Manifest Season 2 Episode 2 Recap – Grounded

This episode of Manifest shows us some concerningly stilted conversation. It progressed through a lovely, self-contained passenger tale to a finale that left us concerned about Zeke, Olive, and Saanvi for quite different but equally compelling reasons. The artificial-sounding chats about callings at the start may have been purposefully planned to make us worry, as specific individuals do in the show, whether too much confidence is being placed in the good intentions of Flight 828 passengers and their visions. We’re left with the impression that the callings work towards a greater good while still utterly mysterious in origin.

This episode begins with a flashback to where the explosion happened when they saved the passengers from being lab rats. Vance was brought to the hospital, but he woke up and gave his badge to one of the nurses while on their way. He wanted the people behind the operation to think they were successful because he died.

Back to the present, Michaela, Ben, and Vance talk about what happened. Vance apologizes for his plan; he says his wife and his guys are the ones who know he is still alive. Vance’s headquarters is the Plan-N-Go Travel Agency, and we hear that his team has been doing some investigation and have uncovered that the Major’s money has significantly grown. Ben volunteers to spy, but Vance insists they leave it to him.

Michaela and Cal talk about the calling and call it Death Date Calling. Cal mentions he felt a plane crashing, and maybe in that way, they would die.

Ben meets another 828 passenger: a college student called TJ Morrison (Garrett Wareing), who informs Ben he has a calling and has seen his own grave. Ben is empathetic and says he and his sister have experienced callings.

Cal says they need to talk to Zeke because Zeke is also on the plane on their calling. But he is not one of the passengers in real life. Cal thinks there’s something wrong with it. He also mentions Zeke couldn’t hear or see anyone, so they need to save him like all the other passengers.

Cal will miss Michaela; she needs to go back to her apartment.

At the hospital, Ben and Grace have a paternity test. Suddenly, Grace hears a calling saying, “Stop,” so Grace takes up the gauge the nurse put on her. 

In jail, Michaela tries to visit Zeke, but he refuses visitors, so she uses her badge to go inside, but it doesn‘t work because she’s not related to Zeke’s case.

She later returns to her precinct and is greeted warmly upon medical leave.

The new captain informs Michaela she will have a new companion, irritating Jared. But Michaela feels having a clean split may be for the best.

TJ texts Ben, and Ben agrees to see him. TJ realizes the tomb he saw in his calling is not his but the burial of a young woman who is a student at the same university. When Ben contacts the police, Jared chooses to respond since he recognizes Ben. He brings them to the police station, accusing TJ of the murder.

Michaela attends Zeke’s arraignment and is shocked to see he has chosen to represent himself and plead guilty to all counts. Michaela tries to dissuade him by yelling at him to stop and fight the accusations. The court officers end up dragging her out of court.

Olive is out with Grace when a young blonde from a believers’ organization approaches. Grace tells her to stay away from such folks, but Olive believes the girl is sweet. Grace reveals the baby is Ben’s and tells Olive about her calling. Olive is taken aback and dismayed when she finds she is the only one in the family who has not received a calling.

Back at the precinct, Ben and Michaela converse. He updates her on TJ while she informs him about Zeke. Michaela is summoned to the captain’s office. She‘s lectured about attending the arraignment.

Jared informs Michaela that TJ’s fingerprints were discovered all over the victim’s room, so he will be arrested.

TJ tells Ben he misses his mother. Three months after he vanished on Flight 828, his mother overdosed on painkillers, believing she had lost him. TJ, who insists he didn’t kill the dead woman, is interrupted and arrested by Jared.

Michaela, Cal, and Zeke are subjected to a new form of summoning, one that causes them to shake uncontrollably. Michaela tells Ben it feels like turbulence on an aircraft when it’s finished. Ben interprets it as a message they should free TJ, whom he feels is innocent. Michaela claims the evidence points him guilty. She says Ben is a very trusting soul, which she admires, but he doesn’t truly know TJ. Ben encourages Michaela to delve further. She accepts but warns that she will permanently imprison TJ if she finds more damaging information.

Cal asks Olive to take him to Michaela at the precinct. She asks why, and he responds he requires her assistance in determining something. Olive offers to assist him, but he claims she won’t understand because it’s about the callings.

Olive feels upset. She walks to her room and cries.

Michaela and her new colleague, Detective Drea Mikami (Ellen Tamaki), investigate the dead college student’s room and uncover a large number of TJ’s possessions. His belongings were thrown out after he went missing for five years. It was grabbed by the victim to use in her artwork. Michaela now understands why his fingerprints were discovered in her room, despite the fact that TJ was never in the room. Michaela also discovers the victim’s spare student ID and goes to Campus Security to find out when it was issued.

Grace confides in Olive about her lack of callings. Olive admits she is frightened of losing everyone she loves on the death day. Olive goes away, furious and terrified.

Meanwhile, Dr. Saanvi Bahl has been secretly testing Grace’s blood to discover if gene transfer from the baby to the mother is feasible. She’s been doing it while attempting to dodge the helpful and too interested/curious tech who’s always seeking to learn more about her. Saanvi discusses her latest findings with her therapist.

After only a few inquiries with the campus security, Michaela and her partner determined the security guard had murdered the college student. (He probably shouldn’t have refused to give her a new ID.) Michaela captures him and releases TJ.

Ben praises Michaela and apologizes for pushing so hard at the precinct. She apologizes for not having faith in him. The captain summons Michaela and Jared to her office and informs them they will no longer be working on the same cases. She’s skeptical, and she doesn’t want to hear about any more anonymous tips that have assisted Michaela in solving crimes.

Olive meets the pleasant blonde and attends a believers‘ gathering. Many people are in the venue.

Ben travels to visit Vance, who has deduced that the Major is aware of the genetic transference potential of the passengers on Flight 828. Ben has no clue how the Major became aware of Saanvi’s findings.

Michaela returns home and begins writing a letter to Zeke. Just after that, she, Cal, and Zeke receive another tumultuous call. She and Cal are on 828, contacting Zeke, who cannot hear or see them. Michaela notices the nearby plane’s wall and window catching fire. She attempts but fails to remove the seatbelt. The final shot shows Zeke tied down and disturbed. Doctors come in to give him another dose to calm him down.

Our Thoughts

“Grounded” may not be the most exciting hour of Manifest, but it does its job and sets up the storylines for the episodes to come. In all likelihood, this will be the last episode that doesn’t have the central mystery of season two at the forefront. It reminds us of where we are with Michaela and Ben Stone, Jared Vasquez, Cal Stone, Zeke Landon, and Saanvi Bahl.

Each character is presented with a new storyline that feels earned (with one notable exception) and can be interesting moving forward.

We’re still puzzled by that common calling. Some of you feel that Cal is unwittingly bringing two people together who are the cause for all of these occurrences. Part of me believes the calling reveals the truth about what happened, but that doesn’t account for Zeke’s arrival on the plane. Perhaps they’re meant to prevent another such plane crash?