Ever since Flight 828 touched down over five and a half years after it departed Jamaica, the passengers onManifesthave experienced quite a number of challenges while trying to follow their mysterious callings. With the Stone siblings, Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) and Ben (Josh Dallas), leading the charge, every episode brings the passengers (and viewers) closer to figuring out the secrets of what happened to them, what the callings are for, and how to beat their impending death date. Of course, there are no answers without an unbelievable amount of drama and some form of punishment… usually offset by the reward, but not always. Grace (Athena Karkanis), Olive (Luna Blaise), Cal (Jack Messina), Zeke (Matt Long), and fellow passenger Saanvi (Parveen Kaur) can attest to this.Quite a number of twists and turns have changed the direction of the passengers’ investigation, leading to some exceptional and fascinating hours of television. As we prepare for the upcomingfinal 20-episode seasonthat will be streaming on Netflix, we’ve ranked the nine best episodes ofManifestthus far. Whether diving into the characters’ emotional state or furthering the mystery, every episode is great in its own way… but not great enough to make the list.
9. “Emergency Exit” (Season 2, Episode 7)
The calling of the crashed airplane with ash falling in the air shakes the passengers, and Ben is determined to find out what is going on. In the end, it’s representative of a fire at a club where several passengers are killed, which is purposely set by Isaiah to show that the people on that flight are miracles that can survive any circumstance of death. It’s such a change from anything we’ve seen before, particularly with that exceptionally overwhelming calling.
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8. “Compass Calibration” (Season 3, Episode 10)
At the secret base entitled Eureka, Saanvi is experimenting on a piece of ancient wood believed to be part of Noah’s Ark, that has similar traits as the tail fin of Flight 828 that was found in the ocean, covered in sapphire. But, while experimenting, a giant lava-filled fissure opens up in upstate New York, and Saanvi believes the wood is vital to closing it. This episode is fantastic, finally giving Saanvi some wonderful focus as a passenger of Flight 828 with her own life at risk, instead of just a scientist helping them out. Additionally, it really shows how complex this mystery is, and how all of the pieces are beginning to fit together in a beautifully complicated way.
7. “Turbulence” (Season 1, Episode 3)
When a passenger is murdered after going on national television to discuss what happened to them on Flight 828, Ben and Michaela start investigating her murder to try to learn whether all of the passengers and their loved ones are in danger. Their investigation leads to an unexpected suspect, which proves the show can work in the future without major developments to the mystery in every episode. Also in “Turbulence,” Michaela’s guilt over what happened to her friend Evie is explored, while Saanvi makes a shocking discovery about Cal and the other passengers. It’s another example of a completely surprising twist that startedManifestout on such a good note, creating the diehard fans that just couldn’t get enough.
6. “Icing Conditions” (Season 2, Episode 13)
All roads lead to the Season 2 finale, which sees our passengers frantically looking for a way to save Cal from the meth heads, debating whether to give in to their ransom demands or not. Meanwhile, Zeke’s death date comes to pass… without him dying, after he saves Cal from drowning a frozen lake. But, in trueManifestfashion, the meth heads that supposedly drowned in the lake are nowhere to be found when it is dragged… only to come crawling out in another epic cliffhanger. The finales do not disappoint, as it’s always certain everything is going to change, usually in a good way. This is no different, and starts with all of the characters in such vulnerable and emotional states, adding to the intensity of the events that follow. And, there’s the cliffhanger of one of the pieces of 828 being dredged up by a fishing boat in the middle of the ocean, despite the plane exploding on land in New York.
5. “Graveyard Spiral” (Season 3, Episode 6)
The meth heads from Season 2 are back and looking for revenge. Only this time, they are experiencing the callings, too… and their death dates are approaching. The difference between this and Griffin’s death back in Season 1 is that there are three of them set to die at the same time, the significance of that shown by a shadowy figure taking all three to their deaths when only one did not follow their final calling, meaning that all of the Flight 828 passengers are going to be judged together in a similar manner. The mystery never gets boring with twists like these, increasing the fear and anxiety of viewers about the passengers surviving their inevitable death date.
4. “Airplane Bottles” (Season 2, Episode 9)
As a storm rages outside, Zeke goes to Saanvi for help with his ever-growing frostbite as his death date grows nearer, but Saanvi is unfocused because of her short-term memory loss as a result of her experiments. Meanwhile, Michaela is facing blowback at work after all of the cases she’s had that were solved in mysterious ways (a.k.a. because of the callings), as Jared’s involvement with the Xers, the hate group for Flight 828, grows deeper. All the while, Ben and the other passengers learn there is actually no storm outside, it is just the beginning of a vivid calling that places Ben on a boat in raging waters, with Flight 828 in the sky above him. “Airplane Bottles” is an unexpectedly captivating episode with the shocking twist that there was no storm outside, giving new meaning to what the passengers are seeing and being led to discover.
3. “Hard Landing” (Season 1, Episode 15)
When Griffin comes back to life after being underwater in a van for roughly 82 hours, it opens up a whole slew of new questions. Why would someone like Griffin, a criminal, be given the callings? What happens when the callings are in the hands of a bad person? And, how many others has this happened to, since they’ve now come across it with two others that were not on Flight 828? It’s game-changing, but maybe not as life-altering as the events of the Season 1 finale. Definitely an above average lead-in, though.
2. “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1)
The iconic episode that started it all must definitely make the list. Such intriguing mysteries and characters were introduced in the series premiere, making this a ride worth taking. Picking up with the return and, alongside the characters, figuring out what had changed and how they fit in this new world that had mourned their deaths was devastating. And, the plane blowing up at the end definitely held our interest, ensuring this was a multifaceted mystery that we needed to stick around to find the answers to.
1. “Estimated Time of Departure” (Season 1, Episode 16)
The Season 1 finale, “Estimated Time of Departure,” is unmatched by any otherManifestepisode. Coming off of the episode where a non-passenger, James Griffin (Marc Menchaca), was resurrected, the finale is filled with shocking twists and cliffhangers. For instance, the revelation that Griffin drowned (on dry land) roughly 82 hours and 8 minutes after he came back, showing the passengers that there is an expiration date looming over their heads and they’ll be going out just as they were “supposed” to. Plus, the reveal of Grace’s pregnancy with paternity up in the air… and who could forget the ending that left the fates of Zeke, Jared (J.R. Ramirez), and Michaela in the air after a gun was fired? Not to mention the beginning of the arc as Saanvi starts therapy for her PTSD… with the Major (Elizabeth Marvel), the woman who has been causing them grief all season long. This is whereManifestpeaked… at least for now.
WhileManifesthas no shortage of exciting, game-changing, and intriguing episodes, the above nine are the greatest examples of the series’ most attractive qualities… including the ability to leave you on the edge of your seat, anxiously waiting for the next.
All three seasons ofManifestare streaming onNetflixnow.
KEEP READING:‘Manifest’ Season 4: Why Saanvi and Ben Should Not Get Together
