Ben finds himself with an unusual new ally in the search for the missing passengers. Cal returns to school to try to get some normality in his life. Michaela is getting a new calling, but as events unfold, a worrying new pattern seems to be emerging that could spell trouble for more than just herself and Ben.

That precipice I talked about last week is still being danced on here, though in fairness it seems to be leaning more towards the mysterious end of things. Still, as always, there’s a lot going on with Manifest.

Ben is still doing his best to dig up whatever information he can from his new day job at the accounting firm, helped by the fact that his supervisor is swamped with work and not that bright. However, he’s still swinging in the dark without the information that Vance swiped from him last week. But, turns out, maybe he has more in common with the NSA director than he thought.

Cal’s back at school, and the only people more worried than he is about this are Ben and Grace, who are feeling very over-protective of him, though for different reasons. Fortunately Olive steps up, and some nice moments in his school day seem to reassure the boy that all will be well. If only he can keep believing that when he gets home.

Michaela, meanwhile, finds herself called out to try to talk down a jumper who is also a passenger from flight 828. A calling she receives at the same time leads her to believe that she has a mission to save the man, and the way it plays out leaves her upset, but that’s nothing to what happens next. As she and Jared dive into the man’s background, and she reflects on his words to her, it becomes apparent that there’s a very disturbing pattern implied by both. One that could spell danger that isn’t simply confined to herself and Ben.

With Ben and Vance pooling their efforts, progress begins to be made, but it’s a dangerous game set against a ticking clock. Ben stands not only to lose his job but also his freedom, and it speaks well to his character that neither registers to him as being anywhere near as important as protecting his son.

The nice thing about Manifest is that it’s still really refusing to be truly pinned down. Between the domestic drama, the sci-fi elements, the police procedural elements and the conspiracy stuff, it covers a lot of ground each week, and it does so convincingly, leaving no one element feeling short-changed. That continues here, and it’s nice to see, even as I’m tense watching it tread that tightrope.

Verdict: Impressively finding new ways to address the central theme of the callings, while throwing lots of other stuff in there besides. I’m yet to be disappointed. 8/10

Greg D. Smith