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Fans of Manifest, Jeff Rake’s supernatural drama that Netflix saved from an NBC cancelation, will be happy to know there’s still hope for a continuation of Flight 828’s saga — even after the series wrapped its fourth and final season back in June.
On August 28, 2023, aka “828 Day,” Rake shared an update about a potential Manifest spinoff, asking fans to “stay hopeful” with him until he can resume talks about the future of the series.
“MANIFESTERS! As you can see, the plane is under wraps at the moment,” Rake wrote alongside a set photo of a covered Flight 828. “The ongoing strike has paused all talks about any next chapter(s) in the Manifest saga, but hope you’ll stay hopeful with me. Meantime, HAPPY 828 DAY! #Manifest #828 #ManifestSpinoff”
Rake’s profile photo on Twitter shows him marching on the picket line in solidarity with the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. But when major broadcast networks and streaming companies come to fair agreements with the writers, actors, and other invaluable union members on strike, could fans really expect to see a continuation of Manifest?
What Would A Manifest Spinoff Be About?
As Decider noted in our Season 4, Part 2 finale recap, after Angelina and 10 other passengers burst into flames on Flight 828, the plane lands, the door opens, and everyone emerges into the airport on April 7, 2013, the same date their original flight was supposed to land.
After the passengers who didn’t implode deplane, they reunite with all their loved ones as they should have from the start. Grace is at the airport waiting for Ben and Cal, who’s a kid again, just like Olive. Saanvi reunites with Alex and will presumably team up with Ben to cure Cal’s cancer. Ben and Michaela’s parents are still alive. TJ reunites with his mom, and though he and Olive obviously can’t be together anymore, he shares a meet-cute with Violet, who briefly dated older Cal. And Mich reunites with Jared to finally turn down his marriage proposal.
The 828ers still remember their shared journey, but no one else (including young Cal) has a clue. They consider it the “ultimate second chance” and set out to live the best lives they can with their vast wisdom. Meanwhile, a now-clueless Vance rushes into the airport to try to solve the mystery of the 11 missing 828 passengers. Police arrive on scene, including Drea, who has a meet-cute of her own with Jared. And Michaela sprints outside to hail a cab after remembering Zeke was on airport drop-off duty that night. She finds him, instantly charms him, and tells him to drive so she can fill him in on “a never-ending story.”
So what could a Manifest spinoff be about? After seeing the relentlessly ambitious twists, turns, and creativity displayed in Rake’s original series, we have no doubt several spinoffs could emerge — but the most obvious continuation would likely focus on Vance investigating the 11 missing 828 passengers, and the role the surviving passengers play in solving that mystery.
Whatever form Manifest returns in, it seems fans would be thrilled to spend more time in Rake’s world. The @RenewManifest Twitter account, which regularly tweets about the series, currently has 10,400 followers. And the show pulled high ratings for Netflix, still snagging a spot in Nielsen’s Top 10 Streaming Original Programs list from July 3 to July 9, with 349 million minutes watched.
Rake has yet to share any details about a potential next chapter of Manifest, but here’s hoping we get more updates from him after the strikes conclude.
