Of course, they shoot.
Eight months have passed; it’s now May 2, 2024. Only one month remains until the Death Date.
For the past eight months, most of the passengers have been locked up in the Detention Center, doing what they can to take care of each other. However, they are running out of food and electricity and there may even be a problem with the water. I liked the fact that Bethany, with Thomas’s assistance, has been in charge of many of the supplies. It's a good assignment for the erstwhile flight attendant. Ben is still kind of in charge – working with Joe, whose kid is with Jared’s brother Luis – and, in desperation, Olive and Eden work on a sign asking for help. Apparently they tried this before and it didn’t go well. This time it also doesn’t work. They get fired upon by the guards still outside, which means the Detention Center is being guarded as vigilantly as ever.
We discover that not all the passengers in the Detention Center are helpful. Randall – who nearly murdered Vance’s son – is not pulling his weight. He refuses to do anything, complaining about a bad back. Gosh, I’d help out just in order to have something to do, because it would be so boring.
In the meantime, the other Stone family unit, located at the house of the deceased Tarik, has been working on Callings. Cal has to experience them all and then try to complete them with assistance of Jared and Vance. As Michaela was recognized once, she doesn’t get to go out much. They discover that the most recent Calling is associated with Autumn Cox. Everyone has serious misgivings about Autumn Cox, because she released details to the Major. However, the Callings rule, and Cal and Jared go in search of her. That leads Cal and Jared to Michaela’s (Beverly’s) house, where they locate Autumn, but they also locate Angelina, who is squatting with "her" group of passengers in this house.
Angelina is as nutty as ever, and announces that only eight people are going to survive the Death Date. That’s not many; it’s even less than the group of Angelina and her followers, which still includes Eagan the con man, Paul the wife abuser, Autumn who is separated from her kid, and the always-anxious Astrid. Unsurprisingly, the announcement of only eight to survive is introducing some tensions into Angelina’s group.
Oddly, Angelina welcomes Jared and Cal, or at least Cal, and says they need to work together. Cal still can’t forgive Angelina for murdering his mother, which seems perfectly reasonable to me. He encourages the other passengers – especially Autumn, whose Calling he is following – to leave as well. Autumn does not listen, but Astrid does. Jared and Cal get a clue about the place with purple vines, and they head to the building – which is right next to the Detention Center, and now owned by our dear Drea.
I was so happy to see Drea! And to discover that she is with child! Now, as eight months have passed since the previous episode, and given that she had been about to give Jared some important news right before he took off with Michaela, and about the earliest means she must be nine months pregnant, that is, about to give birth. I loved the reactions of everyone. How Cal goes – Uh, wow! Uh, congratulations! And how Michaela and Jared both realize the baby belongs to Jared. It’s not one of those situations where anyone hates each other but it is super, super awkward.
Drea has been tunneling into the Detention Center, but she doesn't know how to work the drill to get through the last bit. Luckily, Jared does, and the hole they make allows our groups to be reunited, including Ben with his father and his son. It also means that passengers who want to leave the Detention Center can now do so. Randall departs, as do some others, but why wouldn’t they want to go? Ben has his entire family present, but Bethany might want to see her wife, Thomas might want to see lover Leo, and Joe might want to see his son.
Cal gets another Calling, in which we see that the two sapphires have to work together. So, at the end we see that Angelina was right and she and Cal have to work together. Why, exactly? Another question for Manifest to answer. Or could it be something else that Angelina has faked?
Also, Angelina seems to have done something with Astrid’s anxiety pills. That can’t be good.
Title musings: “Threshold” is the title of the episode. In aviation, this has a specific meaning: The beginning of the part of the runway usable for landing. As we’re only a month away from the Death Date – and, more importantly to the Manifest creators, we’ve only got four episodes left to finish the entire series – this is a pretty good metaphor for landing the many arcs of the story.
The word “threshold” has several other meanings. The most literal meaning is where you’re standing when you’re in a doorway, which makes it an apt reference to the tunnel Drea has been drilling into the Detention Center. I really like "Threshold" as a title for the episode.
Bits and pieces
We meet Drea’s mother. In the episode where we first met Drea, Drea admitted her mother had made a killing on Wall Street. Hence, Drea has access to the funds to buy property near the Detention Center.
For those who need a reminder: a pregnant person’s time is counted from the beginning of their last period. That’s time zero. They are not pregnant at this moment. There’s no chance to get pregnant until ovulation, which is typically about two weeks later. Only when another two weeks pass will a person discover they are pregnant – maybe. That’s four weeks, or about a month after the beginning of the last period. As Drea was trying to reach Jared about something – her pregnancy! – in episode fifteen, and eight months have passed since then, she is now nine months pregnant.
Angelina has taken over the home that Michaela inherited from Beverly. Yes, it’s empty, but it seems strange that the authorities have not kept tabs on it as it did have connections to the passengers. On the other hand, it makes it easier for Cal to locate her, and also, there’s no need for Manifest to invest in the creation of another set.
No wonder Drea dropped Michaela’s bloody chip into the gin and then tossed the gin. She knew martinis were going to be off-limits for at least eight months.
Angelina was willing to sacrifice her hair to remain incognito, but Michaela has not been willing. I think it’s funny it has never come up. You’d think she would at least put it up or hide it; the long hair – though very pretty – immediately attracts attention.
We don’t see Saanvi, who is still wherever she was taken, and Eagan is off getting supplies.
Quotes
Drea’s Mom: It was bad enough you traipsed through neighborhoods like this as a cop. God knows I'm glad you came to your senses and quit. I'm more than happy to float your current endeavor.
Drea: Thank you, Mom, but–
Drea’s Mom: But why buy a decrepit building in this dumpy neighborhood when you can afford anywhere?
Bethany: Thomas and I have been reviewing our rations, and it's not looking good. Our staples are running low. Canned goods almost gone.
Cal: I'm fine. I can do this. I can do more.
Michaela: We got a lot of Callings ahead of us, and Team Save-The-World automatically fails if you run yourself into the ground.
Vance: She's right, Cal. You got nothing to prove.
Angelina: Cal, you've finally returned. Welcome home!
Cal: Who the hell are you to welcome me to my own house? You do not belong here! None of you do!
Cal: Long story. Oh my God! You're – how –
Drea: Come on. Don't tell me you haven't heard about the birds and the bees yet.
Cal: Surprising! Uh, congratulations!
Jared: Why didn't you tell me?
Drea: I wanted to – but you were off saving the world. And I didn't want this to stop you from doing that.
Jared: You never answered my question. Am I the father?
Overall rating
I feel as if I’m in a holding pattern, flying in circles, waiting to see how everything will be resolved. Three out of four of Astrid's anxiety pills.
Victoria Grossack loves math, birds, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.
It just seems so bizarre that Angelina and her squad of nutballs took over Michaela's house. Except that you're absolutely right, Victoria, that is saves them from acquiring another set. :)
ReplyDeleteI've said it before, but Drea is a class act and a wonderful character.