Manifest Season 3 Episode 11 Review: Duty Free

All eyes are on the passengers of Flight 828 on Manifest Season 3 Episode 11. 

As the series propels towards a season finale, the stakes are being raised for the passengers, who are informed that various governments are targeting them all around the world. 

But it’s unclear what has triggered or re-triggered this sudden interest in the 828ers. 

There was a time when every little thing they did was publicized and dissected, but that hasn’t really been the case as of late. 

It’s possible that the resurgence of the tail fin and Ben’s arrest may have thrust them back into the spotlight, but even then, why is it a global initiative to take them down?

Grace: I understand. But it does us no good if in saving the lifeboat, you drown in the process.
Ben: I know that now, I do.

I can’t help but think that somehow The Major is behind this. 

If you think about it, everything started when/because Saanvi killed her. That one action triggered the reappearance of the tail fin, which led to the experiments at Eureka, and thus, the natural disasters resulted from those experiments. 

We know it’s all connected, so I’m taking this as a sign that The Major is somehow involved in the government’s newfound interest in the passengers.

Since Vance, the head of the NSA, couldn’t get Ben out of prison, there has to be a higher player in power. 

Considering the show’s use of biblical references, it almost feels similar to when everyone betrayed and turned their backs on Jesus. It’s a classic case of “fear what you don’t understand.”

It’s so serious that the government in Singapore even executed a passenger.

All of their crimes are being exaggerated to keep them locked up, making it much harder for them to follow the Callings and protect their lifeboat. 

Ben made the mistake of adopting the “at all costs” mindset, which cost him his freedom. 

After the clearly biased judge explained that she wouldn’t go easy on him because he was a passenger, he pleads not guilty, and his bail was set at half a million, making his release almost impossible.

Grace managed to pay it off, but even after being put on house arrested, Ben still wanted to beak out and do everything in his power to save the lifeboat.

Ben never learns. 

Is it possible that by being so reckless and careless, he’s the one actually sinking it?

While it’s understandable that he’s feeling the pressure of doomsday and wants to do anything he can to save himself and his loved ones, he needs to be realistic in what he’s able to accomplish. 

It’s not going to help anyone if he’s behind bars again. 

Maybe Ben needs to learn that it isn’t him against the world. He can and should count on the other passengers, including Mick and Cal, because they’re all in this together. 

Ben continues to think of Cal as a child, but that’s ignorant, considering Cal has been at the center of it all for years. He was forced to grow up and deal with the Callings, so why is he being brushed off now?

At this point, the passengers are the only ones that can ensure their own survival, so it’s a shame that they are all turning on one another when they should be putting up a united front. 

Could working together be the key to everything?

Ben: Well, wake up Muck cause we are sinking fast.
Mick: We might already be sunk.

Also, is it possible that there’s more than one lifeboat? Could each row be in their own lifeboat, meaning that Ben, Cal, and Mick’s fates are connected while Saanvi’s is connected to someone else’s? 

Even the people you thought you could trust are no longer trustworthy.

Vance essentially turned his back on Ben and Saanvi to protect his “country,” and It’s such a shame to see him use the “I’m an Intelligence officer first and foremost” excuse when they question him. 

He needs to be reminded that the government turned their back on him once before, so they wouldn’t hesitate to do it again!

I could understand Dr. Gupta’s dismissal since she cares more about the science than the passengers, but Vance has seen his fair share of 828 miracles. Why wouldn’t he put more stock in Saanvi’s warning that continued testing could lead to catastrophic events?

It doesn’t take a genius to see a correlation between the testing and the earthquakes. 

After all, Saanvi is a woman of science, and even she knows that this is a boundary that shouldn’t be crossed; she didn’t even need a Calling to tell her that. 

However, the shared Calling between Mick, Ben, Cal, Angelina, and Eagan did warn them about the danger looming at Eureka in association with the tail fin.

Also, why is Gupta struggling to get anything out of the tail fin? Does it have to be a passenger? She was so close to touching it with her bare hand, and I wanted to see what would happen to her if she did. 

Cal was way ahead of everyone when it came to figuring out the Calling. 

I love that the show is putting him back in the driver’s seat. He was introduced as the Holy Grail throughout the first few seasons, yet nothing really came of it. 

For much of Manifest Season 3, he’s been pushed to the background. He’s been observing the action since he feels most of the Callings, even those that aren’t necessarily his to follow. It’s almost like he’s supervising the whole operation. 

So, it would only make sense if he’s the one to crack this whole thing open. 

What did he draw on the piece of paper? And what does he plan to do at Eureka? And better yet, how would he want to destroy it?

Maybe the finale will find Cal and the Major coming to blows?!

Is it possible that the testing at Eureka could somehow set the scene for the return of Captain Daily and Fiona? I know I’m not the only one who wants to see how that storyline comes into play. 

Since government entities can no longer be trusted, Mick was forced to make a tough decision about her future.

Her position as detective helped them immensely with the Callings and navigating Eureka, but her time has run its course. 

As she watched the agency sift through her cases and question her loyalty by forcing her to desk duty, she realized that the witch hunt wasn’t going to stop.

She was giving them everything, but they were giving her nothing in return.

She was prioritizing being a cop when she should’ve been prioritizing being a passenger. But now, she can no longer be both. 

This is an exciting plot development as we finally get to see who Mick is without the backing of her badge. 

Thankfully, Mick didn’t turn in Saanvi before she quit. I know they both thought this was their way of repenting for their sins, course-correcting, and possibly saving the lifeboat, but the truth is, Saanvi is way more valuable on the outside than behind bars. 

Murder is murder, even if it was accidentally. Mick would’ve been walking Saanvi towards her execution. 

With Ben on house arrest, Mick no longer a detective, and Saanvi banned from Eureka, things aren’t looking all that hot for them right now in terms of getting answers or destroying the tail fin. 

They still have Jared on the inside, who seems willing to risk it all for Mick and her family, but at what cost?

The former couple had a moment, which, admittedly, made my heart skip a beat, but Mick pulled away. 

It was the best decision for her marriage, but was it the best decision for Mick? They’re both clearly trying to repress their feelings for each other. 

With time running out, will Zeke’s biggest fears come to light?

Adrian returned — did you miss him? — and he continues to know more than everyone somehow.

Why can’t he just save people the trouble and say what he knows? Why is he so cryptic with the warning that “his wrath is coming.”

Whose wrath? Could Cal be the “he” that he’s referring to? Imagine if Cal was evil this whole time.

After Angelina’s fire wings, I can’t help but think she’s on the dark side, too. 

Her storyline is so random, but she’s almost like the devil on Cal’s shoulder trying to convince him to go to Eureka. Why didn’t she want him to tell Ben about the actual burns on his body?

As for you, what does it feel like being a passenger rounding up passengers?

Eagan

And why is she so drawn to Eden? Why does she want this baby to love her so badly?

The idea of alternate realities has been mentioned on multiple occasions, so what if Angelina is Eden’s mother in a different reality, which is why they have such a connection?

We also have no idea where Angelina drove off to in that cab, but it can’t be the last we’ve seen of her as there was too much emphasis on her storyline, particularly in connection to Cal and Eden.

Other Manifest Musings

• 
  Will Zeke’s empathy abilities come into play? And why does he have these abilities all of a sudden?
• 
  Where is Sarah? I still don’t trust her. 
• 
  Will Jared find out Saanvi killed the Major? Will he tell Sarah?
• 
  Is Noah’s Ark still important?
• 
  I loved the reunion between Ben and Saanvi! 
• 
  I actually felt bad for Grace that she had to pull her deposit on the restaurant. Also, how do they have all this money? Ben literally doesn’t work! 

I’m really hoping the finale brings us so much-needed and much-deserved answers.

This season was teased as the season of answers, but the driftwood and Noah’s Ark haven’t given us much clarity. 

As the show’s fate hangs in the balance — as of now, it hasn’t been renewed yet — it would be cruel to leave us in the dark about TV’s biggest mystery! 

Much like Grace, I’m tired of it and want to know what the 828ers are up against, why they returned, and if there’s a way to salvage their lifeboat after everything that’s happened. 

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to watch Manifest online ahead of the two-hour finale!

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Lizzy Buczak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and read her personal blog at CraveYouTV.

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