‘Manifest’ Season 3 Episode 2 Recap: “Deadhead”

Manifest Season 3 Episode 2
Luna Blaise as Olive Stone and Holly Taylor as Angelina Meyer in ‘Manifest’ season 3 episode 2 (Photo by: Peter Kramer/WBTV/NBC)

The hunt for the meth heads who kidnapped Cal (Jack Messina) – and whose bodies rose to the top of the lake last episode – along with a new calling of Angelina’s (Holly Taylor) are the focus of NBC’s Manifest season three episode two, “Deadhead.”

Episode two begins with Angelina experiencing a vision of herself running through some sort of catacomb and stopping to face what looks like a faceless angel. Grace (Athena Karkanis) notices Angelina looks upset and assures her if she needs anything she can always talk to her.

Grace heads downstairs to find Ben (Josh Dallas) getting ready to try and find a way to go back to Cuba and rescue Vance (Daryl Edwards). She tries half-heartedly to talk him out of it, but Ben’s mind is made up.

They’re interrupted by a knock on the door. The Director of the Pentagon and the NSA Director need to speak with Ben.

Meanwhile at the precinct, Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) returns to work and is greeted by Jared (J.R. Ramirez) who she notices has been promoted to lieutenant. Michaela is called into Captain Kate Bowers’ (Andrene Ward-Hammond) and informed she needs to go by the book or else she’ll be forced to resign. Michaela agrees to follow protocol.

Back at the Stone house, the Director of the Pentagon and NSA Director Powell (Tim Moriarty) are pushing Ben to tell them what he knows and what he’s been up to. It seems they’re aware of the secret cargo plane he landed in from Cuba. Grace hears this and interrupts, politely telling them they can either leave, help her make lunch, or she’ll just call their lawyers. The Director of the Pentagon and Powell leave, with Powell giving Ben a knowing look.

Over at the precinct, Michaela’s going over some video sent to her by the park ranger station at the lake and sees the three meth heads who kidnapped Cal running through the forest. She calls Ben to fill him in on what she’s just discovered.

Ben realizes the kidnappers returned after 84 days which should mean they have 84 days before they die. To keep Cal safe, Grace suggests they go to her stepdad’s cabin which is where her little brother Tarik lives. Ben asks if she’s sure that’s a good idea since she hasn’t seen or talked to him in 10 years, and she’s sure it will be okay.

Michaela and her partner Drea (Ellen Tamaki) check out the woods looking for the kidnappers. They come across a woman who was attacked by them and learn they stole her RV.

At the Stone house, as everyone packs to leave for the cabin, Olive (Luna Blaise) comforts Angelina after Angelina reveals her recent calling. Olive asks if what she saw in the calling was familiar at all, and Angelina says part of it reminds her of an image on a window at her high school. Olive believes the calling wants them to go there.

The Stone family split up, with Ben off to find a way to go back to Cuba and save Vance, while Grace and Cal head off to the cabin. Olive and Angelina follow Angelina’s calling.

Zeke (Matt Long) visits the clinic for another checkup by Dr. Saanvi Bahl (Parveen Kaur). He notices she’s swamped and offers to help out. Ben shows up to tell them about the kidnappers resurfacing from the lake. Ben shows Saanvi his hand which is bruised and red from touching the tailfin of 828. She takes a sample to test it and gives Ben something to help soothe the redness before he leaves.

Manifest Season 3 Episode 2
Ellen Tamaki as Drea, and Melissa Roxburgh as Michaela Stone in ‘Manifest’ season 3 episode 2 (Photo by: Peter Kramer/WBTV/NBC)

Michaela catches up to the RV the three kidnappers stole. The leader of the kidnappers, Jace (James McMenamin), tosses a gasoline tank at them which explodes and causes Michaela and Drea to run off the road.

Grace arrives at the cabin and her brother, Tarik, is still angry and bitter about their falling out 10 years ago. He reminds her he needed her help back then and slams the door in her face.

Olive and Angelina find the window and Angelina remembers burying a personal time capsule years ago. They dig it up and find photos inside. One is of Angelina as a young girl drinking a smoothie. She remembers being happy when the photo was taken. Following this new clue, they get some smoothies and talk.

Ben visits Vance’s wife and explains what happened in Cuba. He gives her Vance’s wedding ring, and she tells him he’s responsible and needs to save her husband. He looks closely at the ring and notices an engraving that reads “The truth will set you free.” She reveals the same saying was engraved on Vance’s fake gravesite.

Olive and Angelina are walking while drinking their smoothies and talking when Angelina accidentally drops her photo. She doesn’t notice that it’s gone.

The three kidnappers inside the RV argue about what they should do next, with Jace suggesting they do a smash and grab for cash. The youngest one, Pete (Devin Harjes), thinks they have been given a second chance at life and should try to do better. Maybe they should relocate to Canada.

At the cabin, Cal shoots hoops with Tarik and tells him Grace always said he made her a good mother because of all the times she looked out for him. Cal tells Tarik to go to her.

The kidnappers pull into the same smoothie shop Olive and Angelina visited. They exit the RV and are arguing when they all hear Cal’s voice in their heads saying, “Go to her.” Pete sees the photo of the girl and believes he’s supposed to go to her. Sirens are heard coming closer and Jace and Kory (DazMann Still) run off. Michaela and Drea arrive and arrest Pete.

Ben visits Vance’s grave and sees Powell who confesses he’s been following him all day. Powell explains he wants to help Vance who he knows isn’t dead. Ben takes a chance and tells Powell about Vance being taken in Cuba and about a piece of 828 being found down there. Powell says he’ll see what he can do to save Vance.

Olive and Angelina’s walk takes them back to where Michaela and Drea are located. Angelina notices Michaela holding the photo and says it’s hers. Pete shocks them by revealing it’s his and says he’s the kid in the back of the photo with a drink behind Angelina. Michaela notes she needs to keep it as part of the report.

Back at the clinic, Saanvi tests Ben’s hand sample but it reads normal. Zeke tells Saanvi he’s worried about her working so hard and overextending herself. She confesses she hasn’t had a calling since she medicated herself and she’s scared.

At the precinct, Captain Bowers gives the photo back to Michaela to give to its owner and suggests they keep the lid on the video showing the three kidnappers alive and running in the woods for now.

Ben returns home and receives a text revealing Vance is safe. He, Olive, and Angelina are about to leave for the cabin when a special news report on television says the tailfin has been found and was fished out of the sea. Almost immediately the press pulls up outside the house and starts banging on the front door, demanding interviews. Ben realizes they can’t go to the cabin now because they’ll just be followed by the press.

The episode ends with Ben’s left hand starting to glow white again, the sample Saanvi took from Ben’s hand glowing white, and the tailfin down in Cuba glowing white with Ben’s handprint.