Manifest Theory Completely Changes Cal's Purpose In The Show (2024)

A theory about Grace’s death completely changes Cal’s purpose in Manifest. Cal (Jack Messina) was seemingly proven wrong about Angelina (Holly Taylor) when it was implied that she murdered Grace (Athena Karkanis) in the Manifest season 3 finale. However, other interpretations of the incident have since emerged.

Grace’s murder appears to be the catalyst for some of Manifest season 4’s biggest stories, including what’s going on with Cal, who has long been perceived as the most important figure in the show’s central mystery. For a reason that hasn’t been properly explained yet, Cal has a stronger connection to the Callings than any of the other Flight 828 passengers. Asa result, characters like Ben (Josh Dallas), Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh), and Zeke (Matt Long) put a great deal of stock in Cal’s drawings, which seem to be prophetic in nature. Even though he’s just a child, Cal clearly has an understanding of the Callings that the rest of the passengers lack.

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The mystery regarding Cal became even more complicated in the Manifest season 3 finale when Cal disappeared and returned five years older in the span of a few hours. Now that he’s been aged up by five years, the idea that Cal is special is more obvious than ever. And according to him, he knows what to do next, which reinforces the belief that Cal is their best hope of following the Callings and beating the Death Date. But, Cal’s connection with Angelina and the odd circ*mstances related to his return have led to some dark theories about his role in the series. Here’s why Cal may have known that Grace was going to die, and how this reveal would fundamentally change his character forever.

Cal’s Defense of Angelina In Manifest Season 3 Explained

Over the course of Manifest season 3, Angelina developed into a potentially dangerous loose cannon whose obsession with Eden visibly worried Grace. Setting a fire in the Stone house and endangering the child indicated that Angelina shared fanatical views that could become problematic later on. One character who wasn’t concerned by Angelina’s behavior was Cal, who was rather insistent about her remaining with the Stone family. He openly opposed his mother’s decision to kick her out of their home and even snuck out to find Angelina. He claims that Angelina is supposed to stay with them, which suggests that she’s vital to the passengers’ journey.

Angelina killing Grace and kidnapping Eden makes it rather hard to believe that she ever deserved to be counted as an ally to the Flight 828 passengers. This could mean that despite Cal’s apparent wisdom when it comes to the Callings, he was totally wrong about Angelina. But given everything that’s happened in the show, Cal simply making a mistake about helping her feels unlikely, which is why there may be a hidden explanation for Cal’s efforts to keep Angelina close.

Cal May Have Known Grace Was Going To Die

It's been theorized that Cal’s comments about Angelina in Manifest season 3 are tied directly to Grace’s death at her hands. After all, the timing of his return (and where he appeared) does raise some interesting questions. Cal coming back five years older indicates that time travel is somehow at play. Presumably, he went to an unrevealed time and place for five years and came back seconds before his mother’s death. It may be too much of a coincidence that Cal just happened to return at the specific moment in time when Grace died. Plus, it’s worth noting that while Cal was upset at the sight of seeing her, he wasn’t exactly shocked.

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Both the timing of his appearance in the finale and Cal’s reaction to what happened are hints that the older version of Cal knew Grace was going to die. If that’s true, that would explain his presence in the scene. If the Callings or his trip through time made him privy to future events, he could have known when and where Grace’s death was supposed to happen so that he could share one last moment with his mother.

Did Cal Let Grace’s Death Happen?

If it’s revealed that Cal was aware of Grace’s fate, that would speak volumes about his devotion to the Callings and how much he’s changed as a character. Because if Cal knew, that would mean he allowed it to happen. Why did he show up after the stabbing instead of a few moments before? One possible answer ties in with Angelina’s importance to the Callings and gives new meaning to his defense of her character. Before disappearing, Cal knew the Callings needed Angelina but it could be that he didn’t know why until later. Cal could have discovered that Angelina murdering Grace was part of a greater plan for the passengers to survive the Death Date.

Why the Callings would want Grace dead could be explained by Ben’s season 3 arc. Lately, Ben (who has been at the forefront of their efforts to follow the Callings) has made decisions that his fellow passengers have found questionable and a bit desperate. It could be that the Callings needed Grace to die to get Ben back on the right path. Saving the Lifeboat may hinge on Ben making the correct choices in Manifest season 4.

What Cal’s Plan Could Be In Manifest Season 4

Cal allowing Grace to die in order to ensure that things happen a certain way would obviously transform him into a morally grey character in Manifest season 4. Essentially, it would redefine him as someone who religiously follows the Callings regardless of the consequences and without ever questioning what they ask of the passengers. While it’s difficult to imagine Manifest going down such a dark road with the Stone family dynamic, the show could have already foreshadowed this when Cal told his dying mother that he knows what they have to do now.

These words were spoken with great confidence, as if Cal has a fully developed plan for what to do about the Callings in the episodes to come. Whatever this plan is, it could culminate in some meaningful disagreements with Ben and the others over their current course in Manifest season 4. What Cal thinks they need to do could be in contrast with Ben’s own ideas, and all sorts of conflicts and turmoil could arise if this theory about Grace’s death turns out to be true. The Stone family could be turned upside down if it comes out that the older version of Cal chose not to stop this tragic event from coming to pass.

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