Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Manifest’ takes place in the aftermath of the mysterious disappearance of Flight 828 and its equally unexplainable appearance after five and a half years. In the time that the passengers are presumed missing or dead, their families and loved ones move on. They form new relationships trying to deal with their grief, creating more complications when the passengers return.
Michaela Stone’s boyfriend, Jared, had proposed to her before she sat on the plane. When the plane disappeared, and Michaela was nowhere to be found, Jared fell in love with someone else. When she returned, it created an awkwardness between them, which they could never overcome, especially when Michaela fell in love with someone else. What happens to them at the end of the show? Who does Jared end up with? Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD
Reason Behind Jared and Michaela Break Up
Even before Michaela went missing, she had been unsure about getting engaged to Jared. She had been going through a tough time with the death of her best friend. The timing of Jared’s proposal felt like him trying to get her mind off it. Before she could text her reply to him, the plane went missing. When Michaela returned, Jared was married to her best friend. Soon after, Michaela met Zeke, fell in love, and married him. She still had feelings for Jared, but her love for Zeke trumped everything.
Seeing that Michaela is happily married to Zeke, Jared has an affair with Drea. They treat it as a brief fling, a “friends with benefits” type of thing they don’t intend to take seriously. Over time, Drea develops feelings for Jared, though she doesn’t express them because she knows he is still in love with Michaela. When Zeke dies, Jared tells Michaela he is there for her and will wait for her.
When Michaela’s father’s health deteriorates, she decides to take her father and run away to someplace where she can care for him. Jared tells her he wants to be with her and accompanies her to the hideout. For a few months, Michaela and Jared lived together in hiding. It looks like they have finally received their happy ending and will be together from here. Eventually, they are forced to come out of hiding, which is when they discover that Drea is pregnant.
Seeing Jared’s excitement about being a father, Michaela realizes how different they are. Michaela never wanted children, but Jared does. If he stays with her, he must give up on that. Being with Drea will give Jared the life he always wanted. In addition, Michaela is still coping with the loss of her husband and hasn’t quite moved on from him yet. Ultimately, she decides it would be for the best if she and Jared break up. They might have wanted the same things all those years ago, but now, they are very different. They’ll love each other, but they can’t be together.
Jared and Drea’s Spark: Rekindled in a New Reality
When Drea hooked up with Jared, she knew they had no future. Even though they had great chemistry and worked well together, Jared still loved Michaela, and Drea knew that. So, when she got pregnant, she decided to keep it a secret when she discovered Jared was skipping town with Michaela. Eight months later, when Jared returns, Drea can no longer keep the secret. Still, she doesn’t force Jared into parenthood. He wants to be a father to their child.
Drea’s pregnancy shows Jared the life he could have. So, even though he still loves Michaela, when she proposes a breakup, he doesn’t resist. In the end, as the Death Date arrives, Jared stays with Drea. After the Death Date, when the passengers go back to 2013, Michaela still chooses not to be with Jared. He doesn’t have any memory of all that happened, but she does. Jared confesses that he proposed to make her feel better after Evie’s death. He tells her not to accept if she won’t do it because of love. Michaela agrees with him and tells him he will find someone better who will love him for what he is.
Later that day, while leaving the airport, Jared bumps into a police officer, who turns out to be Drea. Their meet-cute exhibits the sparks between them, and their instant attraction is undeniable. Jared follows her into the airport, where the rest of the police force is assembling to figure out the mysterious disappearance of eleven passengers of Flight 828. This scene proves that even though they are meeting each other for the first time all over again, there is still something between Jared and Drea, and they will end up together.
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