Not many can say they directly benefited from the pandemic. But Jeff Rake, the creator of “Manifest,” certainly can, as can the series’ large legion of fans. The supernatural drama debuted on NBC in the fall of 2018 and, though popular with viewers, ultimately proved too expensive for the network to produce and was canceled just a few days after the season three finale aired in June 2021. But, in a unique twist of fate, the program hit Netflix that same month, at a time when people were still largely hunkering down at home and growing ever more hungry for distracting entertainment. “Manifest” fit that bill nicely, quickly proving a gripping binge. As the Tudum website details, “The show’s viewing numbers hit record highs. Seasons 1 and 2 of the drama stayed on Netflix’s Top 10 English language TV list for multiple weeks throughout the summer and attracted more than 100 million hours of views globally in July 2021.” The streamer took note of the sudden popularity, announcing in August that it had picked up the series for one super-sized final season consisting of 20 episodes.
Longtime fans can now rejoice as a release date for the first part of that season has finally been scheduled. The initial ten eps will premiere on November 4. The date is, of course, meaningful, as everything in the “Manifest” world seems to be. For those who have yet to become captivated by Ben Stone (Josh Dallas), his son, Cal (Jack Messina), and sister, Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh), the series centers around the trio’s journey on Montego Air Flight 828, which takes off from Montego Bay, Jamaica on April 7, 2013, only to land in Newburg, New York five years, six months and 28 days later. The ill-fated 191 souls onboard touch down on November 4, 2018, wholly unaware of the time jump, yet returning to a changed world and loved ones who have largely moved on in their absence. The tale only becomes more mysterious as the passengers begin experiencing what they dub “callings,” otherworldly requests beseeching them to perform various virtuous acts.
“Manifest” makes for a thrilling ride, to say the least, and season four promises to be the most turbulent yet! Though Rake originally envisioned the saga of Flight 828 to be told over the course of six seasons, the cancellation and subsequent Netflix pickup forced him to condense the proposed final three seasons into just 20 episodes.
Jumping ahead two years, season four will not only confront – and hopefully answer – the myriad mysteries concerning Flight 828, but the passengers’ impending death date, Cal’s sudden five-year age progression and Ben’s grief over (spoiler!) losing both his wife, Grace (Athena Karkanis), and their baby, Eden (Penelope Rose Lang). So buckle up because it’s going to be a bumpy and unpredictable journey!
In truth, nothing regarding “Manifest” is immune from unpredictability – not even the series’ central location, the Stone residence. As eagle-eyed viewers have likely noticed, the family has actually called two different pads home throughout the show’s three-year run. And both can be found in suburban Queens, exactly where the storyline purports them to be.
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Image Credit: Netflix -
Image Credit: Google The Stones’ first house, as seen in episodes one and two, is a three-story Tudor-esque pad located at 81-07 218th St. in the leafy Hollis Hills neighborhood. It is there that Ben, Michaela and Cal head upon initially landing in New York and begin to face the distressing proposition of navigating a thoroughly unexpected new life path. The 1,260-square-foot residence, fronted with handsome stonework and featuring an elevated front lawn, a one-car garage and a bright red front door reached via a winding set of steps, was originally built in 1940 and sits on a 0.13-acre plot. Because it last sold over 20 years ago (for $387,000 in 1998), further details are nil. (Please remember that this house and all of the other dwellings mentioned in this post are private. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the properties in any way.)
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Image Credit: Netflix MLS imagery is also, unfortunately, non-existent. But it is likely that the real interior of the property was used in the pilot episode to capture the few scenes set inside the Stone residence, all of which were very brief.
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Image Credit: Netflix Once NBC picked up the series, a set (pictured above) was constructed at Silvercup Studios, located about 10 miles away in Long Island City, for all interior filming. Its design very loosely parallels the inside of the house used in the pilot.
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Image Credit: Netflix -
Image Credit: Google The “Manifest” location managers must have slipped into a time warp right along with the passengers of Flight 828 because by episode three, titled “Turbulence,” a different house was inexplicably appearing as the Stones’ pad – this one situated right around the corner from the first at 218-23 82nd Ave. Other than being Tudor-esque in style, the property oddly bears little resemblance to its predecessor. Most notably, the family’s second home is two stories, not three. It boasts a brick façade, not one fashioned out of stone. The front door is also positioned at street level, as opposed to atop a long, narrow flight of stairs, and is, therefore, likely much easier for the actors and cameras to navigate, making it more conducive to filming.
As is the case with the house from the first two episodes, the pad was built in 1940 and last sold quite a while back (in 2012 for $810,000). As such, property details are scant, though Redfin does note that it measures 1,392 square feet and sits on a 0.15-acre lot.
Redfin also estimates its current worth at just over $1.34 million today, which had some Redditors scratching their heads in wonderment as to how Ben, a math professor, can afford such pricey digs, especially considering the financial troubles that arose when his $500,000 life insurance payout was revoked following his return. Of the Stones’ living situation, one commenter states, “A plane reappearing after 5 ½ years is more believable than that!”
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Image Credit: Netflix During shoots at the house, a placard reading “24-14” is affixed to the façade to coincide with the family’s fictional 2414 Ocotillo Ave. address (which first shows up on an envelope addressed to Grace in episode four, “Unclaimed Baggage”). That number is one of “Manifest’s” many Easter eggs. As eagle-eyed fans – and Showbiz Cheat Sheet – have noted, 2 x 414 = 828, which corresponds to the fact that half of the household (before Eden was born, at least) were passengers on Flight 828.
Interestingly, most filming location websites have been erroneously reporting for years now that a different Tudor-esque pad at 81-14 218th St. is used as the Stone residence on the show. While that property is situated across the street from the dwelling that appeared in episodes one and two, to my knowledge, it has never been featured on “Manifest.” How it became associated with the series is a mystery as confounding as the saga of Flight 828 itself!