With Jace still on the loose, can he be stopped in time to save not just his victims, but the souls and lives of Pete and Kory too?

It’s odd that the previous two episodes of Manifest felt so pacy and action-packed and this one feels like it basically slows right back down again. Not in a bad way, it’s actually a mostly decent episode with some good revelations. It also isn’t lacking in action (or body count) but it feels like everything is strung out just a bit more than it needs to be, almost as if the writers understand that they don’t really have enough meat in the storyline of the Meth Heads to really fill out the normal hour, so things get done extra slow.

Having run his mouth off in the wrong place, Tarik has accidentally caused Grace and Cal’s location to be broadcast to the world. This could easily have been another ‘Oh now their relationship is ruined again’ big fight thing, but the writers craft it well and the actors perform it beautifully. With danger potentially just around the corner, Tarik and Grace remember where they used to hide as kids, and go there to wait things out.

Back at the lake, Jace has taken off with Michaela’s car, leaving Zeke to wander around in the wilderness looking for his wife. I won’t lie, this particular bit is one of the weaker points of the episode as the way in which the previous instalment’s cliffhanger ending ends up being resolved is… a little bit lame.

Similarly, I’m not sure why Ben, Pete, Angelina and the agent escorting them suddenly appear to have stayed at the Stone residence overnight when last time out they were ‘just stopping there for a few minutes’. No explanations, nothing at all, they just stayed there and nobody addresses it. Fills some time though, I guess…

Olive manages to think fast when someone arrives to take away the Egyptian manuscript, and then through one of the show’s random massive coincidences finds the missing piece and sets to work trying to uncover the full meaning in time to be of help.

Which then takes us right back to Tarik’s place and Jace, Ben, Pete, Angelina and various others converging there for the epic showdown that may or may not stop Jace and therefore redeem the souls and save the lives of his brother and their friend. This final part of the episode gets really bloody, and has one or two surprises in store as well. It also gets a little silly at times, especially when Grace ends up toting a rifle, covered in blood and doing her best badass impression from literally nowhere. Props to Athena Karkanis though, she gives it her all and you can almost get past how ridiculous it is thanks to that alone.

When Olive finally deciphers the final piece of the puzzle, it turns everything on its head again in ways that I have to be honest and say I’m not all that clear on. There’s a definite resolution, but how we got there and why? I may need to watch it again and get back to you.

Verdict: A decidedly mixed bag of an episode with some great parts and some ridiculous ones and a slightly puzzling ending. Not really sure where this one is going now. 7/10

Greg D. Smith