NBC's mystery thriller, 'Manifest', has only one episode to go and it looks like it is all going to come full-circle in the finale episode. Starring Josh Dallas as Ben Stone, Melissa Roxburgh as Michaela Stone, Parveen Kaur as Saanvi Bahl, Jack Messina as Cal Stone, Luna Blaise as Olive Stone, Athena Karkanis as Grace, J.R. Ramirez as Jared, and Matt Long as Zeke, the finale episode is set to answer all the questions the mystery has been building up over the last 15 episodes.
Coming from creator Jeff Rake, the story follows in the aftermath of the sudden re-appearance of Montego air Flight 828 which went missing for almost five and a half years. However, when the plane arrived, the passengers realized they hadn't aged a day. They began to hear strange voices in their heads which they refer to as "Callings", and these voices soon became the main objective of the show, as they began to act as catalysts for the plot.
Over the course of the last 15 episodes of the series, the voices have sometimes acted as a soothsayer who predicts the future, other times they have played the role of divine intervention in cases of criminal offenses such as abduction and murder, but mostly the "Callings" have helped bring the characters together in order to solve the mystery of the plane.
It was revealed in the last three episodes, other than the passengers on the plane, there are two more characters who have been receiving the "Callings". One is Zeke who has now become one of the main characters on the show, the other is James Griffin (played by Marc Menchaca) who was only introduced in Episode 15.
Griffin's character brought fresh perspective about the "Callings" - the voices could be put to dangerous use, too. While Michaela tried to persuade Griffin into telling her about an apparent "Calling" he had of a bomb blast, he immediately refused to give her any details on the matter.
The promo trailer of Episode 16, titled 'Estimated Time of Departure', reveals the answer about the plane has been lying in front of us all along, although we still don't know what it is. Picking up from the scene where Griffin refused to give details of the bomb blast to Michaela, the episode is set to follow Michaela as she walks into a mob which seems to be hailing the arrival of some kind of a leader.
A glimpse of the man almost shows him to look like Griffin. The synopsis of the episode suggests Griffin takes his "Calling" public, and this might act as a major plot twist in the episode. We also hear Michaela saying, "It is not just about the plane. Not anymore." Does that mean there are more people who are receiving the "Callings"?
In another scene in the promo trailer, we see Zeke exclaiming to Michaela, "Not everyone deserves your compassion." A glimpse shows the two hugging each other, as Zeke tells her there are things she does not know.
On the other hand, Jared seems to have discovered Zeke's past record, and, by the looks, it seems like Zeke had a past full of crime. Jared tries to warn Michaela by telling her Zeke might be harmful, and immediately, a shot shows Zeke pulling out a gun. In the following scene, we see Zeke walking inside Cal's room, who has drawn a new sketch.
As Zeke walks in, Cal says, "What I see, how do I stop it from coming true?" Cal shows him the sketch. It shows three gravestones with Ben, Michaela and Cal's names engraved on them. Does that mean that there is something dire waiting around the corner for these three characters? The final shot in the promo trailer sees Olive exclaiming, "the answer has been right in front of us, all along."
Does that mean that we have finally reached the conclusion to the case of the missing plane? What answer is Olive talking about? Too many questions, too little time, and hopefully, the finale episode will not be a disappointment when it returns to NBC on February 18. Watch the promo trailer below.
