I Binged All 3 Seasons of 'Manifest' in a Week & I Have Some Theories for Season 4

Since Manifest tackles so many biblical themes, it’s only fitting that most of the characters would have biblical names. And if there’s anything I learned in Sunday school, it’s that names are significant and often linked to a person’s destiny (for example, "Abraham" means "father of a multitude," which is fitting considering this figure in the Bible had countless descendants).

So I started to pay more attention to the meaning behind each character’s name and compare it to their respective storylines, which totally shifted my perspective. For example, there’s Cal’s father, Ben—short for “Benjamin,” which means “son of the right hand.” Since the right hand is symbolic of authority and strength in the scriptures, surely, it can’t be a coincidence that Ben has risen as a leader among the 828ers, or that his right hand started to glow and act as a guide in season three (even the show’s creator confirmed that this glow represents a “different kind of a calling”). Then there’s Cal, a name of Hebrew origin that means “devotion.” Considering Cal’s unwavering loyalty to the callings—even to the point of putting his family’s lives at risk—I’d say the meaning behind his name is also intertwined with his future.

The same goes for Cal’s mom, Grace (meaning “favor and blessing”), his sisters, Eden (meaning "pleasure and delight") and Olive (associated with the olive branch, which signifies “peace”). Ditto for other key characters: Flight 828 passenger Angelina (meaning "angel” or “messenger"), Cal’s aunt—and 828 passenger— Michaela (meaning “Who is like God”) and her husband Zeke (short for "Ezekiel," meaning "God will strengthen"). As I reflect on these characters, I can’t help but think that their storylines were, in a sense, already showing us what’s to come in season four. Which brings me to my second theory...

Think about it. She was introduced as a helpless victim in need of saving, then welcomed into a loving family, complete with an adorable child who took a special liking to her. But then things took a dark turn when she started to obsess over Eden, referring to her as a “guardian angel.” She not only came close to killing the child by starting a fire, but she also managed to kidnap the baby and murdered Grace in the process.

Now, let’s back up a little. When Angelina set that fire in front of Eden, you may have noticed that she appeared to have wings of fire, making her look almost demonic. And as for her fascination with Eden, this could be a reference to the cunning serpent in the biblical tale of Garden of Eden. If you recall, it was Angelina’s small gesture of handing over a religious pamphlet that eventually inspired a false prophet to manipulate hundreds of people and lead them astray—much like that serpent led Adam and Eve astray. And regarding that shocking twist in season three, where Angelina kills Eden’s mom, perhaps it wasn’t just the death of Grace, the character, but also the death of God’s blessing and favor. All of these clues seem to be pointing to the same theory: That Angelina is actually a messenger of Satan.

In season three, Saanvi—a medical researcher who was also on board Flight 828—makes a scientific breakthrough when she discovers a sapphire compound on every single subject that returned, causing both her and Dr. Gupta (the lead scientist on a classified government project centered on Flight 828) to hypothesize that sapphire could be triggering people’s disappearance and return.

Sapphire is said to attract heavenly blessings, so naturally, when I noticed the same stone in Grace’s favorite necklace, I figured, that can’t be a coincidence. She was wearing it when she died, which could be a sign that there’s still hope for Cal and his family, as well as the other 828ers, to figure out the truth behind these callings and survive their death date.

The look on Zeke’s face when he told Michaela “We need to talk” said it all. His newfound abilities seemed to confirm a sad truth that he suspected all along, and the fact that Jared is clearly struggling to get over Michaela doesn’t help matters. Given the former cop’s deep connection with Zeke, I don’t see her giving up on her marriage that easily. Still, it appears that Zeke doesn’t have the energy to deal with an awkward love triangle. And now that he’s aware that some part of Michaela still loves Jared, it’s bound to put a huge strain on their relationship. (Fingers crossed that this doesn’t lead to a breakup.)