Manifest Season 2 Episode 7: Emergency Exit-Review and Recap- 3 Burning Questions

A fast-paced Manifest Season 2 Episode 7 left us with a broken heart and a lot of questions. Has Saanvi found a cure?

We should have known TJ’s addition was too good to be true. The sweet moment with Olive last week and tonight showing his love for his Mom was too much for our fangirl hearts. Team Stone lost a valuable member in Manifest Season 2 Episode 7. Not only was he smart and capable, but he kept Olive in check. Bonus, he was easy on the eyes and Garrett Wareing emoted his tender little heart out.

Olive is an idealistic teen girl who is struggling with a family dynamic that is best described as bizarre. She is rebellious and pushing boundaries. It is normal and finally Grace and Olive have a real moment that doesn’t feel saccharine or perfunctory. There is not a parent in the world who hasn’t at least thought the words, “What planet are you living on?”. That rare moment of genuineness lent Grace and Olive a believability that they have been lacking thus far. Athena Karkanis(Grace) took a large step forward with a solid performance showcasing her grounded believable parent. This side of Grace is so much better than the one who wants to lie to and about poor Danny.

Back to unbelievability, Ben is lifting weights as he obsesses over his 828 board in between doing differential equations and lecturing to non-math students about higher math. I want to be all in for the Ben is the hero train but moments like this that are so contrived it makes it hard. Thank God Josh Dallas(Ben) is likable enough he pulls off the ridiculous scene. He’s angry with Adrian because he feels like he is trivializing the importance of their shared task. He worries they are creating zealots and by the end of the episode he’s proven right. Adrian looks shellshocked after the explosion at the club. His reaction to this event will be fascinating to watch.

Mich took a bit of a back seat in Manifest Season 2 Episode 7. Her addition to the episode was more in a supporting position. Having had such a massive role in the episodes preceding it was a nice change to let someone else do the heavy lifting. Namely, Saanvi’s backstory and research and a continued focus on Adrian and the Xer’s side plot aren’t just a distraction. It allowed side characters to enter the picture. She is the glue that bonds the group together. Through her, Zeke has joined the team. She was the link to Jared for years. It is his ongoing relationship with the Stones that make his betrayal of Mich and his allegiance to the Xer’s so hard.

Jared is firmly encamped with the Xer’s, however, he can’t help but come running when Mich’s family is in danger. I think he isn’t that far gone yet and depending on what the Xer’s have planned he may eventually be their biggest obstacle. He may very well end up being the hero in the end and be the sacrificial lamb of the season. Now that Mich knows that Jared has been spying on her it is only a matter of time before everything comes out and he is forced to pick a side. I refuse to believe as annoying as his behavior has been and as angry as he is that he would intentionally hurt anyone, even the 828er’s.

Misdirection was everywhere in Manifest Season 2 Episode 7. The characters lied and schemed and the writers tricked us wth Jared and his Xer plot. There are so many threats everywhere it is hard to know what is the most immediate. The Xer’s weren’t behind the champagne plot, Isaiah was. In a misguided attempt to prove to the world that the 828er’s were miracles he burned down a club he had lured everyone to. Bethany the flight attendant, Finn the Wall Street guy from last week, and a ton of other people from Ben’s wall were all drugged and trapped in the club. If the Xer’s weren’t behind the plot, that means they still have something major planned.

Westworld tells us free will isn’t free and neither is free champagne. Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes or beware of Greeks bearing gifts. From Virgil sometime between 29 and 19 BC, it is in reference to the Trojan horse. The horse contained a bellyful of Greek soldiers who used the element of surprise to overpower the Trojans. In this case, from this point forward the 828er’s need to assume even those who seem friendly aren’t necessarily on their side. Manifest is at its best when they bring seemingly disparate groups together. Cal, Zeke, and Grace are an interesting dynamic and Mich, Ben, and Adrian are even more intriguing.

The final scenes solidify Ben’s importance to the mythos of Manifest. From beyond the grave TJ delivers Yusuv Al Zuras’ journal to him. It has pictures of all the important symbols and one last whopper. A drawing of Ben carrying Olive with a bright glowing light surrounding him. In the club, the light guided him and Olive to safety. As Ben looks closer at the page the book begins to glow as well. Is Ben divine like Adrian has been saying all along? I guess we will just have to wait and see. Catch up on all the symbolism and mysticism of Manifest here.

What does TJ’s death mean for Zeke?

It’s not looking good for fan-favorite Matt Long(Zeke). If Manifest was willing to serve up that super cutie TJ(Garrett Wareing) only to kill him off, there is very little sacred. It’s not enough to save the passengers anymore. They have to keep saving them over and over again. Ben and Co. saved Finn last week only to see him bite it the next and damnit Manifest writers you made us fall for TJ.

The other part of the existential equation is Zeke’s more immediate Death Day. If they stop his Death Day from coming doesn’t that mean there is no more conflict? It would effectively end the series this Spring. Showrunner Jeff Rake says he has four more seasons planned after season two. That would be all but impossible if it was as simple as taking a cure and fixing everything. One thing I can say for sure, I have no desire to watch Zeke slowly freeze to death so we need a plan ASAP. If he now has some bizarre immunity to heat as a result of his slow freezing that would allow for a whole mix of different plot beats.

Curiously, IMDB lists Garrett Wareing as appearing in ten episodes. Will those be flashbacks, or is our boy not dead?

What does Saanvi’s DNA patch actually do?

Against everyone’s advice, she has continued to experiment on herself. She seems to think she is the sole person able to stop the Death Day. In her rush to find a cure, she failed to take a few things into account. Obviously the largest is her own safety. The second being what did the DNA anomaly do? Did it cause the “calling” and with it gone does it stop the Death Day, or does it only do part of that or none of that?

She thinks she stopped the “callings ” because she had that strong flash while passing out. There is no proof that they have stopped though. It also doesn’t mean they have stopped the Death Day. She just changed their DNA. The other complication here is Cal’s cancer. He returned and through a new treatment went into remission. What if that was due in part to the DNA anomaly? What happens when he removes the anomaly? Does he get sick again?

What did Saanvi flash on in her “calling” after taking the fourth trial dose?

Saanvi has a powerful rush of “callings” shortly after taking her DNA trial. Those visions include the shared “calling” of the plane crash/melted walls/champagne glass vignette, Finn child who she saved in the last episode, Griffin the thief who drowned on his death day in the season one finale, the passengers who were experimented on with electroshock, a passenger the saved in season one who was escaping Jamaica, Weeping Angels, and a reverse explosion of the plane in season one. The visions read more like a reversing of time.

Similar to a It’s A Wonderful Life trope, these were the people Saanvi has helped along with the Stones. It raises some major flags though as the Weeping Angel traditionally signifies healing and the plane’s explosion reverses itself. It would be great if Saanvi cure is indeed the thing that saves everyone, but it may just mess with time. We know the importance of paying attention to the ‘callings” if Saanvi has stopped her “callings” will she be as effective a healer as she was before?

Stray Thoughts:

• Everything matters on Manifest and the champagne label the club is serving read Maison Du Revenir. That translates to go back home or come back home. Very curious considering the theory that our 828’ers are from another universe.
• TJ’s Mother’s bracelet had a Dhamma wheel on it. It is an extremely important symbol in Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. There are a few ways to interpret the wheel and three main components to the symbol, the spokes, the hub, and the rim. In Hinduism, the wheel is the symbol of preservation or protection of humans. Depending on the number of spokes the wheel has many meanings.
• The wheel is commonly depicted with the god Vishnu the Hindu god associated with human protection and maintaining world order. TJ says his mom told him it meant life was circular. Taken in context with preservation it could be seen as rebirth or continuity. The Buddhists believe once the wheel is turning wisdom, knowledge, and truth on the path to true enlightenment. It may be too late for TJ but as the closing events show Ben may be the one who is the savior.
• I really want to believe Zeke about the pills. Courtney can’t be trusted and I want Zeke to continue to grow as a person and in his relationship with Michaela. I ship Zechaela or Meke(you choose) hard.
• Olive’s initials on the bracelet were ORS.
• We finally know who Saanvi’s Alex is and she is a gorgeous and brilliant married woman. For all those hoping for a Ben and Saanvi romance, you can squash that now.