‘Manifest’ Is So Much Better on Netflix
Manifest is back with a serious glow-up. The missing plane drama debuted the first half of its fourth season exclusively on Netflix this month after NBC unexpectedly canceled it last year. Moving a show from network TV to streaming is always hit or miss — Lucifer, for example, saw great success after its move to Netflix, but Designated Survivor wasn’t so popular. Luckily, Manifest Season 4 feels right at home. Here’s how Manifest has improved since moving to Netflix.
How Netflix saved ‘Manifest’ after its cancellation
NBC canceled Manifest after three seasons in June 2021. The surprising decision left the series on a major cliffhanger. Around the same time, Netflix gained seasons 1 and 2, followed later by season 3, and the show became a streaming hit. Manifest even made history with its success on the streamer’s Top 10 charts.
Manifest fans did not let go of the series without a fight. They launched a #SaveManifest campaign on Twitter, showing the world that people wanted to see more. And though NBC remained steadfast in its decision to cancel, rumors swirled that season 4 could continue on Netflix.
Nothing was confirmed until Aug. 28, 2021 — known as 828 Day in the Manifest fandom. Netflix finally announced that it would finish the series with a supersized fourth season, split into two parts. Most of the cast returned for filming a few months later. Finally, Manifest Season 4 Part 1 arrived on Netflix on Nov. 4.
‘Manifest’ is already better on Netflix
The biggest change to Manifest Season 4 is production quality. As a source revealed to The Hollywood Reporter, NBC had a $4 to $5 million budget per episode for Manifest, but Netflix had a budget “well north” of that. It’s clear that much of the new budget went into cinematics — the passenger’s Callings now come with incredible special effects, such as frighteningly realistic bubbling lava.
Maybe it’s the fact that this is the final season, but the stars also seriously step up their game and give it their all in season 4. Josh Dallas offers a compelling performance as a father desperate to find his missing daughter. His frustration and grief can all be felt by viewers.
Overall, Manifest Season 4 accelerates the story to fit into a 20-episode frame, which means less filler. Every moment comes with a purpose and lends itself to the larger plot. Even when there are some seemingly not-so-important scenes, viewers should eventually be able to say, “Oh, that’s why they threw that in there.”
‘Manifest’ creator Jeff Rake tried not to change the show too much
The best part about Manifest Season 4 is that even though it’s on Netflix now and it’s had a glow-up, it doesn’t feel like an entirely new show. Improvements were made without taking away from what fans already know and love about Manifest. The storytelling, while a bit more fast-paced, feels the same. Even the episode runtimes are similar to that of network TV.
According to series creator Jeff Rake, that was the goal: “creative flexibility” without taking too many liberties.
“Netflix said to us at the beginning, ‘Please don’t feel obliged to do anything different on our behalf. We encourage you to make the same show you’ve been making,'” he told Variety. “We already had the data: The Netflix audience had already watched 42 episodes of the show that we made for broadcast, and they had such a positive reaction. They were already used to that running time, our writing to the ad break. … When we get to the series finale, whenever that’s released, that episode is longer. We had a lot of story to tell in that final episode. But beyond that, the show is still the show.”
Manifest Season 4 Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
