Ben’s encounter with a podcast journalist opens up new possible lines of enquiry. Michaela has a new calling but in a very different way to what she’s used to, and things at the Stone household get very complicated indeed as everyone struggles to adjust.

Most shows try to come back with a bit of a bang after a mid-season break, especially new shows in their first season with a lot to prove. Manifest, on the other hand, plays things a bit slower after what was admittedly a fairly explosive previous episode.

Ben’s decision to attend the funeral of Vance is about as successful as you might expect – one of Vance’s colleagues in particular is not especially happy to see him, convinced that he is responsible for the death of his friend and colleague. But then Ben encounters someone else – a podcast journalist working on all sorts of theories about the events surrounding flight 828. Naturally, Ben is disinclined to trust this stranger given his experience to date, but something he says rings bells and opens up whole new avenues to explore with regards to what is happening.

At a safe location, Saanvi and Doctor Clarke are taking care of the rescued passengers, all of whom seem to be in catatonic states. But Michaela’s chance encounter with one of them produces unexpected results, not the least of which is a new type of calling accompanied by sensations and effects she has not experienced before. Following what the calling appears to be telling her leads her to a realisation about the character of her fellow passengers and the importance of not judging situations from the outside. It also sets her thinking about her relationship with Jared, and the impact of her own return on his life with Lourdes.

Meanwhile, Ben is experiencing a similar journey with regards to his own family. Things are not well at the Stone household, with Ben living with Michaela and Cal missing his Dad while Olive misses Danny. The inevitable showdown that results doesn’t necessarily end the way we might expect, and it’s clear that the status of the whole family is far from being resolved.

And there’s a shadowy new threat emerging which seems to have great authority, massive resources and no compunction about using either. Autumn evidently isn’t comfortable with her role as a double agent spying on Ben and her other fellow passengers, but she may have chosen to run with the kind of people it isn’t easy to back out on.

While there’s a lot going on – and the usual thoughtful angles and interesting investigations of the circumstances around the key events – it does feel like a very low tempo return for the show. There are things which happen that don’t surprise, for all that they’re fairly major developments, and the show is relying more on developing the human interest of all its characters rather than going for showy stuff.

Verdict: Low key, but still enjoyable. Not the best episode of the show to date, but solid stuff nonetheless. 7/10

Greg D. Smith