I think it would have been more effective had we seen a little more of their time in Jamaica and what conversations and events too place there. It’s significant only because of Michaela’s work with Zeke, but Karen Stone doesn’t really have a presence beyond the first half of the season. That’s not an easy revelation to live with and it will be interesting to see what the passengers do with this new information in Season 2. Related Netflix Geeked Week Series Day: 10 Things We Learned Ben and Cal face their own mortality, and Grace and Olive, now face that they’ll have to say goodbye again. Realizing that Griffin died 86 hours after he returned from the dead is an intriguing revelation if a somber one. The only thing going for “Estimated Time of Departure” is the final act, which rests heavily on the revelation that the passengers have an expiration date and upheaval that brings to Ben and his family. MANIFEST - “Estimated Time of Departure” Episode 116 - Pictured: (l-r) Josh Dallas as Ben Stone, Athena Karkanis as Grace Stone - (Photo by: Jeff Daly/NBC/Warner Brothers) It’s a high-tension ending, tied to the callings, and will keep viewers engaged in the as yet unordered Season 2, but depending on the outcome it could just be an easy way out of a potential triangle. It’s even more concerning given where the “Estimated Time of Departure” ends, with a cliffhanger and a gunshot. It’s hard not to imagine how this can quickly go from him protecting Michaela to potentially turning on her. We have to remember that he was approached by the FBI to feed them information on Michaela earlier this season. MANIFEST - “Estimated Time of Departure” Episode 116 - Pictured: (l-r) Geraldine Leer as Karen Stone, Melissa Roxburgh as Michaela Stone - (Photo by: Jeff Daly/NBC/Warner Brothers) However, Jared is also in a position of power and he’s abusing it. I’ve been somewhat suspicious of how quickly Zeke has folded himself into the main cast of characters, and if anyone is far enough from away from the main action to uncover what’s going on it would be Jared. Jared’s concern over Zeke’s intentions is warranted. Related What to Watch on TV: The White Lotus, Quantum Leap, Blockbusterīut it’s a hard choice to get behind, especially since the set-up is quickly becoming problematic. It worked for a while, but the collision is hard to digest. Zeke’s introduction and the fact that he had a photo of her gave her another character to play off of. Michaela has mostly been on her own and serving as a driving function for the cases of the week. MANIFEST - “Estimated Time of Departure” Episode 116 - Pictured: (l-r) Jenna Kurmemaj as Young Olive, Jack Messina as Cal Stone - (Photo by: Jeff Daly/NBC/Warner Brothers) Plus, his relationship with Olive and Grace also made that angle more interesting as opposed to Michaela distancing herself from Jared. The focus shifted to Ben about halfway through the season, and it seemed like a natural choice given that Cal becomes the Major’s focus. She was also something of a lone wolf who didn’t have any attachments or allegiances other than the NYPD and the 828-ers. She was the one investigating and trying to unravel the callings despite everyone trying to dissuade her. When Manifest began, Michaela was the way in. MANIFEST - “Estimated Time of Departure” Episode 116 - Pictured: (l-r) Melissa Roxburgh as Michaela Stone, Josh Dallas as Ben Stone, Marc Menchaca as Griffin - (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/Warner Brothers) In fact, it almost feels manufactured to position Michaela as the central character again. I’ve mentioned in my last two reviews that we were headed for a love triangle, and honestly, this didn’t feel like a story that needed one. Rather than dig deeper into the mysteries and the many plotlines, this episode leans heavily on the dynamic between Jared, Zeke, and Michaela. It’s hard to tell exactly where Manifest Season 1 Episode 16, “Estimated Time of Departure,” was going, especially after the introduction of Griffin, and his threat to expose the callings. Despite all the twists and turns, Manifest ends on an anticlimactic note.
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