Manifest announces new passengers, more mysteries in Season 2 at NYCC 2019

Manifest, NBC's would-be Lost replacement all about a time-displaced airplane and those aboard it, lured in plenty of fans during its twisty first season. Five years is a long time — especially if you don't experience it. Those landing from Flight 828 found out that half a decade had passed for everyone in the world but them. Now that the show earned a second season after being renewed earlier this year (a few months after its first season came to a close with less closure than many wanted), it was time to dish about all the new mysteries at New York Comic Con 2019. 

The show's NYCC panel showed off a video presentation that served as a recap of Season 1 and a trailer of Season 2. Some of this included the "death dates" and the vague and mysterious ramifications of the first season's fight over a gun between Zeke and Jared...neither of which were offered any answers. The conflicts and conspiracies are even more complicated this time around.

Afterwards, executive producer/creator Jeff Rake joined cast members Parveen Kaur, J.R. Ramirez, Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, Jack Messina, Luna Blaise, and Matt Long for a Q&A all about what's to come for those that made it out of Flight 828. Rake explained that the "death dates" were a major influence of S2's character development when it picks up...immediately after the finale. "We don't skip a second," Rake said.

"That question, science versus faith," Rake explains of the warring theories behind the mysterious plight of the passengers, will be answered chapter by chapter over the seasons. Season 2 will only partially answer this debate. But it will introduce some new characters, including the unknown passenger sitting next to Saanvi (who will become an important part of the season). Speaking of Saanvi, her storyline with the Major will take a twisty turn partway through the season, according to the show creator.

A church has formed around the deification of the passengers (the Believers) and "Olive drinks a little of that Kool-Aid," Rake said. That brings up plenty of conflict with Ben, which comes to a head in the eighth episode. Rake said plenty about new characters, including a new cop in the precinct Drea Mikami (Ellen Tamaki), an edgy bartender (with hate group connections) that has romantic interest in one of the male characters, a thug Billy, a college student passenger TJ (Garrett Wareing, who is shown with a dead body in the sizzle reel) who comes into Olive's life, and more.

Get all that? No? Time to watch that trailer over and over again with corkboard and string in hand until Manifest returns in Spring of 2020.

Click here for SYFY WIRE’s full coverage of New York Comic Con 2019, including up-to-the-minute news, exclusive interviews, and videos.