So many unanswered questions. NBC canceled ManifestDespite the shocking finale of season 3, it was a great show. Netflix saved the day and ordered a fourth and final episode thanks to a new group of fans eager to learn what happened to Flight 828.
The network cut the plug ManifestIn June 2021, just days after the two-part finale aired. Viewers hoping that the episode would wrap up loose ends in the story were disappointed, as even more twists were introduced into the series’ expansive landscape.
GraceAthena Karkanis) — spoiler alert — seemingly died after an altercation with Angelina (Holly Taylor) as the 828 passenger abducted Grace and Ben’s (Josh Dallas) baby, Eden. Meanwhile, the couple’s son, Cal (Jack Messina), returned in the form of a teenager (Ty Doran) after going missing when he touched the plane’s tailfin. Plus, the love triangle that Michaela and Michaela formed.Melissa Roxburgh), Zeke (Matt Long) and Jared (J.R. Ramirez) seemed to be reignited by old jealousies.
In tandem with the show’s cancellation, seasons 1 and 2 made their debut on Netflix, taking up a lengthy stay in the streaming platform’s Top 10 list. As new viewers discovered the series, they were saddened to learn of its demise, which ramped up conversations about a season 4 renewal.
Creator Jeff Rake, who initially sold the concept to NBC for six seasons that were already mapped out, continued to advocate for the show’s continuation as conversations broke down about a renewal.
“We’re trying to find a way to conclude the series,” the writer tweetedIn June 2021. “Could take a week, a month, a year. But we’re not giving up. You deserve an end to the story.”
Rake wanted to give fans what was best: a movie. “I had giant cliffhangers in the season 3 finale, so I had every intention to have three more seasons to slow-burn the back half of the story,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “I’m reading the writing on the wall that we may not find a home for three more seasons of the show, so I moved to plan B: Some platform would bankroll a feature or a movie finale, like we saw with Timeless, FireflyAnd Deadwood. To tell the story, I only need a modest budget. I am currently imagining how to combine the back half of the series into an easier-to-follow two-hour finale that would distill all the hanging chads. That’s where my head is at.”
However, news broke in July 2021 that NBC and Netflix were once again in talks with the show’s studio, Warner Bros. TV, about a possible fourth season. In August 2021, Netflix announced a deal for a final season of 20 episodes. While Rake won’t get to see his six-season vision come to life, he will get the chance to answer all the mysteries of Flight 828 in the super-sized final chapter.
Look through the gallery to see all we know about next steps. Manifest:
