues to loom over several passengers as Mick and her brother point out their obedience to the callings and their good deeds. And remarkably, as they charge toward the grim reaper, it retreats and mysteriously vanishes. But...Michaela never gets her question answered. Surely, they couldn't have been selected at random. So, why did they get chosen? Why was this particular group called on Flight 828 to carry out such a big task?

manifest unanswered questions 4
PETER KRAMER/NETFLIX

2. Why Was Cal Chosen to Tip the Scales?

Of all the passengers on the plane, it was always Cal (Ty Doran) who had the strongest connection to the callings. Then, after his encounter with Henry Kim (Clem Cheung), he got a scar that marked him as the Dragon—which, thanks to Olive (Luna Blaise) and TJ's (Garrett Wareing) research, meant that he had the power to save the world or, in other words, "tip the scales," since he'd been touched by sapphire. But why Cal of all the passengers on the plane? Did the divine see something special in him? Was it because he was the only one who had the strength and resilience to carry out that assignment?

manifest unanswered questions 3

3. Why Did Cal Age?

Perhaps we're missing something here, but we still haven't been able to piece together why the divine consciousness decided to add five years to Cal’s age in season three. This is the age Cal would've been if the plane landed safely and never vanished, but what was the purpose of this? Did the divine intentionally make him older so he'd be mature enough to keep following the callings? Or did he inadvertently age up/turn into present-day Cal as a result of something (or someone) else?

manifest unanswered questions 6
NETFLIX

4. What Did the Passengers Do in the Divine Consciousness?

The divine consciousness is still a bit of a mystery to us, given that the most we've seen of it is a "white glow." So of course, we can't help but wonder about the events that took place in this mysterious realm.

A part of us suspects that the passengers were actually living in the divine consciousness all along, given that they lived in the same amount of time the plane disappeared (and of course, that one crucial scene between Mick and Zeke (Matt Long) as the latter started to lose his memory in the glow). However, this wouldn't line up with the explanation where passengers are getting "repressed memories," or the fact that they can enter or leave the "consciousness." So, this still begs the question: How exactly did this all-knowing, divine consciousness work? What did the passengers actually do in that time?

manifest unanswered questions 5
PETER KRAMER/NETFLIX

5. Why Did Eden Suddenly Stop Getting Callings?

If there's one thing the final episodes confirmed, it's that all the callings and following events were preordained. In the five years that they were gone, each passenger was given important information that could guide them as they re-entered the real world, but perhaps the divine consciousness needed to enlist the help of someone outside of the group: another close and trusted source (AKA Ben's daughter, Eden) who could steer the passengers in the right direction, should the divine's original plans go south.

So, naturally, we expected to see Eden (Brianna & Gianna Riccio) play a bigger role when it came to receiving new callings. But surprisingly, she was mostly uninvolved in the process and, by the looks of it, not getting any more callings of her own. Could it be that the divine stopped her ability to receive new callings because she was no longer needed?

manifest unanswered questions 7
Netflix

6. Did Al-Zuras and His Crew Have to Stop an Apocalyptic Event in the Past?

Another big mystery that the Stone family tried to unravel was that of Al-Zuras, who experienced a similar phenomenon in the 16th century while he was on a boat. Was this a case where, like the 828ers, Al-Zuras and his crew were stuck in the divine consciousness for years to prevent an oncoming apocalypse? Or was it all part of an even bigger plan to help the 828ers in their efforts to save the world?

manifest unanswered questions 8
Netflix

7. What Was the Purpose of the Biblical Plagues?

Seeing Biblical connections throughout the series has been one of the more exciting parts of the show, thanks to the symbolism. But when it came down to the plagues, which originated with Captain Daly, we couldn't quite figure out how they connect.

For context, according to the Bible, God sent 10 plagues to Egypt as punishment after the Pharoah refused to give the Israelite slaves their freedom. Among them were the plagues of boils, water turning into blood and locusts. The same three occurred briefly in the final 10 episodes, when Captain Daly was being held at the detention center. But then they vanished as quickly as they came, with no real explanation for these incidents and barely any consequences. What was the real message behind those plagues? Was this the divine's way of sending judgment?

Perhaps this calls for another binge-watch and a closer look at the clues we might've missed...

Want Netflix's top shows and movies sent right to your inbox? Click here.



nakeisha campbell bio

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Nakeisha has been interviewing celebrities and covering all things entertainment for over 8 years, but she has also written on a wide range of topics, like career...