‘Manifest’ Ending Explained: Season 4 Proves That It's Indeed “All Connected”

What Happens in the Manifest Season 4 Finale?

Quite a bit. For starters, it's the official death date, and the Stones are now aware that the fate of the world is also at stake.

Cal fulfills his destiny and vanishes after connecting with the Omega Sapphire in the driftwood—the same one that Saanvi dropped in a volcanic fissure in season three. The incident creates a giant blue beam of light that draws all 828ers to the spot where this happened, and in the middle of the night, the original plane that vanished five and a half years ago rises from molten lava as the earth's surface cracks open. NBD.

An understandably baffled group of passengers reluctantly boards the plane. Ben passes one final test of forgiveness, the earth magically morphs into a runway and Co-Pilot Danny Clarke flies the aircraft with Mick as his nervous co-pilot.

While in the air, a terrifying moment comes where random passengers start to die by exploding into piles of ash, but some are saved last minute as they reflect on their good deeds. The remaining ashes turn into a scary grim reaper, but it ultimately disappears because of Ben and Mick.

Fast-forward to the plane's landing and the year is...you guessed it, 2013. Every passenger still remembers the events of the last five years, with the exception of Cal. But they all land safely as if Flight 828 never disappeared. So, what does all of this mean?

The Manifest Season 4 Finale Explained

By the show's finale, we learn quite a few things. Cal was definitely the key to beating the death date, since he gained his dragon scar and absorbed the Omega sapphire, which is tied to the divine consciousness. It's likely that Cal was chosen for this because he was the sole passenger who looked directly into the light when the plane "vanished."

But if you recall, Cal developed the habit of saying "It's all connected." And over the course of the series, the Stones come to understand that they were actually chosen by a higher power to carry out their callings—the one thing that connects them to the rest of the 828ers. From resurfaced childhood photos and seemingly random tarot cards to drawings, all signs pointed to the fact that every single incident was part of a bigger, divine plan. One that involved stopping the end of the world and giving each passenger a second chance at the life they really wanted.

So, by landing back in 2013 the surviving characters successfully completed their mission, averted a major crisis and learned a few valuable lessons along the way. This in turn would help them make wiser decisions going forward—like Michaela turning down Jared's proposal and Eagan jumping at the opportunity to make things right with his parents. Meanwhile, Cal, who is young again, is none the wiser about all the chaos that went down. This suggests that the divine consciousness took away those memories to let him enjoy the childhood he missed out on.

As for the other passengers who mysteriously never made it back, no real explanation is given for how the government will tackle this one—but we can already see that NSA Director Robert Vance is on the case.

Could this be a hint that there may be another mysterious reappearance? One that involves Angelina and the others, under the influence of a different power? We'll never know, but our imagination is telling us it's certainly possible.

Want more entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Click here.