Stephen King Has Strong Criticism for Manifest’s Writing

By JJ Foster -

In advance of Manifest’s upcoming season 4 revival on Netflix, author Stephen King criticizes the show's shoddy writing. The supernatural thriller, which Jeff Rake created, debuted on NBC in 2018 and centers on the crew and passengers of a commercial airliner who inexplicably reappeared five and a half years after they vanished and were initially thought to be dead. Manifest's cancellation in June 2021, due to dwindling ratings, sparked a passionate fan campaign on social media from people who wished to see the program return and wrap up loose ends. Since then, the show has received a lot of attention.

“It’s All Connected!”

The cast of Manifest

When Netflix decided to renew Manifest for a fourth and final season that will have 20 episodes, fans finally got their dream. Many members of the original cast, including Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Parveen Kaur, Holly Taylor, and Daryl Edwards, will return and reprise their roles. Matt Long's return as Zeke Landon was initially questionable, but it has since been made clear that he has joined the ensemble. There aren't many known narrative specifics for Manifest season 4 aside from its returning actors and potential November release date.

Stephen King, a Manifest fanatic and prolific writer, recently expressed his anticipation for the impending season 4 revival on Twitter. The show's most overused phrases, including "it's complicated" and "trust me," should be avoided in the upcoming season, but other than that, King is looking forward to the finale.

Is King Right About Manifest?

Stephen King

King is correct to note that "trust me," "it's complicated," and "it's all interrelated" are some of the show's most repeated phrases. King's constructive critique won't bother show creator and lead writer Jeff Rake, given that King is one of the most successful writers of all time and maybe the show's most well-known fan. King participated in the fan effort to preserve Manifest from cancellation last summer and undoubtedly had a tiny impact on the show's renewal.