10 Best Manifest Episodes, Ranked

Manifest featured many suspenseful, thought-provoking episodes over its four-season run, and some of the best ones raised the stakes surrounding the passengers of Flight 828 and introduced or solved the show’s major mysteries. The series started on NBC and later moved to Netflix for its final season, which brought the mystery of Flight 828 to a close at long last. Manifest introduced numerous storylines before reaching this point, some of which were undoubtedly stronger than others.

Given the show was often dubbed the “new Lost,” it makes sense that Manifest took a few detours on the way to revealing the truth about Flight 828’s disappearance and reappearance years later. While some of those subplots factor into Manifest‘s best episodes, the show was often at its strongest when focusing on its central mystery and the themes that accompanied it.

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10 Manifest season 1, episode 9

“Dead Reckoning”

Manifest season 1 gets the show off to a strong start, and even the series’ earliest episodes don’t shy away from the stakes surrounding Flight 828. When Ben and Michaela Stone realize a group of passengers have been taken by a government agency, they make it their mission to find them. Robert Vance and Jared get wrapped up in their investigation, leading to an explosive ending in Manifest season 1, episode 9, “Dead Reckoning.”

“Dead Reckoning” features the fakeout death of Vance — a moment that proves shocking and tragic upon first watch — as well as the near death of Jared. Although the group manages to save the missing passengers, this installment drives home just how risky their quest for answers is. It also highlights how important Cal is in bringing Manifest‘s mysteries together and features a big reveal during its final moments.

9 Manifest season 1, episode 12

“Vanishing Point”

Cal’s importance to Manifest‘s central storyline is continuously highlighted in season 1, and episode 12, “Vanishing Point,” sees him making another important discovery. This time, he disappears from home, leading Ben and Grace to believe he’s been kidnapped by someone who has it out for the passengers. However, Cal actually ventures upstate himself, leading his parents to Zeke, who becomes a crucial character in the show’s narrative.

The mystery surrounding Cal’s disappearance makes “Vanishing Point” a tense installment, and its bizarre ending raises questions — the kind that make Manifest such an engaging watch in the first place. It’s important chapter in the show overall, and it also introduces the Major, a villain who raises the stakes yet again for the passengers.

8 Manifest season 1, episode 16

“Estimated Time of Departure”

Manifest season 1, episode 16, “Estimated Time of Departure,” packs a punch as a finale, pitting Michaela and Ben against the clock as they attempt to stop a now-free Griffin from revealing the callings to the public. The stakes are higher than ever, but that’s not the reason this episode is such a solid chapter in the show.

Manifest season 1’s finale is also full of bombshell revelations, from the fact that Grace is pregnant to the Major being Saanvi’s therapist. The whole installment culminates in a confrontation between Zeke and Jared that will have viewers pressing play on the next episode immediately. It’s the perfect way to end a season of television, ensuring that viewers are on edge until the credits roll.

7 Manifest season 2, episode 13

“Icing Conditions”

Manifest‘s finales make up many of its best episodes, and the season 2 conclusion, “Icing Conditions,” is no exception to the rule. “Icing Conditions” brings season 2’s build-up to Zeke’s death to a close, trying all the outing’s storylines together in a satisfying way. Zeke sacrifices himself to save Cal, but he also manages to save his own life in the process. This climax teases developments that unfold much later in Manifest, making it a fascinating installment to look back on.

Saanvi also kills the Major in this episode, a shocking twist that raises questions about what’s to come for her and the other passengers. After hyping up the Major as the show’s major villain, season 2 concludes on a shocking note that serves as a reminder of what makes the series great.

6 Manifest season 4, episode 17

“Threshold”

Manifest season 4, episode 17 isn’t as intense as the show’s other best episodes, but it places a heavy emphasis on hope, driving home the central message of the series. “Threshold” sees the passengers — many of whom are locked inside a detention center and left to die — getting free at long last. It’s not a smoke signal or sign that gets them out of their sticky situation; it’s the tireless efforts of Lourdes, who dedicates her time to drilling a tunnel to the facility.

“Threshold” speaks volumes about how good deeds can save others, as well as how holding out hope can often be rewarded. It’s a refreshing message as the ending of Manifest nears, and it’s one the actual series finale drives home yet again.

5 Manifest season 2, episode 7

“Emergency Exit”

Although hopeful episodes of Manifest make touching additions to the series, the tense ones tend to stay front of mind the longest. That’s why Manifest season 2, episode 7, “Emergency Exit,” is so memorable. This chapter finds the passengers of Flight 828 running into each other at a nightclub — a development they later realize is a trap. They narrowly avoid being poisoned, but they soon find themselves stuck in the club as it’s on fire. It’s a tough episode to watch, and it contains another fakeout death that’s as heart-wrenching as Vance’s.

The other storylines in this installment also tease answers surrounding the callings, with Saanvi experimenting with scientific ways of stopping them. Overall, “Emergency Exit” contains the right balance of action and investigation, making it a fun episode to watch from beginning to end.

4 Manifest season 1, episode 1

“Pilot”

The Manifest pilot is one of the best episodes of the series, if only because it kicks off all the events that follow and has a hook that pulls viewers in right away. The premise of Manifest is one of the show’s strengths, and the pilot episode executes it flawlessly. It’s heartbreaking to watch the passengers of Flight 828 — characters viewers hardly know at this point — getting off the plane to discover their loved ones have moved on or perished in the time they were gone. It’s a testament to the show’s character writing that this hits home this early on.

The central mystery of Manifest is what keeps audiences watching for four seasons, and the need for answers starts with the pilot. The introduction of callings adds a fascinating layer to an already-perplexing mystery, promising a wild ride ahead.

3 Manifest season 4, episode 10

“Inversion Illusion”

One of Manifest‘s most devastating episodes, “Inversion Illusion” serves as the midway point of the final season — and it packs a punch worthy of a midseason finale. As the characters prepare for Cal to die from cancer, there’s a hopeless feeling in the air that’s made worse by the increasing hatred for the passengers. This reaches a tipping point at the end of “Inversion Illusion,” which sees the survivors of Flight 828 being rounded up and put behind bars.

This chapter also sees Zeke realizing that he can use his power to absorb Cal’s cancer and save the boy’s life, a development teased much earlier in Manifest. Zeke’s final moments are as heartbreaking as Michaela’s reaction, making this a tearjerker of an episode all around.

2 Manifest season 4, episode 20

“Final Boarding”

The Manifest series finale is easily one of the best episodes of the entire show, even if the ending is a bit controversial. Although Manifest‘s final installment doesn’t answer every question raised over its four seasons, it brings the characters’ journey to a fitting and satisfying conclusion. Looking back on how things unfold, there’s no other way Manifest could have ended. “Final Boarding” ties all the major storylines together as the passengers of Flight 828 board the plane once more, this time to receive a final judgment.

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During this judgment, characters like Angelina get their comeuppance — and though that’s satisfying, it doesn’t make “Final Boarding” a top installment on its own. The fact that the passengers who survive judgment return to 2013 and find their loved ones waiting for them is heartwarming and makes their journey worthwhile.

1 Manifest season 3, episode 13

“Mayday: Part 2”

The Manifest series finale may offer a hopeful and satisfying ending for the characters, but season 3’s finale takes the cake as the best episode of Manifest. A whirlwind of an episode, “Mayday: Part 2” sees drama unfolding after Cal touches the tail fin of Flight 828 and disappears. As the Stones desperately use his drawings to piece together what happened, the installment ramps up the suspense, promising some long-awaited answers to the mysterious disappearance of Flight 828. And while those answers don’t come during “Mayday: Part 2,” the finale finally brings the show back to its original premise just in time for its final season.

Manifest season 3’s finale is also one of the most intense and emotional episodes of the series, as it ends with Angelina kidnapping Eden and killing Grace. As if that weren’t a bombshell ending on its own, the final moments of “Mayday: Part 2” reveal that Cal’s returned — but he’s mysteriously five years older, a development that leaves viewers desperate for answers (and more episodes).