After four seasons, the final part of Manifest premiered on June 2 on Netflix. The show first premiered in 2018 and follows the story of Flight 828’s return five and a half years after its mysterious disappearance, which leads to supernatural events and world-ending mysteries. After its shocking return, the passengers are in a race against time as they were given a Death Date that started the moment they returned. From mythology to clues from history, the passengers (and viewers) are trying to piece together the solution to the Death Date.
The supernatural mystery gets confusing at times, causing fans to have some questions. However, the biggest question is if Manifest is based on a true story. I’m here to break down all the supernatural elements and what real-world event may have inspired the show’s plotline.
A real-life plane disappearance loosely inspired the current version of the show.
The crux of Manifest’s story is about Flight 828. The passengers aboard the plane thought they were heading back to JFK Airport on April 7, 2013. However, it wasn’t until Nov. 4, 2018 that the plane finally landed. The flight was mysteriously missing for five and a half years, but for the passengers, it felt like a normal flight where they were gone for just a few hours. It seems the reason for the plane’s disappearance deals with divine consciousness and spiritual mysteries.
This supernatural plotline first premiered on Sep. 24, 2018. However, Manifest’s creator, Jeff Rake, said he had the idea for the show for years and pitched it back in 2007. It wasn’t until a real-life plane disappearance that entertainment companies were interested in the show’s story. Rake revealed in an interview with SYFY in 2018 that the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 was what allowed Manifest to come to life, but it isn’t based on it. Flight 370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 with 227 passengers onboard. In 2017, debris from the plane was found in the Indian Ocean, suggesting where the plane crashed, but no passengers have been uncovered yet. So, Manifest might not be based on a true story, but elements from it align with real-life mysteries.
Pieces of the passengers’ Death Date-solving come from real events and figures.
Though Manifest isn’t based on a true story, the creators used religion, mythology, and real-life objects to curate a solution for the Death Date. Starting with the most prized possession of the show, the omega sapphire is a real stone. In the show, the Omega Sapphire lives within Cal and Angelina. Those with the omega sapphire possess the power to create Callings, visions sent to the passengers of 828.
Sapphire in general holds the key to the solution of the Flight 828 disappearance, as it’s found in the tailfin of the plane, a piece of Noah’s Ark, and more throughout the show. The stone itself actually exists in the real world, but of course, doesn’t have the power of the one in the show. Rake’s decision to use sapphire as the stone of choice stems from its deep roots in mythology and its connection with tangible objects, and he thinks its unreal power is not as unbelievable as some other myths that exist in real life.
Another key element was Noah’s Ark. In Season 3, Dr. Saanvi, a passenger from 828 who is researching a solution to the Death Date, was delivered a piece of driftwood from the Vatican that was coated in the same sapphire compound that kept popping up during the show. Based on where it was found, Saanvi concluded that it came from Noah’s Ark. Though there has yet to be scientific evidence to prove it, Noah’s Ark is believed to be a ship that saved humans and animals from a great flood. Throughout the show, there are many parallels to the story of the passengers and Noah’s Ark, such as how the passengers refer to themselves as the “lifeboat” that will save the Earth from world-ending destruction.
Manifest makes many other references to spiritual beings and mythology. In Season 4 Part 1, Cal returns older and is referred to as Gabriel to hide his identity. Fans believe this is reminiscent of Archangel Gabriel, a guardian angel who protected Israel, because Cal is the key person in protecting the passengers. Olive, Cal’s sister, even uses a deck of tarot cards created by a fictional character Al-Zuras to help piece together clues to the solution of the Death Date. Though the cards might be fictional, tarot cards have been used for decades to answer unsolved questions.
Manifest might be a mystery, but the elements leading to its solution are a collection of real-world beliefs, stories, and history.