Zeke’s return is a lore-changing twist for Manifest season 4, part 2. Played by Matt Long, Zeke lost his life in the Manifest season 4, part 1 finale. However, the trailer for the show’s final episodes confirm the character’s time on the show hasn’t ended. He’ll be back, and as the footage reveals, it won’t be through a flashback.
Since the second half of season 1, Zeke has played a crucial role in the journey of the Flight 828 passengers. Even after beating his own Death Date in the season 2 finale, Zeke continued to be vital to the story. He proved his importance to their destiny in the Manifest season 4, part 1 finale when he made the ultimate sacrifice to save Cal. This moment seemingly completed his arc. However, it appears the show still has room for him. The Manifest season 4, part 2 trailer revealed a scene where Zeke communicates with Michaela in a mystery location. How he’s back hasn’t been fully explained, but his return points to the show dropping a major reveal about the Callings.
Zeke’s Return Means The Passengers Can Communicate With The Dead
The exchange between Michaela and Zeke in the Manifest season 4, part 2 trailer makes it abundantly clear that it happens after his death. What this suggests is that there are Callings that allow the passengers to communicate directly with the dead. It seems that Zeke can appear to Michaela in her Callings. But as he says in the trailer, there are certain things he can’t tell her, considering that sharing his knowledge could impact his future decisions. Apparently, the afterlife exists outside of time, which would explain why Zeke would know about events that haven’t happened yet.
The possibility of Zeke returning in this capacity was actually teased by Manifest showrunner Jeff Rake, who already provided an explanation for how it can happen. Bringing up their “powerful love,” Rake teased, “let’s see what Michaela can achieve because their bond is a strong one,” [via Variety.] This creates the impression that their relationship has to do with why Michaela will be able to speak to him specifically. However, that’s likely only part of the reason, as Zeke’s own connection to the Calling is sure to be a factor as well. He too disappeared and returned, permanently linking him to the show’s central phenomenon.
Manifest Quietly Set Up Its New Callings Twist In Season 1
This idea that a passenger can communicate with the dead is a major addition to the Manifest mythos, but not one that comes without proper setup. It’s been known for a long time that the passengers (and all other people who disappeared) share a connection that transcends time (and death.) Starting in season 1, characters like Ben began seeing visions of a peacock. In season 3, it was revealed that a peacock feather was found on Noah’s Ark, which also vanished. Though the peacock had been dead for thousands of years, it returned in Ben’s Callings because of their connection. In a sense, Zeke’s Manifest season 4, part 2 appearance is a continuation of that. It may be that other dead characters linked to this mystery – like Al-Zuras – may be able to show up as well.