Manifest season 4, part 1 ending explained: your biggest questions answered

The Manifest season 4, part 1 ending saw the mystery of Flight 828 deepen. After being saved from cancellation on NBC by Netflix, the sci-fi drama reunited us with the Stone family – and featured some pretty huge revelations. We found out what the "callings" may really mean, said goodbye to some major characters, and learned about the small issue of an impending apocalypse across 10 explosive episodes.

Given there’s so much going on in this series, you’d be forgiven if you needed a bit of help navigating the final twists and turns. We’ve broken down all of the biggest moments and what they might mean, with the added insight of creator Jeff Rake’s most recent interviews. And don’t fret, we’ve also included some key information about the Manifest season 4 return date and whether this is the final season of the show so you don’t miss a moment. Of course, we'll be getting into major spoiler territory from here on out, so if you've not yet finished the hugely popular Netflix show, bookmark this page for later.

Manifest season 4, part 1 ending explained *spoilers*

Manifest began with the passengers and crew of a flight suddenly reappearing after they were presumed dead for five and a half years. The mystery of what really happened to them has slowly unfurled itself over the past three seasons as they attempted to fit into their old lives. 

The most pivotal revelation at this time was that the passengers who survived were given the gift of foresight. They have visions of the future, including clues about how they will die, called "callings". 

The main storyline focuses on the Stone family – half of whom were on the flight, and the other half were not. Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh), Ben (Josh Dallas), and his son Cal (Ty Doran) were all aboard, while Ben’s wife Grace (Athena Karkanis) and Cal’s twin Olive (Luna Blaise) were not. 

The latest season picks up with them in the aftermath of tragedy, two years after Angela (Holly Talor), a fellow passenger on the flight, stabbed Grace and kidnapped her young baby Eden. When we rejoin the Stone family, Ben manages to get Eden back but is facing more turmoil over his son Cal’s cancer returning. 

However, probably the biggest focus of the latest spate of episodes are the revelations regarding the "callings". The characters work out that these are actually clues pointing toward an impending apocalypse. But, there is a solution: Omega Sapphires. The gems, which had previously been linked to the plane’s disappearance, could be a way of preventing this.

The finale saw the Stone family trying to track the last remaining one down. However, it turns out that Angela – who everyone thought had died in an explosion at the beginning of season 4 – has already taken it.

What’s more, the Omega Sapphire gives her the ability to create fake "callings" as well, so she lures Ben to his late wife’s grave to try and take Eden back. She asks Eden to choose whether to stay with Ben or to leave with her, but the young girl chooses the former, leaving Angela to flee.

Meanwhile, Cal is also attempting to take the Omega Sapphire while battling his illness. He’s been chosen as the "Holy Grail" and will be essential in saving mankind from the apocalypse. To try and keep him alive, Michaela’s husband Zeke (Matt Long) uses his empath powers to cure Cal’s cancer but sadly dies in his place.

Now equipped with Zeke’s power, Cal takes on Angela in one of his visions to try and steal the Omega Sapphire from her. At first, it seems like he’s successful, but in the closing scene, we see that Angela still has it, setting up a dramatic final few episodes of the sci-fi drama.

What does the final scene mean? What will Angela do with the Omega Sapphire? 

In the show’s final scene, Angela’s arm can be seen fusing with the Omega Sapphire, hinting that her power will only grow. Show creator Rake has confirmed they are now "one and the same". He told Variety: "You can deduce from that that she now is more powerful than ever, that whatever dark power or dark force exists in the universe of this television show, she now is that personified." 

That’s not all either, as Rake points out, the viewers are the only ones who know that Angela is still alive. "It’s gonna be a hell of a surprise when our heroes discover that she’s out there and when they do discover that, it will be a more formidable force of darkness than they can even imagine," he added.

What happened to Violet in Manifest?

Sadly, Violet (Sarah Marie Rodriguez) – another of the 828 passengers – was one of the victims in Manifest season 4. After hitting it off with Cal, she was killed in episode 7 by the 828 killer, who we now know was Noelle (Heidi Armbruster). Speaking of the psychopath… 

What happened to Noelle in Manifest?

Given that Angela continues to be a huge problem for the Stone family, some viewers may be wondering what her mother Noelle is up to now. In episode 8, it was revealed that Noelle is the serial killer behind the murders of several 828 passengers. The last time we saw her she was being led away by the police, but it’s definitely possible she might make a return in the final episodes. We’ll have to wait and see on that one, though. 

Does Cal die in Manifest season 4? 

No, Cal doesn’t die. At the beginning of the season, it became clear that Cal’s cancer had returned and he was given only days to live. However, he was saved in the season finale by Zeke in one of the show’s most shocking moments. 

Does Zeke die in Manifest season 4? 

Viewers saw Zeke emotionally sacrifice himself for Cal to survive – but is he really dead? Well, don’t despair yet as Rake gave Variety, in the same interview as above, an interesting answer when asked if he was gone for good. 

He teased: "Zeke is dead. But there’s a powerful love that exists between him and Michaela – and so on Manifest, who knows what that means? We have seen characters find ways to communicate with each other, death notwithstanding. So let’s see what Michaela can achieve because their bond is a strong one."

When is Manifest season 4 part 2 coming out on Netflix? 

Currently, Manifest season 4 doesn’t have a scheduled return on Netflix. However, there’s been some speculation that it could be coming back on a very important date for the show. Some viewers think that the series will air on June 2, 2023, as this is the "Death Date".

Showrunner Rake has confirmed the tail end of the season has already been filmed so hopefully, we won’t be waiting too long. Teasing what’s to come, he told Entertainment Weekly that it’s all mapped out. "The second half is much more about the community of 828 passengers," he said. "Without giving away too much, we'll be focused every episode on that larger community throughout the second block all the way up to the Death Date. It used to be 191 passengers. We've lost a few along the way. Now, will Ben and Michaela and Cal and Olive be at the center of that? They will be."

Is there going to be a season 5 of Manifest? 

No, there won’t be Manifest season 5. The show is set to end on Netflix with season 4 after the streamer saved it from cancelation on NBC post season 3. 

Rake has said that the show will end how he always planned, telling Netflix in a statement when it was renewed: "Never in my wildest dreams could I have envisioned the worldwide outpouring of love and support for this story, its characters, and the team who work so hard to bring it all to life. That we will be able to reward the fans with the ending they deserve moves me to no end."

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