‘Manifest’ Season 3 Mystery: How did 828 passengers land 5 years later if the plane exploded over the ocean?

The only thing that's certain for 'Manifest' Season 3 right now is that two Asians found the plane piece. We see a part of a ship that reads: Montego Airways
(NBC)
(NBC)

'Manifest' Season 2 may be over with an explosive season finale but there are one too many questions hovering in viewers' minds for Season 3. Titled 'Icing Conditions', the final episode ended with a major cliffhanger where Ben Stone (Josh Dallas) had a strange calling.

The entire plane explodes into ashes, there's a broken wing and then we see a ship with a new set of faces. ​Birds circle around in the sky as the ship comes into focus and the men look above. The ship reads, "Montego Airways," and a man says, "Are those 828 passengers?" So, does this mean the show aims to go back into the past and explore where the passengers were for five years?  

Leaving fans in a fix, the ending seems to have boggled many minds. "WE NEED A SEASON 3!! How did the plane land 5 years later, if it exploded over the ocean?! #Manifest," one fan posted and another wrote, "So the plane did crash.. are they living in an alternate reality??? What in the matrix shit is this #Manifest."

'Manifest' Season 2 cliffhanger (NBC)

"Me trying to decipher how there’s a broken plane wing, but Flight 828 came back intact... #Manifest," another one posted. "Wait what a piece of the plane was found in the sea what does this all mean!! #Manifest," one confused fan wrote. Another said, "Okay that lightning gotta be the same one as that on the mountains with #Zekaela and that of the storm and plane? #Manifest." And one posted, "Wait How is that plane 828 debris if it came back intact? What does it mean."

With the new twist, the plot thickens and one fan said, "They found the plane. How can that be? It blew up at the airport. The plot thickens." Another said, "What just happened on #Manifest ?!!! Where did the crazy guys go? Why was the golden light? Did Saanvi lose it? Why does Ben keep seeing the exploding plane? How could the broken wing be in the sea?!!! Need #ManifestSeason3."

Trying to make sense of it right now is difficult because we don't know what the writers may have in mind. The only thing that's certain right now is, as one fan says, "Two Asians found the plane piece." We see a part of a ship that reads: Montego Airways. And that means the broken piece was discovered later. Another fan theory says, "I think the plane did crash, but before that when it got struck by the lighting/storm it entered some alternate reality where the plane and passengers survived. #manifest."

'Manifest' Season 3 (NBC)

A few fans are comparing it to 'Lost'. "#Manifest better come back for season 3 @nbc you can't leave us on that cliffhanger. It reminds me of Lost when their duplicate plane was on the ocean floor with them dead inside," one said and another wrote, "This is some Lost type of stuff. Don’t copy Lost, please! If they are finding plane pieces then, are they already dead? Was Zeke’s sacrifice to save Cal his saving grace? Or is this some real shit government coverup? Fine out (hopefully ) next season on #ManifestOK!"

Leaving fans midway at such a shocking junction doesn't seem justified and right now, all viewers want is another season of 'Manifest'. Only time will tell if the NBC show comes back with all the answers or will they just drag the storyline again. 

‘Manifest’ returns for a third season of action-packed drama, shocking revelations and the answer to the show’s biggest mystery – what happened to the passengers of Flight 828 – on Thursday, April 1, 2021! Get set to watch new episodes every Thursday from 8 PM ET to 9 PM ET. 

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