‘Manifest’ Season 1, Episode 12 ‘Vanishing Point’ Recap: The Man From The Blizzard

Holy good mother of callings! Manifest has just dropped a majorly jaw-dropping bomb, and we’re all for it! From a slow crawl, “Vanishing Point” immediately escalated into a vital turning point for the series. Call it a theory gone true but, with all the focus going to the passengers, it was almost easy to miss the possibility that they might not be the only ones. However, given how the world of Manifest is quickly expanding, I think we can expect more of these jaw-dropping moments soon. The passengers are falling off the wagon one by one. And new faces are coming to take their place.

Cal (Jack Messina) has gone missing. Ben (Josh Dallas), Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh), and Grace (Athena Karkanis) are up to their throats with worry over the threat of The Major looming over them. To find their son, Ben has to come clean with Grace finally. On the other hand, Autumn (Shirley Rumierk) also has to come clean with Michaela after her true alliances were revealed. And it comes to her to make the final decision to help Cal.

Coming Clean

After Cal’s disappearance, Grace immediately called the police. Ben arrives at a swarm of them scoping out their house and interviewing its occupants much to his frustration. The detective handling the case asks Grace if there might be someone who wants to harm Cal. And Ben arrives just in time to save her from spilling everything Ben has told her. The line of questioning then turns against Ben almost implicating he might have something to do with Cal’s disappearance.

Virginia Sherwood/NBC

On the other hand, Michael barges into Autumn’s apartment and demands to know where Cal is. To her dismay, Autumn feigns innocence. Olive (Luna Blaise) rings her up and asks for help about Ben. And Michaela charges out with Autumn in her tight grip.

Ben and Grace find themselves some privacy where Ben comes clean about everything from the callings to The Major. Michaela arrives just in time to back him up as well. She also reports that Autumn might know where Cal is. Finally understanding the situation, Grace refuses to be kept out of the loop ever again and swears to do whatever it takes to keep her son safe.

As they explain the bit about Cal’s drawings, Ben suddenly realizes there might be clues in his son’s sketchbook. Eerily, they find a drawing of the three of them at the same moment as they’re looking through the book. And further turning the pages leads them to find clues to where Cal is: a broken down shed in the middle of nowhere.  

Grace stops at one of the pages where a drawing of a church is and remembers Tannersville. However, the house is full of cops, and none of them can know what is happening. So, Michaela makes a certain call to clear them out.

Autumn’s Achilles Heel

A few moments later, Jared (J. R. Ramirez) arrives grinning and bearing fake good news. He announces that Cal was simply with his grandfather. And for proof, he even shows the detective of the two cuddling up on the couch with Cal asleep beside his grandfather. The NYPD hesitates but, they buy it. The team splits up with Michaela handling Autumn, Olive on house duty with her granddad, and Ben and Grace going to the trip upstate to follow Cal’s clues.

In the interrogation room, Michaela tries to get any kind of information from Autumn. But, Autumn stubbornly remains silent. In a strained and measured voice, the only thing Autumn tells Michaela is that it’s not just about her. Meanwhile, news of Autumn’s detainment and all of the Stones’ movements has reached the high tech base of The Major’s operations. Everything and everyone is being tightly watched anywhere they go.

In the station, Michaela experiences a biting cold as she finds out a lot of vital details about Autumn. Jared comes around, and Michaela tells him that Autumn had a kid before Flight 828. Clarissa Ford was the kid’s former foster mom. And The Major is using that leverage to force Autumn to spy for her. To get Autumn to speak, Michaela realizes that they have to find her kid.

With the information in her hands, Michaela tries once more to talk with Autumn. The information tears up Autumn but, the only thing she can guarantee Michaela is that she didn’t give The Major the drawing she tore from Cal’s sketchbook. Desperately, Michael asks if she can really trust The Major to keep up with the promise of their reunion.

Twin Note

Back at home, after mulling over things, Olive realizes that Cal might’ve left her a note. True enough, she reaches under Cal’s drawer and pulls out a note saying “I Left.”  On the other hand, after a few hours asking people if they’ve seen Cal around Tannersville, Ben and Grace walk back to their car. Soon, an argument ensues about their separation and how Ben went over the ledge looking out for the passengers more than his own family. Before it could get worse, they both receive Olive’s message. On the other street, Grace spots two suspicious men who might be looking for Cal just like them and they duck their heads to hide.

Virginia Sherwood/NBC

Meanwhile, in The Major’s base, things seem to be moving along much much faster. They’ve tracked down Ben and Grace. And they got Autumn released from the NYPD. Soon enough, they also spot Cal through one subway or bus station camera.

Ben and Grace hightail out of Tannersville. But, they soon discover that they’re being followed. So, Ben drives down a side road to try and throw them off track. Meanwhile, as the chase is getting hot, Cal starts to unpack his stuff in the deserted cabin. As he tries to keep himself warm, he seems to be waiting for someone. Soon, Autumn calls up The Major’s base. And she declares that she’s found Cal’s location through the drawing she ripped out of his sketchbook. The car following Ben and Grace then turns around and head to the new location. The Major’s men arrive at an abandoned cottage in the woods only to find out that it’s as it seems. It’s empty and abandoned.

Telltale Drawings

Back in Autumn’s apartment, Michaela and Jared report that she has successfully thrown The Major’s men off-track. And in return, Michaela hands over the information and current location of her daughter. Autumn brings out the drawing she tore out and reveals that it was one of her and her daughter together right up to the young girl’s crazy red hair. At the back of it was the drawing of Cal’s location. After which, Michaela, Jared, and Autumn part ways.

Virginia Sherwood/NBC

As they head out, Michaela declares that she’s heading upstate alone. Jared adamantly refuses to leave her but, Michaela insists. In the middle of their argument, snow suddenly starts falling around her in Michaela’s vision. Jared snaps her out of it, and she makes the final call that she’s going up alone.

Ben and Grace head back down the road looking for the radio tower in Cal’s drawing. However, they stop at a fork at the road not knowing where to go. Ben suggests looking at the drawing again. Then he suddenly realizes that the note “I left” wasn’t really a note. It was a map. The “I” was drawn in a way to show their current location and beside it was “left” guiding them towards the right road.

After a while, they arrive at the cabin in Cal’s drawing the paper showing them every last detail of the place. They find Cal inside, and when Grace tells him that they’re going home, he refuses. Cal says that he’s supposed to be there and that “he’s” coming. Soon enough, they come face to face with this “he” when a man forces his way through the door and collapses as sudden as he arrived.

The Major Moves In

After the shock has passed, Ben and Grace turn the man over to find him burning up. Cal immediately reaches into his pack and unveils the necessary supplies to help the man. Meanwhile, news of Autumn’s betrayal reaches the major. (And finally, after so long, we get to put a face to the name.) The Major (Elizabeth Marvel) tells his men to change tactics. They now have to bide their time and simply wait for the Stones to come home. After all, the major is moving in to be closer to the action.

Virginia Sherwood/NBC

Back in the cabin, Ben assures Grace that the stranger is not one of the passengers. And Ben doesn’t know whether to trust him or to stop him. Suddenly, Grace apologizes finally believing that Ben was doing everything for them. Her only qualm was that he should’ve told her from the start. Then, Grace makes Ben vow to tell her everything from now on.

Michaela soon enters the cabin. And after seeing the man’s clothes, she realizes that he’s the man in her visions. She and Ben then discuss their odds with the man. Then suddenly, the man wakes up and immediately recognizes Michaela.  

Non-passenger Manifest

After getting warmed up, the man introduces himself as Zeke (Matt Long). He was hiking when the blizzard hit him, and he retreated into a cave. He got snowed in, and he burned almost everything he had to keep himself warm. Then he came across a magazine with Michaela’s face on it. And according to him, it seems like she was lending him the strength to go on. Throughout that time, he would always utter the words “Find her.”

Confused, he turns to Michaela and asks how she could be alive. Michaela recounts the plane’s return but finds no recognition in Zeke’s face. Ben asks how long Zeke has been out there. And he answers that he’s been out there for two weeks starting in December. Ben takes a look at the magazine date and finds that it was indeed published in December but the year 2017. Dumbfounded, Ben asks Zeke what year it was. And he firmly answers 2017.

Zeke went on his hike a year ago.

Manifest continues next Monday, January 28th, with “Cleared for Approach” at 10/9c on NBC.