A recent update on the possibility of aManifestspinoff is bittersweet, especially given how the original series concluded. Before being canceled by NBC,Manifest aired for three seasons, with its story of a plane reappearing after five and a half years leading to many intriguing mysteries. With seasons 1 and 2 performing exceptionally well on Netflix— and fans rallying to have the show saved— the streamer saved the series with an extended season 4 that allowedManifest to have a proper ending.
While Manifest did get to complete its story with 20 episodes in season 4, the series finale received a largely mixed reception. Showrunner Jeff Rake has since teased that he and his creative partners are working on a spinoff and confirmed in an update that the future Manifest story is still being developed. While this news is exciting, it is also somewhat worrisome given the creative choices behind the series finale, which could be worsened by a continuation of its story.
Jeff Rake’s Manifest Spinoff News Feels Bittersweet After How The Original Series Ended
Manifest Had A Divisive Ending
Manifest ended with a timeline reset in which only the Flight 828 passengers deemed worthy survived and retained their memories of what transpired throughout the series. Everyone else in the newly reset timeline had no memory of their journeys over the past four seasons. And the Flight 828 passengers judged poorly simply perished. One of the main reasons this ending proved to be divisive is because it undid much of the series’ character development and left questions unanswered. A spinoff could potentially rectify this issue, but depending on what happens, it could also make the ending even worse.
A spinoff series could be as engaging as its predecessor, but it could just as easily worsen the issues created by the original series’ ending.
Between the overarching mysteries about the Callings and what really happened to Flight 828, Manifest was a thrilling show to watch throughout its entire run. After years of these tantalizing mysteries and the characters’ arduous journeys, the finale felt like a disservice to both the plot and the characters’ arcs. A spinoff series could be as engaging as its predecessor, but it could just as easily worsen the issues created by the original series’ ending. Raising more mysteries might make the story more convoluted, and a spinoff set in the present timeline could hurt the characters further.
A Manifest Spinoff Could Answer Some Of The Questions The First Series Didn’t
The Callings & The Divine Consciousness Were Not Fully Explored
Manifest opted for a more character-driven ending, which is why it left many questions unanswered. There is still a great deal that is unclear about the overarching mysteries and mythology of the show, especially where the Callings and the divine consciousness are concerned. There are also lingering questions that were more character-specific, from the unique connections that Cal had to the Callings to Eden having her own Callings despite Flight 828 disappearing before she was born.
Eden was born in
Manifest
season 2 and was later kidnapped by Flight 828 passenger Angelina Meyer.
The best thing a spinoff can do is to answer some of these questions, which can offer clarity and reward viewers who have been waiting years to have these questions properly answered. If the spinoff is able to achieve this, it could make Manifest‘s ending work better in hindsight. Manifest had a six-season plan for the series that it was unable to fully realize. This was due to NBC’s cancelation and the fact that Netflix only picked it up for one more season. Elements from the original plan could be incorporated into the spinoff, but it depends what it’s about.
What Jeff Rake’s Manifest Spinoff Could Be About
There Are 2 Feasible Options
The simplest path for a future Manifest spinoff would be a direct sequel series in the reset timeline. NSA Director Robert Vance is already investigating the passengers who disappeared on Flight 828, who, unbeknownst to him, were deemed unworthy. And as far as this timeline’s Zeke Landon is concerned, he and Michaela Stone have just met for the first time. A direct sequel series would have the benefit of familiar characters but would have to make different narrative choices, especially since important characters like Angelina do not exist in the new timeline.
Angelina was judged to be unworthy and disintegrated into ash due to her nefarious actions in seasons 3 and 4.
Another approach for a spinoff could be to go back to the 16th century and explore the full extent of what really happened with Egyptian explorer Yusuz Al-Zuras and his Callings. This could be an effective way of addressing unanswered questions about the Callings, the divine consciousness, and the overall mythology in a way that will feel distinct from the original series. With Manifest‘s greatest appeal arguably being its supernatural mysteries and not its characters, a spinoff focused on Al-Zuras might be the best way for the universe to further expand.
