Manifest Season 2 Episode 5 Recap – Coordinated Flight

The episode begins with a flashback after years of disappearing from the plane. Little Olive and Grace were talking about Ben and Cal while they were on the carousel. Olive believed Cal is still alive; she saw him in her dream talking to her; she thought it was a sign. 

While they were talking, a tarot reader asked them if they wanted a reading. Grace declined the offer. She thought it was a waste of money and time, but Olive insisted on trying it. The fortune-teller saw the two were lonely because they had lost someone. She advised them to always look to the future and the possibility that things will turn out well.

Fast forward to the present, Olive is in the “Church of the Returned” again. She is talking to Isaiah about living with the “Returned.” While Olive answers the question, some guys cause a commotion. Isaiah tells Olive to call Adrian. 

Isaiah tries to stop the people, so he gets punched and kicked. Olive can’t reach Adrian, so she pulls the alarm button; the masked guys leave.

In Michaela’s apartment, while Zeke washes his face, he sees a bottle of medicines.

Ben and TJ talk about the compass and the Death Date. They are searching for who engraved the peacock and the star on the compass because Ben found out those are not part of the original design of the compass. They try to figure out how it relates to the Death Date.

While they are talking, they see the news about the “Church of the Returned” and the bank robbery, where two people from Flight 828 are involved. The public is alarmed. When Ben hears about the vandalism on the news, he feels a second calling instructing him to “rescue her.”

Back to Olive, she talks to Adrian about what happened to the church, and she apologizes for what happened to Isaiah. She also asks not to involve her in the police report since her parents are unaware she is a member. Adrian advises her to quit worrying about what her parents would say or think.

Meanwhile, Jared eats breakfast at the pub where the bartender he’s been casually dating works. He takes some flak from her ne’er-do-well younger brother for being so close to her.

Back at the church, Michaela and Detective Drea visit to start the investigation. One of the agents tells Michaela to use her anonymous tips because there are no leads to solve the case.

Ben starts to search about what happened to the “Church of the Returned” to find who he will save. They see only one man got injured at the location, but Ben mentions his calling says “save her.” So they are still finding who “she” is.

He gets a call from Grace telling him she is with Cal. They‘re hoping he would get them a Hawaiian pizza from DeAngelo’s. He tells Grace about his calling and asks if Cal felt anything unusual — nothing. Suddenly, Grace gets into an accident — a blue truck hits them whose driver was probably texting, said the enforcer.

Michael and Detective Drea talk to Isaiah to investigate what happened to the church. She keeps asking who pulled the alarm, but Isaiah claims he doesn‘t know. Michaela approaches Adrian about Isaiah’s lack of cooperation and assistance.

Grace and Ben head to the ob-gyn after the accident. The doctor accidentally tells them the gender — a girl. Suddenly, the doctor sees something and says she will run some tests. Grace and Ben remember the calling “save her” might be about their baby.

Zeke is in the community sharing about what happened to him in the past. He says he is trying to change. A man from the group tells him he must begin atonement with the people he harmed as an addict.

Michaela comes to the hospital to see how Grace and the baby are doing following the accident. Ben assures her Grace and Cal are okay, but the doctor wants to do a few more tests on the baby to be sure. He also informs her of his new vocation. Ben requests Michaela provide him with any reports of assaults on Flight 828 passengers so that he may look for a trend.

Michaela arrives at the precinct, where Drea has discovered evidence of a witness to the cloaked figures fleeing the site of the church’s destruction.

Olive hurriedly goes to the hospital with TJ and asks what happened. She finds out she will have a baby sister. TJ mentions, “Moms are superheroes.”

Michaela sends Ben the cases he requests and has an unpleasant talk with Jared about how she threw him under the bus in court. She informs him she and Ben fear the passengers on Flight 828 are the targets of the Xers. He responds it’s all in her brain, irritating her.

Soon later, Michaela and Drea interrogate the witness about what he saw as the cloaked men rushed by him. He behaves suspiciously and claims he is not engaged in the church vandalism.

Zeke meets Courtney (Danielle Burgess), a lady from his past, and apologizes. She’s furious he abruptly vanished on her and isn’t thrilled he’s back in recovery.

TJ and Ben discover the Xers have been plotting assaults against the passengers of Flight 828. After all, the church’s vandalism and Grace’s accident are linked. Later, the doctor informs Ben and Grace the baby is well, but Grace should take it easy.

Olive heads to the precinct and confesses to Michaela she was in the church when the violence happened. She asks a favor from her aunt not to tell her parents. But Michaela feels Olive should inform them; they will eventually find out. She believes it is preferable if Olive tells them herself.

Michaela brings her to the interrogation room to ask who the suspect is. Olive chooses number two in the lineup, the witness Michaela and Drea interrogated. Michaela interrogates him and warns him that if he doesn’t comply, he’ll face terrible consequences — not only assault and vandalism but also a conspiracy charge. He informs her about a warehouse where the other two cloaked guys, whom he claims he doesn‘t know the names of, congregate.

Ben talks to Grace about the “believer” who helped in the investigation. Olive interrupts and admits she’s the one who helped her aunt. Grace asks what she is doing there, and she says she is one of them. Grace adds the “believers” are a cult. Ben and Olive start to argue, and things get heated. Ben informs her that Adrian is a swindler who benefits by putting Flight 828 in danger. Olive rushes out, refusing to listen.

Michaela and Drea storm the warehouse, aided by an army of cops. The warehouse is unoccupied when they arrive. But Michaela believes individuals were there recently. She instructs Drea to examine the paint on one of the trucks parked outside, assuming it as the one that rammed Grace’s car.

Jared returns to the tavern. The bartender’s brother thanks him for informing him about the raid. His pals are grateful for the warning, so the brother now wants Jared to meet one of them. “A friend of yours is a friend of mine,” Jared says, agreeing to see him.

Ben and Grace discuss Olive. Grace notices Michaela’s compass in the previous episode. It bears the same design as the tarot card the fortune-teller handed her and Olive that day at the fair. Ben and Grace are convinced everything is related once more. Ben discovers afterward that his calling to “rescue her” refers to Olive.

Michaela and Zeke are ready to eat supper at Michaela’s apartment when the doorbell rings. When they answer, Courtney apologizes and claims she has nowhere else to go. Michaela introduces herself, unsure who Courtney is. Courtney tells her she’s Zeke’s wife.

In the last scene, a hooded person approaches Adrian to clean up at his church. The cloaked figure pushes him up against a wall — it‘s Ben warning Adrian saying, “Stay away from my daughter.”

Our Thoughts

TJ assists Ben and agrees Adrian’s church promotes an anti-828 attitude, but he neglects to add he attends the church. Cool. Where had Saanvi and Vance gone? Understandably, fitting everything into a 45-minute episode is challenging, but there is no discussion of their game plan now that the Major has stolen all her research. Is the Major also working with the Xers? Ben assaulting Adrian made me laugh. He attempted to appear challenging and scary. Why, aside from Jared, is Michaela the only capable officer on the force? Ben sounds like the rest of us, evaluating each episode and speculating on hypotheses.