Several of Manifest season 4’s biggest reveals were set up earlier in the show’s story. In spite of the series still having ten episodes, most of its most pressing mysteries have been solved now. They may not know how to save the Lifeboat yet, but they at least have an understanding of what’s been happening to them, why, and who’s behind it.
Some of the answers uncovered over the course of the season’s first half were treated as huge surprises to the main characters, but few came without proper foreshadowing. Most of the discoveries made by the Flight 828 passengers in Manifest season 4, part 1 can be traced back to hints dropped in the show’s first three seasons. In fact, the show laid the groundwork for seven of its key reveals prior to season 4.
6 A Divine Consciousness Is Behind The Callings
In Manifest season 4, the characters finally figured out that the Callings come from a divine consciousness, who secretly gave them the Callings while they were on the plane. A divine entity being the one pulling the strings has been suspected by the passengers ever since season 3 when Ben came up with his resurrection theory, but the involvement of a higher power was actually teased before that. When confronted by Ben over his decision to open the Church of the Returned in season 1, Adrian told him that the Callings were divine messages. Of course, this remark wasn’t taken seriously. Not only did Ben immediately dismiss the claim, but it was strongly implied that Adrian didn’t truly believe it himself.
In season 2, a much more credible source was revealed to have shared the opinion that God sent the Callings. Al-Zuras, the explorer who experienced the same phenomenon as the Flight 828 passengers, recorded in his journal that he and his crew were hearing the “word of God.” Presumably because it stood to reason that the crew of a 16th-century ship would connect mysterious visions and messages with God, this too wasn’t interpreted as evidence of a divine plan. However, it appears now that Al-Zuras knew even more about the true nature of the Callings than the passengers.
5 The Passengers Are Connected To The Apocalypse
In addition to suggesting that the Callings came from God, Adrian made another argument Ben perceived as outlandish when the former called the passengers the “agents of the apocalypse” in a season 2 episode. Having become convinced that the Callings were manipulating the passengers, Adrian believed that Ben and the others were furthering an evil cause by continuing to follow the Callings. So far, there’s no proof that he was right about the Callings being sent by a malevolent force, but Manifest season 4 proves that Adrian was indeed correct when he connected the passengers to the apocalypse. Thanks to Marko’s Calling, the passengers know for sure that the Death Date coincides with the end of the world.
One of them, Angelina, may even be the reason why it happens in the first place. After all, she currently possesses an Omega Sapphire shard. Since they generate volcanic activity when their powers are used, it’s no longer a stretch to say that a passenger will bring about the apocalypse in 2024. Their destructive potential was on full display when a wide look at the city previewed the damage Angelina was able to wreak in a single night.
4 Mount Ararat Causes The Apocalypse
The exact way in which the world is supposed to end in 2024 was told to the passengers in Manifest season 3. During the story that saw Eureka recover the Noah’s Ark driftwood spit out by Mount Ararat, the passengers received Callings of an erupting volcano. Saanvi interpreted this to be a hint at what she was meant to do with the tailfin, but that only scratches the surface of what these Callings signify. Based on what they learned, Mount Ararat’s seemingly inevitable eruption will trigger a volcanic apocalypse. Another indicator at the connection shared by Mount Ararat and Flight 828 was provided when Saanvi realized that the tectonic plates beneath Mount Ararat began shifting on the very day Flight 828 disappeared.
3 Zeke Was Important To Stopping The Death Date
Shortly after introducing Zeke, Manifest created a new mystery by making it clear that he was integral to the passengers’ journey. It was understood as early as season 1’s “Cleared For Approach” that Manifest’s Zeke had a special role to play. Callings that he and Michaela had of each other and a petrograph found in a cave made it clear that he was meant to be a part of their story. Clarity regarding Zeke’s importance was finally offered in the Manifest season 4, part 1 finale when he used his empathic powers to make the ultimate sacrifice and absorb Cal’s cancer. By all indications, Zeke’s purpose was always to save Cal. That makes sense, considering that Cal supposedly has to be alive in order for them to survive what comes next.
2 Cal Is The Key To Saving The Lifeboat
The characters coming to the conclusion that Cal is the key to saving the Lifeboat was also set in motion long before season 4. In season 1, the Major tried to get hands on Cal, believing that he was a special case among the passengers. This idea was supported by his Callings, which contained more information than those shared by the rest of the passengers. Later on, a deep dive into her notes confirmed that Major had identified Cal as the key to everything. The morality of her tactics aside, the Major had rightfully deduced Cal’s significance, which explains why capturing him was so important to her in Manifest season 1.
1 Omega Sapphires Have Divine Powers
Manifest introduced a new piece of the show’s mythos when it brought in the Omega Sapphires. Each of these Omega Sapphires contains divine essence, granting those who find them access to unique powers. The idea of there being something out there that can allow someone to manifest their own Callings was new to the series, but it’s worth noting that the foundation for it already existed. Manifest season 3 established that traces of sapphire, referred to as the “signature of the divine,” was found on every object touched by the same force that made the passengers disappear. This paved the way for Manifest to expand on it by revealing that large amounts of sapphire, created by the divine consciousness, form Omega Sapphires.