Is it just me, or is this season of Manifest more action-packed?

The pace and momentum picked up even more on Manifest Season 3 Episode 2 as Angelina and her Callings were thrown into the mix. Not a moment wasted!

Not only did her Calling connect to the methheads, who have been resurrected from their underwater slumber, but it continued down the religious trajectory with a vision of Archangel Michael, best known as a healing angel who served as the leader of the army of God against the forces of evil.

Could the Calling be implying that the passengers of Flight 828 were sent back to Earth to fight against the darkness?

The Calling also brought Angelina and Peter together, but what's the connection?

It doesn't seem like their paths have crossed before in a meaningful way, and yet, the Calling's wanted them to find each other. 

Pete wasn't just a random stranger in the background of her photo. Why?

It was a little frustrating that Mic didn't even try to get any answers before bringing Pete into the precinct.

She could have still done things "by the book" while also getting some clarity as to how the methheads relate to 828 and their latest passenger. 

The Captain gave Mic a stern talking to as she returned to work, but at this point, I think she realizes that whatever Mic is messed up in, it's not normal.

Even the most rational person cannot rationalize three guys emerging from a lake after three months of being presumed dead.

The Captain knows that logic doesn't apply here, so maybe she'll be on Mic's side soon enough?

And how is Drea assisting with cases but not asking any questions? Olive openly talked about following Callings. Wouldn't that make you want to question what's going on?

Drea and Mic seem to consider each other really good friends, so it's borderline insulting not to clue her in at this point. 

If she's going to be putting her life on the line, she should at least know what's at stake. 

I'm glad that Pete chose to break free from Jace's toxic grasp.

He and Korey were both aware that they needed to make the most of their second chance, and they weren't interested in ruining it by making the mistakes of their past.

Jace is the one we should really be concerned about because he's dangerous and vengeful. 

According to Ben and Mic's theory, the trio remained dead for 84 days, which likely means they have 84 days to live.

But what happens if they follow the Callings? Will that buy them more time as it did with Zeke?

The chase sequence gave audiences a good dose of adrenaline, even if it was cut short by Jace firebombing Mic and Drea. 

Also, why wouldn't the Captain send Jared along for the ride? I'm not saying Mic and Drea can't handle themselves, but it would be nice to have some backup when dealing with dangerous criminals.

I didn't think I'd be interested in adding another passenger to the mix, but it's nice that Olive has someone her age that she can team up with. 

Olive may not get the Calling's, but she has plenty of experience navigating them, so helping Angelina figure out what they mean is giving her some purpose.

Ben is his own worst enemy.

What part of Vance's "don't come save me" speech was unclear?

Instead of heeding Vance's instructions to let him handle things in Cuba, Ben couldn't help himself and needed to find a way to help his partner.

Vance faked his death for more than a year, so it's safe to say he probably had an escape plan for Cuba anyway. 

With the NSA, DOD, and Pentagon already onto Ben, you would think that he'd lie low, but instead, he spilled the beans to Powell about Vance being alive.

I know Ben thinks he's doing the right thing, but what makes him think Powell can be trusted? What if he was wired? 

Vance has chosen to remain under the radar and has purposefully kept his circle tight.

If he thought he could trust his partner, don't you think he would have told him the truth on his own terms?

Ben, come on! I think it's been made pretty clear that government entities cannot be trusted when it comes to Flight 828. 

The fact that Vance's wife blamed Ben for everything that was happening was also slightly ridiculous.

The government turned on Vance, which caused him to fake his death in the first place.

However, she knew the man she married -- a man who seeks out the truth no matter the danger, so it's not like he would be fine with ignoring the biggest mystery to ever come across his desk.

Vance is a grown man responsible for his own decisions, and while Ben definitely contributed, none of this is his fault.

I wasn't entirely sure if Powell leaked the tail fin to reporters or if it was a result of the video that the young boy in Cuba took, but either way, everyone is now aware that a piece of the plane was found in the ocean. 

But these people also watched the plane land with all passengers on-board about a year-and-a-half ago in New York City, so, understandably, they have questions.

We know the plane that landed exploded, and I doubt there would've been parts that remained intact.

The reporter echoed all of the audiences' questions: Are there two planes? What does this mean about the people on the plane? And who or what are the passengers?

The three guys who kidnapped Cal.. they’re alive again.

Mic

• Permalink: The three guys who kidnapped Cal.. they’re alive again.

If people thought the passengers were abominations or angels before, imagine what they're going to think now.

Will the public pose a huge threat to the passengers once again? The reporters seemed to be hounding the Stone family immediately after the story broke.

Ben was also experiencing some kind of reaction after touching the tail fin. 

At first, his hand had sores all over it (could it be the burns he suffered in the original explosion?), but eventually, his hand began to glow, as did the sample Saanvi took at her practice. What's that all about?

Is he now connected to the tail fin? Will it provide answers? 

Is it further proof that he's an angel?

And let's just say we're going with the angel hypothesis -- what does that make Eden? Is she part human and part angel? Part supernatural being?

We've all glossed over that Ben had a child and just accepted that Eden is a cute baby, but since we're not really sure what's going on with the passengers, maybe we should be concerned about the child that was conceived after the flight returned!

Is she the key to all of this?

Saanvi is going through a tough time.

For now, the only person that knows she killed The Major is Vance. You've got to respect him for keeping that a secret. 

The guilt has been eating Saanvi up, and the only person to notice is Zeke.

She made it sound like he had some kind of new superpower now that he survived the death date, but maybe Zeke is just the only one who isn't preoccupied with Flight 828 stuff?

Saanvi isn't just concerned about what happened with the Major; she's also freaking out about the fact that she no longer has Callings. 

And if following the Callings is the only way to beat the death date, what does that mean for her? Is she doomed?

After the methheads resurfaced, Grace decided to grab Cal and Eden and take them somewhere safe... and apparently, the place that can't be traced back to her is her stepbrother Tarik's house. 

Powell: Promise, I’ll do everything in my power to keep it secret. But everyone on the planet is fascinated with 828 so it may not be in my power. So, what is it? A piece of intel?
Ben: A piece of 828.

• Permalink: A piece of 828.

Regardless of whether or not they're on good terms, I don't see how someone with enough determination and skill wouldn't be able to track them down to a family member's place.

It's not entirely clear what transpired between Tarik and Grace, but whatever it was, Tarik felt that she turned her back on him and chose her family instead.

Which really puts Grace's logic into question. Why would she think it was a good idea to arrive unannounced at an estranged sibling's house?

She just imposed on this man's life because they had nowhere else to go and expected that he'd offer to help even though he didn't owe her a thing. 

Tarik seemed to come around after having a heart-to-heart with Cal, but I also don't know if I trust him. 

Without any backstory and considering their relationship's fractured nature, Tarik may not have their best interest at heart.

If we learned anything from Angelina's situation with her parents on Manifest Season 3 Episode 1, it's that you can't always rely on family!

And you have to question why he's being involved in the narrative now! 

Other Musings

• Drea is clearly Team Jared. Do with that information what you will. 
• Mic's "by the book" act won't last long because she's undoubtedly going to take on the case
• involving The Major. But why are government agencies covering up the death/disappearance?

• Does anyone else miss TJ? Angelina is great and all, but I feel like they need a third partner in crime! 
• Despite all the resurrection talk, I still hope that the series embraces a parallel universe explanation instead.
• Will we ever see Captain Daley and Fiona again?

Captain: I saw that video. Where do you think they were for 3 months? In that lake?
Mic: The truth is, Captain, I don’t know.
I have my theories but I know you prefer…
Captain: prefer facts.
Mic: Yeah.
Captain: Stone… keep a lid on that video.

• Permalink: Stone… keep a lid on that video.

Even though the series is still tip-toeing around the mystery of Flight 828, it seems like we're making more headway this season to move the narrative along.

Everyone is involved in some shape, way, or form in contributing to the overarching mystery, so it's only a matter of time before all the pieces begin falling together in a way that makes sense. 

What did you think of the episode?

Share your theories with us below! And don't forget to watch Manifest online to catch up and pick up on any clues you may have missed! 

Lizzy Buczak was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in June 2021..