‘Manifest’ Season 3 Finale Recap: Mayday Part 1 & Part 2

Manifest Season 3 Finale
Josh Dallas as Ben Stone and Ed Herbstman as Troy Davis in the ‘Manifest’ season 3 finale (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC/Warner Brothers)

An uprising of 828 passengers, tailfin callings, and a major death are all part of NBC’s Manifest season three’s two-part finale which aired back-to-back on June 10, 2021. The season finale opens with Flight 828 flying through a lightning storm. Michaela (Melissa Roxburgh) tries asking Ben (Josh Dallas) and Cal (Jack Messina) if they’re okay but they can’t seem to hear her. She panics and starts trying to get other passengers’ attention. The only person who acknowledges her briefly is the flight attendant, Bethany.

Michaela sees blood dripping down from the top of the plane.

Zeke (Matt Long) wakes Michaela from her calling and she describes what she just experienced.

Over at the Stone home, Ben’s working on a plan to get into Eureka to destroy the tailfin when Olive (Luna Blaise) returns home and apologizes to her parents for not seeing something’s wrong with Angelina.

Michaela calls Ben about her calling and he reveals he didn’t have the same calling. Michaela believes it means she needs to reach out to Bethany.

At Eureka, Cal demands Vance (Daryl Edwards) stop testing the tailfin. Vance rings up Ben to inform him Cal’s at Eureka.

Olive researches how to take her dad’s ankle monitor off without alerting the police. She’s able to do it and puts the device on so Ben and Grace (Athena Karkanis) can go retrieve Cal.

Michaela leaves multiple messages for Bethany while Zeke wishes he hadn’t interrupted the calling. If he hadn’t, then Michaela would have seen more and known what to do. Jared (J.R. Ramirez) shows up to talk about Michaela quitting the force. He thinks she can help the passengers more as a cop. Zeke asks him to leave.

Ben and Grace show up at Eureka to get Cal but he refuses to leave. He claims the tailfin’s dangerous and then cries out in pain. Ben and Grace see burns on his body and Grace demands they let Saanvi (Parveen Kaur) back into Eureka so she can treat Cal.

The following morning Jared and Sarah (Lauren Norvelle) discuss opening her mother’s security box later that evening.

Back at Eureka Ben calls Michaela to update her on Cal as Saanvi examines him. Saanvi explains the callings are shifting and that Cal’s skin is covered with the same substance as the tailfin. Ben and Saanvi mimic Cal’s warning, demanding Vance and Dr. Gupta (Mahira Kakkar) stop testing the tailfin because Cal’s life hangs in the balance. Vance grows concerned and orders a pause in the testing.

Michaela and Zeke visit Bethany who’s upset about all the crackdowns and arrests of Flight 828 passengers. Michaela pleads with Bethany to work with her on figuring out the calling. She finally agrees and reveals that in her calling she saw Eagan trying to open the emergency door of the plane. She feared he was going to get them all killed.

At the jail, Eagan (Ali Lopez-Sohaili) argues with Jared about Ben being in cahoots with Vance and the NSA. Jared walks out and Eagan talks to Adrian (Jared Grimes) about Ben helping the NSA.

Michaela goes to the precinct and tells Jared she needs to speak with Eagan. Jared gives her a little push back about her not being able to have it both ways but finally gives in.

Initially, Eagan doesn’t want to talk to Michaela claiming she and Ben are the enemy. She spots Adrian in a different cell and tries to talk to him about the calling. However, he claims he doesn’t have them anymore. Michaela warns Eagan he’s putting everyone in danger by not sharing what he knows about the calling. He reveals he remembers opening the door and seeing a giant black bird – either a crow or a raven. He thinks she should talk to whoever was not in their seat in the calling.

Cal’s physical condition is worsening. He’s developed a fever and Ben becomes more desperate. Ben tells Saanvi they have to destroy the tailfin right now.

Ben and Troy (Ed Herbstman) discuss destroying the tailfin, and Troy uses his code so Ben can access a device that should be able to destroy it. Just as Ben’s about to use it, he has a calling and sees himself underwater. The tailfin is also underwater in the ocean. He notices someone down deeper in the ocean, swims down, grabs the person, and starts to swim for the surface. Ben comes out of the calling and informs Vance and Saanvi that he’s realized they need to return the tailfin to the ocean.

Dr. Gupta has had it with Ben and wants him arrested but Vance says no. Again, Ben explains the calling demands they put the tailfin back in the ocean. Vance reminds Ben he risked his life to help him bring the tailfin to the States. Ben admits he was wrong and begs Vance to believe him now. Vance tells Ben they’re going to do it his way.

Cal doesn’t want to leave and go to the hospital because they have to deal with the tailfin. Ben, Grace, and Vance notice the testing has started again. Dr. Gupta confirms she went over Vance’s head and obtained permission.

Over at the Stone home, Michaela and Zeke go over the flight manifest looking for anyone who was out of their seat in the calling. Olive investigates the image of the giant black bird in religious stories.

In jail, Adrian is certain Ben’s going to bring about the end of days. Eagan says Ben’s only interested in saving his own family and can’t be trusted.

While Michaela and Zeke go over the manifest, Olive discovers some texts on certain beliefs that Noah was actually the destroyer of the world asking God to bring the flood. Michaela and Zeke make the connection that Adrian was out of his seat in the calling.

Michaela heads over to the precinct where a very irritated Jared tells her to stop playing cop. She quit and they already released Adrian.

Jared returns home and opens the box with Sarah. Inside is an old medal and a small envelope with Saanvi’s name on it. Enclosed are recordings of her sessions with the Major.

Michaela experiences another calling and sees Adrian standing facing the wall of the plane. She asks him who’s going to die. He turns and she sees he’s bleeding from the eyes.

Eagan rallies other 828 passengers who are upset with the police and the government’s attitude toward them. Adrian’s there declaring Ben’s going to bring about the apocalypse.

A flashback to their time onboard Flight 828 reveals a meeting between Adrian and Angelina (Holly Taylor). She attempted to talk to him about God and his word. Fast-forward to the present day and Angelina’s one of the 828 passengers joining Eagan and Adrian’s crusade.

Vance orders Dr. Gupta to stop the testing but she refuses. Cal tells his mom he needs to show them so they’ll understand. Cal hugs her and says he’ll see her again. He runs and touches the tailfin and vanishes. Grace screams.

Ben and Grace blame Dr. Gupta for what happened to Cal. Grace tries to implore her to understand but Dr. Gupta tells them they need to let her continue her tests and that science – not faith – will help them find Cal.

Michaela heads back to the Stone house and informs Zeke that Eagan and Adrian are recruiting 828 passengers.

Meanwhile, Randall (Christopher Piccione) and Erica rob a storeowner at gunpoint in support of Adrian and Eagan’s cause.

Vance tells Ben in private about his plan to get the tailfin out and save Cal. Ben and Grace talk and she reminds him not to doubt himself. She realizes Cal’s drawings usually foretell what the callings mean and what they need. She heads off to the house to find Cal’s sketchbook.

Jared walks into the interrogation viewing room and finds Michaela and Zeke watching Drea (Ellen Tamaki) questioning Erica on the whereabouts of Adrian and Eagan’s base camp. Jared, fed up with Michaela doing whatever she sees fit for her callings, warns her to leave him out of it and leaves. Drea’s able to get through to Erica and she reveals Adrian and Eagan’s location.

At the Stone home, Olive and Grace find a drawing of Cal’s that resembles a map and they email it to Ben.

Ben, Saanvi, and Vance try and figure out where in the ocean they’re supposed to drop the tailfin. As they’re working on the problem, Dr. Zimmer enters and orders Vance to stand down.

Drea, Michaela, and Zeke investigate the area where Adrian, Eagan, and the other 828 passengers were staying and find plans for an attack on a house.

Olive discovers a symbol of a dragon in Cal’s drawing and sends it via email to Ben. When Dr. Gupta sees it, she recognizes it’s the constellation where she used to look for her dead grandmother. She now believes what Ben and Saanvi have been saying about the callings.

Ben finally figures out which electrical storm they should drop the tailfin in.

A short while later Vance, Ben, and Saanvi arrive at the dock and are ready to board the boat. Vance calls his son at home and tells him to order dinner because he’ll be late. As the son hangs up, Eagan and Randall sneak into the house and are about to steal Vance’s computer when Vance’s son interrupts them. Randall wants to shoot him, but Eagan says not to.

Michaela calls Ben and warns him about the plan to attack Vance’s house. Ben immediately fills Vance in on what he’s learned and Vance heads home to save his son. Before he leaves he orders the captain of the ship (with the tailfin onboard) to go wherever Ben and Saanvi instruct him to go.

Somewhere near the water, Adrian tells Angelina to run and find her guardian angel because he’s lost his way. She runs off.

Manifest Season 3 Finale
J.R. Ramirez as Jared Vazquez, Melissa Roxburgh as Michaela Stone, Matt Long as Zeke Landon, and Ellen Tamaki as Drea Mikami in the ‘Manifest’ season 3 finale (Photo by: Peter Kramer/NBC)

Michaela, Zeke, Drea, and Jared (who intercepted a message from Drea with the address) show up outside Vance’s house. Vance pulls up and Jared and Vance prepare to enter Vance’s home. Jared starts talking to Eagan through the door, explaining he can wait for SWAT to end this. A scared Eagan opens the door to let him in.

Eagan checks Jared for a gun, but he left it outside. Eagan leads him into the room where Randall has Vance’s son tied up. Michaela keeps telling Jared what to say to Eagan via an earpiece, and Zeke warns he can feel Eagan starting to lose it.

Vance sneaks in and is able to get the drop on Randall while Jared takes down Eagan.

Out at sea, the captain reluctantly steers the vessel into the storm. Dr. Zimmer contacts him with new orders to turn the boat around, so Saanvi goes outside in the storm and starts using an ax to cut the tailfin lose and push it into the sea. Ben tries to join her but is stopped by a flash of lighting. Saanvi manages to cut the tailfin free but falls into the ocean while doing so! The tailfin falls in on top of her. Ben dives in to try and save her.

Ben watches as the sinking tailfin lights up and glows before vanishing. He spots an unconscious Saanvi and dives down. He’s able to grab her before heading back up to the surface.

At Vance’s home, Jared notices a photo of Vance with the man who told him to stop investigating the disappearance of the Major. He asks Vance who he is and Vance says an old war buddy.

Jared confronts Michaela about her and Vance lying about Saanvi. He reveals he suspects they were involved in the death of the Major. Jared believes if he keeps this secret, he can’t have a life with Sarah. He confesses he was finally getting over her and that he only stood by and watched her marry Zeke because he thought Zeke was going to die. Emotionally drained, Jared walks away.

Zeke walks up and tells Michaela they need to talk. Suddenly, Michaela has another calling. This time she’s back on the plane and sees Adrian with bloody hands. Adrian says Ben has lost his way.

Back on the boat, Ben and Saanvi experience a new calling in which they’re on the plane with Michaela. Ben runs over because he sees Cal in a seat. He tells his son they returned the tailfin and Cal replies, “It’s not over. There’s still a chance.” Ben asks where he is and Cal replies, “This is the way it has to be.”

Angelina sneaks back into the Stone home and locks Olive in the basement. She goes upstairs and informs Grace she has to have her angel. Grace chases after her.

Back in the calling Michaela finds a drawing of Cal’s that shows Angelina taking baby Eden.

Grace is sprawled on the floor bleeding to death after being stabbed by Angelina who has kidnapped Eden. As she lies there dying, she has a vision of a teenage Cal standing over her. He bends down and tells her he loves her and that everything’s going to be okay. He reveals he knows what he needs to do.

The final scene of the season (but hopefully not of the series) shows Dr. Gupta walking out and then turning to see Flight 828 appear with the pilot in the cockpit yelling out, “Help me!” The plane and the pilot vanish.