Does The Stone Family Name In Manifest Mean More Than You Think?

A world that seems so familiar is actually very different for the passengers of Montego Air Flight 828, who return home more than five years after their flight takes off. It's the mystery that sets the stage for "Manifest," a show that recently released the first part of its highly anticipated final season on Netflix. The show follows these passengers as they struggle and work to eventually adapt to the changes made to their friends and families during their disappearance. Michaela Stone (Melissa Roxburgh), her brother Ben (Josh Dallas), and his son Cal (Jack Messina) board the flight and are among the passengers who must adapt to this new normal.

While the show is meant to stretch the imagination and ask the audience what they would do in such an unfathomable situation, the creator of "Manifest" has noted that there is one very important underlying theme. And it could also mean that the Stone family name is much more than just a name.

According to Precept Austin, the word "stone" is used as a metaphor for Jesus Christ in the Bible, focusing on characteristics including strength, which is something the Stone family must try to cling onto as they navigate the changes in their corner of the world. The site also notes verses where Christ is called a "living stone," including Romans 6:9, which mentions Christ's resurrection. And it's the resurrection and return of loved ones that families and friends experience when the passengers from Montego Air Flight 828 mysteriously return home.

"Manifest" creator Jeff Rake talked to USA Today about the show's connection to faith. " It's really the ultimate debate in human history: faith vs. science. I challenge myself in every episode to tell the story of what would really happen if something this extraordinary ever occurred," he said.

Meanwhile, Melissa Roxburgh and Josh Dallas also notice the show's spiritual connection. Roxburgh told USA Today about how her character struggles with her faith at the beginning of the series. Dallas noted that his character is more of a science and math type of person. "Is what happened to them something that can be explained by science, or is it something much more spiritual, or does it lend itself to both?" he asked. It's a question that only these brave characters may be able to answer.