Manifest Season 3 Episode 11 Recap – Duty Free

Ben is in the cell, profoundly thinking. Grace comes in, bringing his clothes for the arraignment. He apologizes to Grace for what happened. “Am I losing you?” Grace asks Ben. He says no and adds he is always the same person she needs to trust. Ben knows he has put Grace through so much. “But everything I‘ve done has been to save Cal, to save Mick,” he adds. Grace understands, but she tells him it does them no good if, in saving other people in the lifeboat, he drowns in the process. “I know now. I do,” Ben tells her. “Do you?” Grace replies and asks for assurance Ben really understands.

At the Stone residence, Michaela checks Cal before his dad’s arraignment. Michaela asks Cal if everything is fine and if Eden is giving him trouble. Cal tells her everything is fine. Eden is still sleeping. Cal takes many snacks, so Michaela asks him if she will train for a marathon. Michaela tells Cal that Ben is trying to do the right thing. Cal quickly and casually adds his dad did it in the wrong way. “Sometimes I forget how old you are,” Michaela tells Cal.

Saanvi receives a call from Michaela. “Why have you been dodging my calls? Where are you?” she asks. Saanvi tells her she knows Michaela‘s probably mad because she was not in Eureka when Michaela went there to take her in for the crime she admitted. Saanvi assures her she will not run. She will be back in the city in six hours. She then says she knows Michaela has a duty to the law. But she also has a responsibility to save the life of the other passengers. Saanvi tells Michaela she will explain what is happening once they see each other.

“Six hours? Didn‘t take that long to get up here,” Troy tells Saanvi. She tells Troy she needs more time to do something. 

Michaela, Ben, and Cal get a calling: their hands burning. Michaela asks Cal if he felt it and asks if he is okay. He tells her he is fine and will go down in a second. He opens the doors, and Angelina shows up.

Angelina asks Cal if Michaela has already left the house. Cal says yes, but he also tells her they didn‘t have to hide because Michaela will understand. Cal says only his mom doesn’t believe they are connected. But he already knew Angelina would come to stay at their house even before Michaela found her in Costa Rica. Angelina says Cal is the only one who is always kind to her. Cal thinks the calling brought them together, and it still wants Angelina to stay there.

At Eureka, Dr. Gupta, along with the other scientists, are testing the ash of the driftwood, but it is not working. Saanvi has the real fragment, but they don’t know about it yet. Vance tells Dr. Gupta the loss of the driftwood shifts their focus to a new path: the 828 tailfins.

During his arraignment, Ben and his lawyer agree on a plea bargain. He’ll accept his guilt and perform community service. But the judge isn’t interested in any agreement because Ben and the other 828 passengers keep getting into trouble. 

Ben pleads not guilty, realizing the court has it in for him. The judge sets his bail at half a million dollars. Everyone in the courtroom, including Michaela, is taken aback by the judge’s behavior.

Ben is back in the cell. He is mad about the arraignment, thinking about his house arrest and the half a million dollars. Michaela and Ben start to fight because Ben wants to get out of the cell to settle what is happening to them about the recent calling. Michaela tries to calm him down. Ben insists he will not give up and still solve the calling to save the lifeboat.

Ben tells her they might sink fast. Michaela answers him they might already be sunk! Michaela admits Saanvi killed the Major. Ben gets shocked and says it could have been in self-defense. She tells Ben her hands are tied; she has an oath as an officer to comply. Ben argues about what would happen to Saanvi if she‘s taken in. But Michaela feels it is part of Saanvi’s redemption, and it is her responsibility to do it. Ben believes Michaela must first determine if she wants to be a cop or a passenger.

Grace comes home while talking to the bank about increasing her line of credit and pulling all the deposits she made. She apologizes to Cal because he is living on his own. She says Olive will come home, but it might take a few hours. 

Cal gives Grace assurance he is fine. He then asks if Ben will not come home. “Of course, he is,” Grace says, but it will take longer than they expected. Suddenly, Eden starts to cry. Cal goes upstairs to check. When she gets into Eden’s room, he sees Angelina carrying Eden. Cal tells Angelina that Grace might see her. 

Cal asks Angelina about the time in the nursery. Angelina interrupts him and tells Cal she understands if he has doubts about her. Angelina says she should leave, but Cal stops her from going and tells her she’s supposed to stay at their house and help with the calling. Cal suggests Angelina stay in his room to be safe. Eden starts to talk saying, “Mama.” “You are my blessing, aren‘t you? My little guardian angel,” Angelina says to Eden.

Michaela speaks with Captain Kate Bowers and Jared. Before she can say anything, Bowers tells her the government has issued a new directive commanding them to crack down on any occurrences involving 828 passengers. The FBI wants to look into all of Michaela’s case files after she returned.

Jared follows Michaela out the door. She’s outraged and says she’s an excellent officer who has saved lives by following her callings. Jared says he has her back, saying, “It’s us against the world,” while holding her hand. Michaela pulls her hand away, saying, “It hasn’t been us against the world in a long time, Jared.”

Ben enters the interrogation room; Vance comes in. Ben thinks Vance can help him, but Vance disagrees, telling him he wishes he could help. Vance warns him about something big that might happen. Jared interrupts to notify Ben that Grace has made bail and is now free to leave.

As Ben walks out with Vance, he notices Eagan being arrested again. When Eagan sees Ben with Vance, he begins ranting he is in cahoots with the NSA. “I should have never trusted you, Ben!” Eagan shouts at him.

Angelina discovers Cal‘s burn mark. She now believes they are meant to solve the calling together. Angelina thinks Cal is touched by the Almighty saying, “and they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned. This is a warning, Cal.” Cal asks Angelina if they must inform Ben and Grace of the calling. “This is your mission,” Angelina replies.

Eagan confronts Michaela about Ben betraying the 828 passengers and being an NSA tool. Michaela tells him he’s mistaken. Ben posted bail, and that’s why he’s out of jail. Eagan declares he will be the new leader of the passengers and tells her not to get in his way.

Saanvi rushes to Vance to tell him he needs to stop testing on the tailfin. Vance confronts Saanvi about swapping the driftwood at Eureka. He wants to know where it is. She admits she dropped it into the lava, and it is no longer there. Vance reminds her he works for the government first and foremost. He fires Saanvi for what she did with the driftwood. Vance says she’s lucky it’s all he’s doing.

Ben returns home and is placed under house arrest. When he asks Grace where she obtained the money for the bail, she admits to taking out a second mortgage on the house. She also used the money she intended to use to open the restaurant.

Cal rushes downstairs and informs his parents he must pursue his calling. Ben agrees to accompany him, but Grace reminds him of his home imprisonment and ankle guard alert. Cal insists on doing everything on his own. Grace recommends delegating authority to Michaela. Cal feels agitated and returns upstairs. Cal starts sketching and tells Angelina it’s an answer to the calling.

Michaela visits and finds Grace sad on the couch. She tells Michaela that Ben is in the garage looking over 828 details. She adds she cannot continue anymore. Michaela encourages her, acknowledging it will likely get more difficult. But it will be worth it in three years when they have all passed the Death Date, and she has Ben and Cal safe.

Michaela talks to Ben and tells him he needs to pay more attention to Grace. Grace is already concerned about losing him and believes the world is collapsing around her. Ben explains she lost her restaurant because of him. Michaela asks about what he‘s found so far about the latest calling. He says he’s spoken with hundreds of the 828 passengers who experienced the same calling.

Cal admits his burns are starting to get seriously painful. So he tells Angelina that he should probably notify his father. Angelina says Ben can’t assist him. The only way to get rid of the burns is to carry out his sketch of the summoning.

Michaela eventually runs into Saanvi. Saanvi is prepared to turn herself in, but she wants Michaela to promise she will stop Vance and the scientists from testing the tailfin. Michaela commits and drives her to the police station.

Michaela has been told she will be on desk duty. Captain Bowers also informs Michaela that things have worsen for the 828 passengers. One of the 828 passengers was executed in Singapore. Michaela pleads her case, saying she’s been an exemplary officer who has followed orders to the letter. Still, her worth is being diminished since she’s an 828 passenger. She believes the restrictions for the 828 passengers are changing, and she did not sign up for it. Michaela resigns!

Michaela exits and instructs Saanvi to go outside and wait for her. Jared attempts to speak with Michaela, but she cuts him off, confirms her resignation, and leaves.

Cal and Angelina slip out and get a cab to pursue the call. Angelina persuades Cal the calling is for him to fulfill independently. She compares him to Moses. Cal exits the cab.

Ben apologizes to Grace, saying he will not risk anything anymore. Grace disagrees. She wants him to put everything on the line to ensure the lifeboat saves all passengers, including him and Cal.

Michaela and Saanvi join them. Grace leaves to let them talk. Saanvi apologizes to Ben for lying to him about the Major and the tests at Eureka. He hugs her and tells her everything is okay. Michaela tries to concentrate on their next move when she, Ben, Angelina, and Cal all get visions of themselves on fire, wailing silently.

Eagan, who is in a different cell, also gets the calling. Something is on the way, according to Adrian.

Back at the Stone house, Ben, Michaela, and Saanvi discuss the many callings they’ve received recently. They trace them back to the plane’s tailfin resurfacing. Ben knows it was never meant to reappear. They agree it must be destroyed.

Dr. Gupta is about to touch the tailfin at Eureka when she is called to look at something. Dr. Gupta exits the building and proceeds to the main fence, where Cal is waiting. He says he needs to see the tailfin.

Our Thoughts

Manifest may have presented an intriguing narrative inspired by the trauma of what Angelina‘s parents did to her because of their religious beliefs. Instead, the show falls short, making her “mad” for no apparent reason.

Some of these narrative points might be fascinating if they were brought to fulfillment by other purposes. Instead, the spectator only knows she has a “connection” with Eden, motivating her to do things. But it isn’t enough in the penultimate episode.