Manifest – Reentry

By: Luke Joseph

Flight 828 is the main topic of discussion after the explosion that happened. The cause is still unknown and because of it the passengers are being detained and asked why they showed up in the first place. Each individual explains that they had an urge to be there but other than that they can’t give a concrete answer. It’s clear they’re frustrated as ever because they’ve been there for hours, but thankfully Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) pulls the cop card when she reveals since they’re not under arrest and cooperated they should be let go. Director Vance (Daryl Edwards) agrees but is quick to remind them all they are not allowed to discuss this turn of events with anyone.

“I can either sit at home staring at my ceiling or I can get back to work,” Michaela explains to her captain when she shows up at work. It’s easy to understand why Michaela needs a distraction after all she’s missed five years of her life, lost her boyfriend and just earlier ran into her friend who is now married to Jared (J.R. Ramirez). Lucky for Michaela her Captain agrees to it as long as she has a physical, fire arms and psych evaluation. Unfortunately, though, her lack of opening up about the car accident and what she is experiencing is enough for her therapist (Elise Santora) to state she’s not signing off on her papers just yet.

This time it’s not voices that Ben (Josh Dallas) hears but music while he’s in Times Square and it’s enough to propel him to search it out only to find it’s one of the passengers Radd (Curtiss Cook) who had been on his flight. This man needs help because he wants to find his son who’s in jail at Rikers. Feeling like this is something he is meant to do, he and the man head to the prison where they meet Adio (Curtiss Cook Jr.). The son swears to his father he hadn’t gone down a dark path like that. He explains he had been working at the jewelry store when he was jumped from behind. When he woke up things had been stolen. He believes he was framed for stealing the jewelry but doesn’t have the proof to back it up.

While Cal and Grace (Jack Messina and Athena Karkanis) are walking down the street a woman approaches Cal and begins to repeat, “He is risen. He is not here. He is risen.” The encounter is enough to spook Grace and admit to Ben how she’s worried about Cal and everyone’s safety because the world is obsessing over everyone on that flight.

Aliens, weapons and every other theory are being tossed at Director Vance about the people on Flight 828. However, it seems the director is the most logical of the bunch when he says, “I suspect if anyone has answers it’s someone on that plane.”

“It hasn’t even been a week yet,” Grace says on the phone still not ready to tell Ben about her boyfriend. However, she might have to now as she turns around and finds Michaela has just overheard everything. “I know and I love him. God help me, but you have to understand it’s an impossible situation,” she explains and you have to cut her a break because it is. Her husband had been ‘dead’ for five years and somewhere in that timeframe she had found someone else only to later be greeted to the fact her husband is still alive. It’s definitely an impossible situation but it’s a situation that needs to be addressed.

Passengers of Flight 828 had been advised against not speaking up. They have been keeping their mouths shut, but one woman decides against it. Rather than staying quiet she broadcasts it to the whole world by speaking to the press and though she seems rather proud she might change her tune because something is following her.

Earlier at the station Michaela had told Jared she doesn’t hold anything against him. He asks Michaela not to punish Lourdes (Victoria Cartagena) because she never replaced her and it’s enough to cause Michaela later at home to scroll through her social feed and see how much her friend has missed her. “She sent beautiful messages to a ghost for five years and I come back and I couldn’t even hug her,” she later reveals in therapy. The therapist is pleased that she made the first step and is willing to sign off as long as Michaela keeps visiting her.

Cal is having a hard time settling because he misses everything and wishes it was all back the way it had been. Olive is really struggling seeing her twin like this and finally agrees to take a walk with her dad. Olive ends up taking Ben to a storage unit to find all of Cal’s and his old things. At a certain point in time Grace knew it was time to let go causing her to pack everything up and get rid of it, but Olive had cancelled the pickup day and instead moved everything into this unit.  “I knew Cal wasn’t dead. I could feel him alive,” Olive says. It must be a twin thing. Everyone blew it off, but she continued to hold onto that hope. Ben is touched by his daughter’s gesture, but then he’s hit where it hurts when she finally reveals that Grace has a boyfriend. He tells her that she did the right thing by telling him. They hug, but it’s interrupted when he begins to hear the melody again. Eventually, it leads him to another storage unit where he stumbles across the jeweler’s son who had not only robbed his own father but framed an innocent young man as well. Thankfully, Adio will be released and Michaela questions her brother on if he believes in miracles yet, but he’s still convinced there is a bigger explanation to all of this.

Michaela finds her way to see Lourdes and give her blessing for her marriage with Jared. “You never stopped being my best friend. I hope that doesn’t change,” her friend tells her. Michaela decides to open up to her telling her how out of place she feels. “I spent all these years trying not to feel like a fraud. You were the one he was supposed to marry,” Lourdes admits. Realizing it’s her turn to let go she tells Lourdes that she was coming back home to say no to Jared. Bu, it’s a lie because in a flashback the viewers see Michaela wearing the ring and texting yes to Jared, but it doesn’t go through.  As for Ben and Grace, he’s not ready to let their love go just yet. He wants another chance to show her that their love is meant to last. “I know your love for me is out of practice, more like a memory, but we have a second chance. Please remember,” he begs and it’s enough for Grace to give in as they find their way home again and make love.

Remember that woman in the interview who practically gave a tell all? Well, she’s dead. That eerie shadow figure that appeared in one of Cal’s drawings earlier shows up at her house and it shoots her! First the plane blows up and now one passenger is dead. Whatever this thing is does not want to be found out.