Why is Cal coughing in Manifest season 4 part 1? (spoilers)

Manifest season 4 has finally arrived and the first ten episodes of Manifest‘s final season will definitely keep viewers on the edge of their seats!

Jumping ahead a few years, there is a lot of catching up for fans to do as the season begins as we become acquainted with the Stone family and the 828ers. A lot has changed for our favorite characters, but there’s no denying that the character who has changed the most, quite literally, is Cal Stone.

After disappearing, Cal returned in the season 3 finale looking much older than when we had last seen him. When we catch up with Cal early in the season, we see Cal readjusting to life upon returning five years older and the challenges it brings.

Across the first few episodes of the season, we see Cal struggling to find his place in the world and within his family while trying to keep his identity hidden from the rest of the world. As the season passes, Cal comes into his own and starts working with his family on the season’s big mysteries.

Everything seems to be going well for Cal, but then he begins to experience these random coughing fits that progressively get worse.

If there is one thing we’ve learned from watching Manifest, it’s that when a character begins experiencing unusual behaviors it’s usually a sign that something isn’t right. So is there cause for concern and, if so, what does Cal’s coughing mean?

Warning: Spoilers from Manifest season 4 part 1 ahead. 

Does Cal’s cancer come back in Manifest season 4?

At first, Cal’s coughing doesn’t seem too concerning but that quickly changes when he begins coughing up blood — a development he tries to hide from his family.

Following a heated exchange with Ben, Cal storms off in the middle of the night but he doesn’t make it too far. As episode 6 comes to a close, Zeke stumbles home where he discovers Cal passed out on the front lawn after tripping over him in the darkness of night.

In episode 7, Zeke convinces Cal to go see a doctor and he then accompanies Cal to an appointment to get checked out which is where Cal gets some shocking news. His test results will take some days to confirm his doctor’s suspicions, his symptoms are consistent with someone who is falling out of remission and his cancer is likely back.

This is later confirmed when Cal’s test results come back and show that his cancer has indeed come back and his prognosis is not positive. The docs only give Cal a few days to live and his health quickly declines in the final episodes of the season.

Manifest is streaming now on Netflix.