Why won't there be a season 5 of Manifest?

The world has long moved on, believing they had been killed in a tragic, unexplainable incident, with the passengers then forced to grapple with what could have caused their time displacement.

Initially planned for six seasons, the show is wrapping up early after an extended fourth instalment – here's everything you need to know about why there won't be a fifth season of Manifest.

Why won't there be Manifest season 5 on Netflix?

Manifest very nearly became the latest high-concept drama to end with an unresolved cliffhanger, after US broadcaster NBC axed the show after its third season.

This was only halfway through the six-season plan carefully devised by creator Jeff Rake, prompting a major outcry from loyal viewers invested in the show's characters and mysteries.

After a tireless social media campaign and a surge in streaming viewership, Netflix eventually agreed to fund an extended 20-episode farewell season, which would allow fans to say goodbye properly.

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Rake explained to Entertainment Weekly: "After 28 days in that No. 1 slot, the world was obviously taking notice, and apparently we matched Tiger King in terms of longest streak in the No. 1 spot.

"My guess is some heads were turning behind the scenes by that point as well. Sometimes the unlikely happy ending comes up right away, but more typically we have to wait for a good result, and that was the case here and I couldn't be more delighted."

Netflix has not publicly stated why it only commissioned one additional season of Manifest – as opposed to the three originally envisioned – but it likely has to do with concerns investing too heavily in a cancelled programme.

Additionally, Rake was confident that he would be able to condense his plan for the story into a shorter runtime.

What was the original plan for Manifest?

In the interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rake went on to assure that the original plan for the Manifest ending "won't change at all", despite the show running for two fewer seasons than intended.

"I was hopeful in the early weeks after cancellation that someone would step up and allow us to make something as modest as a two-hour movie," he said. "It would have been stressful and would not have been ideal, but I would have figured out my way through it.

"Given that I've had to go through the thought exercise this summer of how to get to the original endgame in two episodes, six episodes, or nine episodes, I feel like it's an embarrassment of riches to have to have 20 episodes to tell the rest of the story."

He added: "I am absolutely confident that 20 episodes gives me enough time to tell the entirety of the story as I always intended to."

Could Manifest return in the future?

In the current media landscape, revivals are becoming increasingly common and so naturally fans are wondering if Manifest could return down the line.

Star Josh Dallas, who plays Flight 828 survivor and mathematics professor Ben Stone, is among those supporting the idea, sharing his pitches with The Hollywood Reporter.

He said: "I think there’s major sequel or spin-off potential here. Maybe we go into the future and see Eden [his character’s daughter] at 21 or so as she’s navigating the world, or we follow the younger passengers.

"Maybe we go back to 2013 and deep dive into the investigation with [NSA director] Vance."

As things stand, though, season 4 brings an end to the popular Manifest storyline.

Manifest season 4 is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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