Manifest Unmasked: Church of the Returned, James Griffin, and a New Layer to Flight 828

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To be brutally honest, Manifest Season 1 Episode 14 felt like a bit of a cop-out. 

Much of the drama surrounded Adrian and his Church of the Returned, but other than him being a con-artist and wolf in sheep's who scammed naive people out of their money, it didn't feed much into the main storyline. 

I really thought that the "wolf" comment would be connected to Cal and Zeke's calling, but alas, I was wrong.

We're hurling questions with each passing episode, but the writers are dodging them left and right. 

The whole series, much like Cal, is an enigma.

And while the mystery is what's supposed to hold our interest, the longer we go without any clues, the more confused and uninterested we become. 

How are you keeping up?

Let's dissect the big breakthroughs of "Upgrade."

Remember you can watch Manifest online right here. 

1. The Wolf

Zeke and Cal both shared a calling of an angry wolf attacking them. Cal was wary about drawing what he saw out of fear that it would come true, but he didn't realize that his drawings were predictions that could warn them all about what's to come.

2. It's Coming

Cal always gives some ominous warnings, but I'll be honest, I didn't think "he's coming" would have anything to do with another person who mysteriously returned from the dead. Nor did I think that the passenger would be in the van pulled out from the river. After seeing Cal's drawing, I braced myself for impact but was still startled when the man jolted awake. So who is this man? How did he survive? Why Mick? And why does he knew so much about the callings in the promo? So much for staying undercover.

3. Why Zeke?

Cal's calling about the wolf made sense because he is the "chosen one" and could warn Mick, but why did Zeke see the wolf? Was it because he was at Mick's house? Is it because he shares some kind of connection with her? Does it have to do with the Gemini sign in the cave?

4. There's More of Them

Up until now, we were led to believe that we should trust Zeke because he's just like the passengers of Flight 828. However, in the promo for Manifest Season 1 Episode 15, James seems rather sketchy, and Ben suggests maybe they were wrong about everything. Could Zeke and James actually be dangerous? Are the callings threatening instead?

5. Electrical Storm

Did anyone else hear Mick and Jared's boss mention an electrical storm that caused the van to go into the water in the first place? They really glossed over it, and I followed suit, but when Cal's drawing was finally revealed, I instantly remembered that moment and realized we'd be unveiling a new "survivor." And truthfully, this electrical is the only thing that happened in all three occurrences.

6. Church of the Returned

What was the point of this damn Church other than to show that some of the passengers would do anything to make a quick buck? No wonder there are folks out there who hate the passengers of Flight 828, think they are freaks, and throw bricks through their windows. How can you openly lie to people like that? How can you give them false hope? Adrian was way too eager to collect his money from the parishioners eating up all his bullshit.

7. Alice Ciccone

Alice was sadly one of those parishioners desperate for a miracle. Although Alice's story contributed absolutely nothing to the bigger picture, it was still gut-wrenching to see her go from desperate wife to deranged lunatic flailing a gun she had no business owning in the first place. I can sympathize going to extremes to save your cancer-stricken husband, but she was so brainwashed into thinking these regular people could perform miracles. How unfortunate that her arrest is going to be the last thing her husband remembers before he dies.

8. Oh Hell No!

Pointing a gun at Saanvi? Upsetting but not the end of the world. No, Alice really crossed the line when she slapped Saanvi. No one hits Saanvi and gets away with it!

9. Cool It, Jared

There was a moment in the episode where Jared started reminding me of the Church of the Returned parishioners. The way he was looking at Mick, pleading with her and trying to make her stay gave me chills. I wasn't getting love-sick vibes; I was getting creep vibes. I've been Mick and Jared, but he has to cut it out with the desperation. It's only been a few hot hours since Lourdes packed her bags and hit the road. At least Mick respected Lourdes more than her own husband did. Also, never trust a guy who gets mad when you tell his wife the truth.

10. Bye Lourdes

I guess we should address Lourdes' departure. Though I'm not sure it's permanent, it wasn't pretty for either Mick or Jared. The situation is fairly complex -- it's only been a month for Mick, they still love each other, Lourdes was the other woman -- but it was still terrible of them. Cheating is cheating no matter the circumstance. When Jared was completely uninterested in having sex with his wife, she figured it out. Mick couldn't lie to Lourdes, and honestly, she shouldn't have to because Jared should have never let it get this far. Mick kept trying to push him away, but he kept attempting to be with her. The worst part was that confronting Mick affirmed all of Lourdes' fears about Jared not loving her as much as he loved his ex. Leaving was basically her way of saying she wasn't going to stand in the way of 'true love.' While I do feel for Lourdes, I'm glad they finally arrived at some kind of conclusion.

11. A Major Update

As Ben Stone looks for answers, he's also leading the Major right to those answers. It's like he's leaving breadcrumbs right to Cal. Honestly, no one, including myself, fully understands these callings. The assumption is that Cal is the Holy Grail, but again, no one is certain as to why he's capable of predicting the future. Major mentioned that her goal is the "protect the country" and possibly "weaponize" Cal's gifts. Um, what could have possibly lead her to believe that the passengers are a threat to the US? All this proves is that Cal really is in danger.

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Manifest Season 1 Episode 14: "Upgrade"
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