Manifest- Season 4 (review)

Published by Mason Oldridge, 15 June 2023

The Netflix-revived supernatural drama turns up the heat as NBC’s cancelled show becomes the streaming giant’s most watched.

The first half sees Ben totally absorbed in finding his daughter Eden, before the second half takes a dystopian turn as the passengers are now detained. Apocalyptic signs arrive as a sedated Captain Daly inflicts plagues upon the detention centre and the group face one final push at saving the lifeboat, with Cal desperately solving everyone’s callings and Angelina and her ‘flock’ preparing for the end, believing themselves to be the selected few to enter the new world.

We also learn a few things in the final season, including that the passengers were in a ‘divine consciousness’, omega sapphire could be the key to saving the lifeboat and the death date is not just for the passengers but for everyone.

Highlights of the season include when Zeke, struggling with his empathic powers, feels Erika’s murderous rage and maniacally shoots her, threatening the lifeboat, and the mid-season finale in which Angelina emerges from the lava with the sapphire molten in her hand, leaving a trail of apocalyptic destruction in her path and creating a sense of impending doom.

The end certainly feels nigh with these latest developments, but with several episodes covering the build up, viewers are likely to be left impatient for the death date to arrive.

That said, the finale is nonetheless thrilling. After Cal sacrifices himself to create the sapphire beacon, the entire set of passengers arrive at the camp, including Angelina’s clan, who attempt to derail proceedings. The original plane emerges from the lava and everyone boards. There are some truly epic scenes as everyone faces their judgement, with 11 of them, including Angelina, burning before turning to ash. Eegan’s redemption arc is a heartwarming one as he offers to sacrifice himself for Adrian, resulting in them both surviving. The plane then flies into the glow in which they are returned to 2013. It may be justice, but only the passengers have memory of their alternate timelines, meaning Mick has to meet Zeke again and TJ can’t be with Olive because of their age gap.

Manifest goes all out on its final batch, turning up the drama and ultimately delivering a worthy conclusion that the creators had to fight to bring to its fans.

9/10