Posted in: NBC, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: jeff rake, manifest, netflix, preview, season 4, stephen king

Manifest Fans Have Stephen King to Thank for Season 4 Return Intel

Last week, we checked in to see how things were going production-wise on Netflix and series creator Jeff Rake's 20-episode fourth & final season of Manifest. With the return episode kicking off with Episode 401 "Touch-and-Go" (written by Rake & Simran Baidwan and directed by Romeo Tirone), Rake and the team have been burning the midnight oil to get the series on streaming screens sooner rather than later. And as we mentioned last time, it helps from a fan's perspective when you have someone like Rake who keeps everyone in the loop as much as they can via social media. And speaking of social media, fans have Twitter and the power of legendary author Stephen King to thank for the latest Season 4 intel. Late last week, King took to Twitter to ask when the series was expected to return (along with two fun, "if you're a fan, you'll understand" follow-up questions." We're willing to take the risk of saying that Rake probably felt like we would if we were in his shoes. When Mr. King asks a question, Mr. King deserves an answer. Responding to & tagging the famed, influential writer, Rake said that he was "hearing November" before proposing that the two take King's follow-up questions and turn them into a drinking game.

Here's a look back to King's original tweet, followed by Rake's very informative response (and it looks like it's time to start sending Rake your drinking game ideas or personal drinking games- whether they be alcoholic or non-alcoholic):

When you get to the image in Rake's tweet below of that graveyard/funeral scene he shared (with the warning, "Brace yourselves"), you'll notice who you can take off your list right from the start: Jared (J.R. Ramirez), Saanvi (Parveen Kaur), Vance (Daryl Edwards) & Drea (Ellen Tamaki) aren't in the casket. We know that Grace (Athena Karkanis) was left in a pretty bad place at the end of the third season so combine that with earlier reports that Karkanis wouldn't be back for the final season, and we might know who's in the casket. Of course, if you really want to live up to your "brace yourselves" warning, taking Ben (Josh Dallas), Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh), and/or Zeke (Matt Long) off the playing board would definitely be a "bold" move. A smart one? Oh, lord, no! But definitely "bold" and a "conversation"-starter.

Before last year wrapped, Rake spoke with EW to offer some early Manifest updates on production as well as some personal insight into how he felt hearing the good news- here are some highlights:

The "Manifest" Endgame "Won't Change At All": "The good news is I am absolutely confident that 20 episodes give me enough time to tell the entirety of the story as I always intended to. When I've talked in the past about having a roadmap all the way to the end of the series, that didn't mean that I had a roadmap for literally every single episode. I have a roadmap with a series of twists and turns and flags in the sand that we would ultimately hit in order to tell the core stories within our mythology and within our relationship drama. So it will not be a particularly difficult exercise to overlay that same exact roadmap onto 20 episodes. It will be quite organic."

As for How the Episodes Will Release, That's Netflix's Call: "I don't think that's been decided. I don't think that's ultimately my decision. I'll certainly have those conversations with Netflix. I'll offer my opinion. I'm sure we will come together and come up with a game plan that makes the most sense for the show. The good news for the fans is that they can absolutely expect the same show that they've been watching. Netflix has been so lovely in my conversations with them so far. They've made it quite clear that they want us to keep making the same show that we've been making. The audience shouldn't be concerned that the tone of the show is going to shift, or the method of storytelling is going to shift. We're going to keep making the show that everyone fell in love with."

Okay, All of the Business Stuff Aside. How Did Rake Feel When He Got "The News": "Oh my goodness. It's such a combination of emotions, from gratitude to humility to shock and awe and incredible excitement. It's been a spectrum of emotions from June, when we got the bad news, to July, when we started sniffing the possibility of a future for us. Then there was a month of uncertainty where it looked like something might come together, but there were many hurdles to jump and so you manage your expectations. You're hoping for the best but don't want to go through a second round of disappointment. Thankfully I've had colleagues and family to accompany me along this journey, but the result is so incredible."

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