S01.E13: Cleared for Approach

[ottoDbusdriver]

Episode Description:

Still reeling from the shocking outcome of Cal's calling, Michaela digs deeper into her connection with a mysterious stranger. After a close call with Major's henchmen, Ben finds himself facing a terrifying new threat that is growing exponentially. Meanwhile Saanvi has new data to mine, and she's more than happy to dig into it until the threat arrives at her doorstep as well.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I swear, if they find a frozen donkey wheel in the back of this cave, I may be out.  :)     I'm kidding of course.

[fauntleroy]

Drinking game Ben mentions 'my family'. A lot of his dialog is awful.

How are they doing financially these days? Famileee protection doesn't pay well.

Gratuitous angry guy fills in for the Major who took the week off to play canasta w her mom in Boca. In fact the whole black ops/medical team off, govt shutdown?

New cave guy has monotone in common w Michaela and sounds like Ben. Though that may be my hearing loss speaking.

Cal doesn't have much to do when he's not running away. Cancer dropped it seems, was just a hook to keep in touch w Saanvi?

Razor scraper better than brush to remove paint from glass door.

Eyebrows (did they get a trim?)  looks fetching in tuque, imaginary Canadian girlfriend. 

My famileeee!

[shapeshifter]

Was I the only one who burst out laughing when Grace said: 
"So for this theory to be definitively disproven, all I have to do is . . . live"
?

 

Olive and Cal really do look like twins 5 years apart in age,
but Zeke/New Guy and Michaela look like twins too,
but if I was her age and single and I met a guy who, whenever we touched, we saw stars, I'd be in flove.
Heck, when I was 17, I met a guy who I had that experience with when we took LSD, and I obsessed over him for the next year and a half.

 

So, 5.5 years ago I guess videos didn't go so viral that Ben would've figured that out? 
He's still Charming but, boy, the writers seem to really want to tarnish him with the Stupid Angry Guy brush.

Edited January 29, 2019 by shapeshifter

[Frost]

I like Zeke better than Jared so, yeah? I guess?  Too bad the show's budget didn't run to a snow machine.  It was hard to take Zekes story seriously when all there was were small patches of snow.

Is it too much to ask for Grace to just apologize and get on with it?  Just saying I need you back doesn't wipe the slate clean.

I swear I say this every week.  Writers!  You have more than enough to work with, with time anomalies, 828 cultists, and 828 conspiracy theorists!  Drop the stupid love triangles!

[CleoCaesar]

Hot Hiker is better than Jared as a romantic interest. He and Eyebrows actually have chemistry.

Similarly, Saanvi is better than Wretched Grace in every way. She and Ben are actually pleasant to watch together.

[green]

49 minutes ago, fauntleroy said:

Gratuitous angry guy fills in for the Major who took the week off to play canasta w her mom in Boca. In fact the whole black ops/medical team off, govt shutdown?

Ah I should have thought of that.  Government conspiracies shut down too.  Love it!

Also again Ben with the "Olive I was only protecting you weak woman folk that don't need to know about the big scary world out yonder."  And Olive, "I knew it all along, dumbass.  Is it any wonder I like Danny better cause he isn't into playing "secrets" 24/7 and actually trusts me."

Also who was the angry guy this episode?  It started out as web creep guy and ended up being Ben.  Because Ben MUST! DO! SOMETHING! while the rest of humanity follows the law.  I get it finally.  Ben has a God complex.  Only he can protect everyone.  Only he is allowed to break laws and threaten people and have his buddy Jarrad let him off with a get out of jail free card.  Only he is G-O-D!

Meanwhile cop woman and cave man had a good time in the woods.  What a relief when they left Great God Ben's scenes and switched over to them off in beautiful nature.

Edited January 29, 2019 by green

[tennisgurl]

I like Hot Hiker Guy, he has some mystery attached to him, and I am very interested to see if there have been multiple, smaller versions of what happened to the plane. Plus, he and Michaela have better chemistry than she does with Jarred. And, you know, he isnt married, least of all to her best friend.

Speaking of, Ben and Saanvi have such nice chemistry, they seem to really enjoy being around each other, much more so than Ben and Grace, who even on their good days, seem like they're pulling teeth to see each other, especially Grace. 

To be fair to Grace, she was alright this week, but it doesent say much for her as a character that the most positive thing I have to say about her is "she managed not to be a total asshole to the two guys she is stringing along this week". And Ben was a pretty big idiot this week, playing into the wormy conspiracy freaks hands by flying off the handle. I dont really like how Jarred handles his personal life, but he seems like a decent cop, and he was right to ream Ben out for messing up his whole plan. That all being said, at least Ben apologized and admitted he screwed up. Grace has yet to apologize for being such an asshole to both her husband, and her boyfriend. 

Those conspiracy guys sure are sleazy as they come, huh? You can tell these are guys that just need to hate someone, even if its a group of people whos only crime is being involved in some weird mystery, and who have only had one person out of their whole number do anything noticeably violent and suspicious. Like, these are guys who probably just changed their site from "victims of mass shootings are all crisis actors" to this new hate filled mouth breathing conspiracy. 

Which is kind of hilarious, as there probably IS a sketchy government conspiracy, just not one that the passengers know anything about!

[shapeshifter]

22 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I like Hot Hiker Guy, he has some mystery attached to him

Oh, @tennisgurl, for a TV boyfriend, maybe, but IRL, please promise this Board Mom that you would NOT EVER take up with a guy with that much baggage, no matter how many stars you saw when you touched him. 

*Sigh* This show has no likable characters. Even Saanvi is testing hiker dude's blood without permission.

The title of the episode, "Cleared for Approach," is almost hilarious to me because I can only think it means that with Jared and Ben and Grace out of the way, Michaela is clear for Zeke's approach. 
Hilariously awful, that is.

[tennisgurl]

But @shapeshifter I can fix him!! The more dead relatives he feels responsible for, the more attractive I find him!! 

I promise, no guys I meet in the mountains mourning his dead sister and missing years from his life after attending AA!

[Camera One]

I feel like engagement in this episode is predicated on the assumption that one cares about the random hiker guy or his sob story.

I just couldn't, so the whole episode was rather tedious.  I couldn't help feeling like I was hit over the head with a mallet with all the ways Michaela can relate to Zeke.  Bad CGI hallucinations, check.  Lost time, check.  Killed someone by accident or negligence, check.  Alone and single, check.  

All that made me unable to feel an ounce of chemistry between them, despite the actor being solid.

Meanwhile, violent conspiracy theorists as the B plot was alright if we didn't have Hothead Ben idiotically going to confront the gang despite being recorded.  It's just not fun to watch.  Wouldn't the mathematical Ben be hacking his way into the website and messing with their feed?  

I'm glad Olive told Ben she knew about the Callings.  Now she has a purpose... Resident Teenage Expert on Ancient Symbols.

It's hard to tell if Grace actually wanted Ben back, or if she now felt she needed extra protection around the house.  

I realized in this episode we hardly know Saanvi.  Finding the answer to the plane mystery is her "happy place"?  What's wrong with pursuing another medical breakthrough?  I guess we'll find out who the mystery man is who didn't go to Jamaica with her when it's time for the fourth corner of the love quadrangle.  

Edited January 29, 2019 by Camera One

[weathered1]

I read the theory earlier in this thread that perhaps Zeke is the one who was supposed to be on the plane with Saanvi and all I could think was that it would possibly combine the love triangles into one ginormous, mostly gross, largely chemistry-free mess. That said, I'm not sure if her comment about who was supposed to be with her was meant to be tied to the addition of Zeke to the "mystery," or if it was merely a bad, clunky way to set up yet another chapter of this story, featuring yet another new character about whom most of us will probably not care. 

I did find this episode to be on the boring side. I don't mind Zeke, but ye gods, the truly terrible CGI, sob story, and ridiculously obvious ways they're shoving him and Michaela together were really . . . something. The writing is reaching new lows of craptasticness every week, it seems.

The writers evidently saw that Ben was thought to be mostly likable, so they proceeded to give him anger issues at the expense of his brain. 

There was too much Grace. Yes, she wasn't as wholly unlikable as she has been up to this point, but the damage has been done, at least in my view, and this is just not a character I'm ever going to like. I actually wish that weren't the case, but the writers just trashed her, IMO, and that kind of damage can't be handwaved. 

Cal really is kind of a one trick pony, isn't he? If not for his callings leaving him in sort of danger every other week, he just doesn't really have much going on. 

It was nice to see the return of likable Olive and that she really wanted to help Ben and actually wound up doing so. 

 

I find myself watching this show every week hoping that the writers will get their act together and really make good use of an interesting premise and some talented, charismatic actors. Better luck next episode, I guess. 

[green]

1 hour ago, weathered1 said:

The writers evidently saw that Ben was thought to be mostly likable, so they proceeded to give him anger issues at the expense of his brain.

Not by me he wasn't.  This "Ben" character is in a neck-and-neck race with the lead character in Knight Fall for worst, most annoying, most self-righteous, most idiotic male character ever on a TV show.

[Ms Lark]

8 hours ago, fauntleroy said:

Razor scraper better than brush to remove paint from glass door.

Ditto a rag with turpentine. My car got massively tagged with day-glo paint and turps took it right off.

7 hours ago, CleoCaesar said:

Hot Hiker is better than Jared as a romantic interest. He and Eyebrows actually have chemistry.

Similarly, Saanvi is better than Wretched Grace in every way. She and Ben are actually pleasant to watch together.

Seriously! Time to move on guys.

[fauntleroy]

8 hours ago, Frost said:

Too bad the show's budget didn't run to a snow machine.  It was hard to take Zekes story seriously when all there was were small patches of snow.

Yea I didn't really understand the mechanics of his getting stuck. It looked like you could drive a General Motors vehicle of some kind in or out of that cave.

His sister was killed by an anvil I guess. Besides plot mechanics being too visible, another writing problem imo is the way they talk to the kids. All the interaction is protecty and reassuring in the extreme. Grampa with I wuv u very much Cal. His only line? Ben not telling Olive to (surprise!) protect her. Ugh. Literally patronizing! As if the kids are fragile and delicate and intellectually challenged. This coddling seems common and I can't tell if it's bad writing by people who don't have kids, or if that's the way adults talk to kids these days, or if I raised my kids in an unusual way. Not as if they were adults, but as if they were sensible at least. Don't simply express wuv and concern, lay out the practical options. For example Ben not telling Cal to come to him first for a ride when needed. And not telling Olive sheesh. She is a smart kid and would be all over that. Or everybody squirming when Cal asks why can't dad stay over. How did they ever break the news about the Tooth Fairy to their precious child! Maybe they have not, to protect him.

If keeping silent to 'protect' from the Major and the various gratuitous whackos, not effective and wastes time. Dispense w the smarm and engage your characters in the mystery.

Edited January 29, 2019 by fauntleroy

[Angeleyes]

No one is going to mention the hand-holding hieroglyph? I’m all for Michaela finding a new love interest, but the hokeyness is strong with this one. Also, can the casting director stop with all the dark haired guys with a beard? It gets confusing, especially in the flashbacks. 

I wonder how long Ben and Grace scrubbed the door before figuring soap and water won’t work on dried paint? It’s kind of a metaphor for their marriage. 

[CCTC]

Ben was stupid and impulsive, but I thought the anger was completely understandable coupled with the building frustration.  I did think there was a bit of a plot hole for Jared not to inform him we are going to be monitoring them and watching them closely.

There were some bad CGI stars, but I think Zeke has potential to be an interesting new twist.  He might actually be better with Michaela - not that we need a new romantic entanglement.

I am glad they had the scene with Grace and Cal - it made her seem not as self-centered.  Also glad we are not going to have a dragged out Olive left in the dark.  

I don't think they will go there - but there is a small part of me that does wonder if Grace might not be alive at the end of the season finale.

I liked the episode.  It is not a great show, but if you don't look at the  logistics too closely, it can be some mindless entertainment.

[HunterHunted]

6 hours ago, green said:

Also again Ben with the "Olive I was only protecting you weak woman folk that don't need to know about the big scary world out yonder."  And Olive, "I knew it all along, dumbass.  Is it any wonder I like Danny better cause he isn't into playing "secrets" 24/7 and actually trusts me."

Was Ben keeping things from Olive because she was a "weak woman" or because she's an actual literal and legal child? True, she's a teen who is closer to the age of majority, but still she's a minor. Ben has kept many things regarding the callings and the conspiracy from Cal too. It's only because Cal has his own separate stronger connection to the callings that Cal has been involved in a number of 828 and calling events where Ben deliberately attempted to leave Cal out. Furthermore after they revealed to each other the existence of the callings, we haven't seen Ben deliberately trying to keep info from Michaela and Saanvi.

The real problem is that the Stones, all of them including Grace and Olive, have a bad case of the Winchesters from Supernatural, meaning they'll keep information from each other, sacrifice themselves to protect family, and it always blows up in their faces. Grace kept hiding her relationship with Danny because she wanted to avoid hurting Ben. The fact that she was hiding it hurt him more. Cal has told Olive about the callings. Olive knows that Ben is getting them too, but Olive is never shown talking to or working with Cal about them so he isn't a 10 year old traipsing all over New York in order to answer his callings. When Cal shows up out of the blue to the raid, it could have been a super strong character moment to have Olive chastise Cal for not involving her especially because Grace was openly excoriating Ben about how Cal mysteriously showed up, which also precipitated Grace asking Ben to move out. Olive is at least mature enough to recognize that Cal's impulsive behavior is causing more familial stress even if Olive doesn't necessarily have the best or most mature solutions to alleviate that stress.

Oddly, Olive is the one person in the family who is the most honest and transparent. I wouldn't have minded if the show had doubled down on her being the bullshit detector of the show. She is the one character who has been privy to most of the info/secrets happening on either side if the family divide. And if they'd truly let her live in that role, it would make a ton of sense why Danny would be her refuge.

[shapeshifter]

2 hours ago, fauntleroy said:

His sister was killed by an anvil I guess.

Hee! For sure!

2 hours ago, fauntleroy said:

How did they ever break the news about the Tooth Fairy to their precious child!

I think you have inadvertently named a TV Trope, @fauntleroy: Tooth Fairy Parenting (when parents can't bear to and/or are afraid to and/or don't realize they should tell their kids the facts of life)

 

1 hour ago, Angeleyes said:

No one is going to mention the hand-holding hieroglyph? I’m all for Michaela finding a new love interest, but the hokeyness is strong with this one.

There should be a hieroglyphic anvil over the hand-holding hieroglyphic figures.

 

1 hour ago, Angeleyes said:

I wonder how long Ben and Grace scrubbed the door before figuring soap and water won’t work on dried paint? It’s kind of a metaphor for their marriage.

True.
But I really was distracted wondering how long the Ben and Grace actors or the camera people realized the red X was on the opposite side of the door before a prop person came along and put some read paint on their cleaning brushes.
And: Aw. Look. Ben knew Grace would come along and help. He had an extra scrub brush (with red paint already on it) for her. Or maybe it was for Cal?

[YaddaYadda]

The whole idea that people die when they find out is so no one should know about the callings is sort of stupid. 

Jared has known for a while now and his ass is still standing and alive to annoy me another day. Dude, man up to your wife already. 

Zeke and Michaela have better chemistry than she and Jared ever did. Of course, the whole drawing on the rock with the stars worked really well for me with Jon Snow talking in the background about how everyone fought the Others together. The whole thing was just . . . sigh.

Grace works better with the children than she does with the adults, I find. And nobody hurt Saanvi. This is where I draw the line.

It's too bad, the writers have a lot they can mine in terms of the mystery around the plane and now the cave and they've got the black lightning going again, but all I keep wondering is if they chem tested these people before they threw them together in scenes. I find that the cast doesn't really gel together all that well. I also can't stand Cal, mainly because I can't with super precocious children who tell adults what to do and how to live their lives and whatever else.

And as much as I really loved Josh Dallas on Once Upon a Time as a parent to Jennifer Morrison's character and 100% bought their chemistry as father/daughter, I'm just not finding it here with either Cal or Olive. But that could be the actors' ages and their acting experience at play. 

[tessaray]

1 hour ago, YaddaYadda said:

The whole idea that people die when they find out is so no one should know about the callings is sort of stupid. 

I bought it as the reason for keeping everyone in the dark - for the first few episodes anyway.  People who found out really were dropping like flies.  It just wasn't sustainable, like a lot of the other wretched writing choices.  

This show has potential but the filler crap is killing it.  (Filler crap = most of the romantic triangles to date. I'm still here for Ben and Saanvi though.) 

[Morrigan2575]

I'm disappointed that they had resolved Grace/Ben so quickly and quite honestly at all. I was really hoping they would just drop it.

I liked Zeke although I spent the first 15 minutes thinking he was fishy. They're building a connection between Maya and Zeke which leads me to wonder if there's going to be a Love Quadrangle (Mick/Jared/Lourdes/Zeke). 

I had to laugh at Oliver going with Junior instead of Hera, pretty sure the Greek God names are more famous than their Roman counterparts.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Morrigan2575

[Dowel Jones]

I can hardly wait until Michaela and Zeke start having sex.  "Wait, what did you say?"  "I thought that was you." "No, that was the first time".

[Jacks-Son]

16 hours ago, Frost said:

I swear I say this every week.  Writers!  You have more than enough to work with, with time anomalies, 828 cultists, and 828 conspiracy theorists!  Drop the stupid love triangles!

LOL, I actually didn't know if the writers just realized that a lot of us don't like Grace (I'm being kind here) and decided to try to make us like her AND Olive.  I was looking at the three of them when they were in Saanvi's lab (Grace, Ben & Saanvi) and I just said, nope.  Still prefer Ben with Saanvi (the writers made sure Ben touched Saanvi every time they were together) and still don't like Grace.  NOW she acts like a real mom???  Grace said that she didn't know if she'll see Danny again.  What, did she steal his car?  Did she just walk in his house and grab his car keys?  She must have asked him if she could borrow his truck, what, she'll just drop it off at his house when she's done?  I didn’t like the guy that threw the rock through the window.  I know it’s a reflection of today’s distrust of anything out of the ordinary and the impact of negative press articles and billboards. Frankly, I'm surprised a billboard with that message was not brought down by the religious cultists.  I’m surprised Ben didn’t take the opportunity to state his case when he was filmed threatening the rock throwing guy.  Ben should have said, “This is airing live? Good, because then the world will learn that you threatened the life of my child!!!”  The video would show Ben threatening a man who threatened his son and asked if he bleeds.  What's so horrible about confronting someone after that comment?

[Aryanna]

For those dogging on Ben for keeping secrets from Grace and Olive, when people found out about the callings, they died. That's why he was keeping secrets to protect them. It wasn't because he thought they couldn't handle it. It was because he didn't want them to die. Though as someone pointed out up thread, that started to fall apart with Jarred  knowing and still being alive. But for the most part, everyone else has died.

I honestly don't understand shows like this. They draw us in with a mystery and instead of serving that storyline they give us a bunch of family drama or love triangles we didn't ask for or want. We just want storylines that deal with the mystery. The show has an interesting concept, but they continually screw it up by not servicing that concept.

[Biggie B]

It is driving me bonkers that although it's December 2018 on the show, all the nighttime scenes at the Stone household include crickets chirping outside in the dark, the windows open, and in this episode, Olive is asleep on Cal's bed on top of the covers wearing shorts. Meanwhile, Michaela and Zeke are traipsing around upstate in a bit of snow and barren trees, wearing hats and heavy winter coats. 

How convenient that Ben is moving back in with his family, leaving Michaela without a roommate in her newly-rented apartment. Zeke can move right in.

Speaking of Zeke - he seemed to deliver all of his lines in a flat monotone. That aside, I hope that by next episode, he and Michaela are already sleeping together. Just cut to the chase. That will leave Jared high and dry. I still think Lourdes will be pregnant.

I posted after last week's episode that Ben and Grace should sit Cal down - and Olive as well - and lay out what's going on, in the most appropriate way. Just friggin' tell them. And even tell them, hey, this is scary and weird and messed up, but it's our life now, and we have to do whatever it takes to figure this out, if that's even possible. I hate it in books, movies, and TV shows when one person thinks it best not tell another person something in order to "protect" them. I know it makes for more DRAMA, but it's stupid and lazy and frustrating. 

Quote

 Grace said that she didn't know if she'll see Danny again. 

Yes, that was idiotic of her to say. 

 

5 minutes ago, Jacks-Son said:

Ben should have said, “This is airing live? Good, because then the world will learn that you threatened the life of my child!!!”  The video would show Ben threatening a man who threatened his son and asked if he bleeds.  What's so horrible about confronting someone after that comment?

Agreed. 

Edited January 29, 2019 by Biggie B

[Jacks-Son]

14 hours ago, Camera One said:

I realized in this episode we hardly know Saanvi.  Finding the answer to the plane mystery is her "happy place"?  What's wrong with pursuing another medical breakthrough?  I guess we'll find out who the mystery man is who didn't go to Jamaica with her when it's time for the fourth corner of the love quadrangle. 

I suspect that Saanvi's enthusiasm with the plane mystery and "Happy Place" comment, that 8B was a dud and didn't share in her obsessive scientific curiosity and join her fun with solving puzzles.  That may be why she showed a slightly bemused look at Ben when he departed her lab.  Perhaps she now knows a guy who shares some of her flair for theoretical scientific investigation.  I hope this change in his situation with Grace doesn't keep him from seeing that Grace is still not for him.

Edited January 29, 2019 by Jacks-Son
Just learned proper English

[meep.meep]

14 hours ago, weathered1 said:

I read the theory earlier in this thread that perhaps Zeke is the one who was supposed to be on the plane with Saanvi and all I could think was that it would possibly combine the love triangles into one ginormous, mostly gross, largely chemistry-free mess.

one ginormous, mostly gross, largely chemistry-free mess.

Best description of the show ever!

At least Grandpa showed up tonight!  

[basiltherat]

. .  and he made Rice Krispies Treat! (and didn't burn the Eggos, Grace.)

[green]

20 hours ago, Aryanna said:

For those dogging on Ben for keeping secrets from Grace and Olive, when people found out about the callings, they died. That's why he was keeping secrets to protect them. It wasn't because he thought they couldn't handle it. It was because he didn't want them to die. Though as someone pointed out up thread, that started to fall apart with Jarred  knowing and still being alive. But for the most part, everyone else has died.

I honestly don't understand shows like this. They draw us in with a mystery and instead of serving that storyline they give us a bunch of family drama or love triangles we didn't ask for or want. We just want storylines that deal with the mystery. The show has an interesting concept, but they continually screw it up by not servicing that concept.

No they didn't die because of any information.  One plane passenger was killed by a jealous maid and another committed suicide and neither had "callings."  Vance stuck his nose into danger big time and good for him but he was suppose to do stuff like that.  None of the other passenger died and no one in their families died.  So no, it was just Ben wanting to be 100% in charge of 100% of everything aka God Ben. 

And Ben obviously never heard the expression "to be forewarned is to be forearmed."  No, just keep everyone in the dark without being physically, mentally or emotionally ready for danger.  Great plan ... not.  What a twit.

I totally agree this soap opera stuff has got to stop.  It is just a total bore.  I hate soaps.

 

20 hours ago, Biggie B said:

I posted after last week's episode that Ben and Grace should sit Cal down - and Olive as well - and lay out what's going on, in the most appropriate way. Just friggin' tell them. And even tell them, hey, this is scary and weird and messed up, but it's our life now, and we have to do whatever it takes to figure this out, if that's even possible. I hate it in books, movies, and TV shows when one person thinks it best not tell another person something in order to "protect" them. I know it makes for more DRAMA, but it's stupid and lazy and frustrating.

And 100% poor POOR writing.  Make Ben into Mr Self-Righteous Dictator who I hate and make the other people run around like fools because they only know rumors and half-truths floating around because God Ben has decided only he and he alone should know all the facts since he is so superior and above everyone else.  Only he can "protect" and only he can "act" and all others go stand in the corner and pretend this flight and its various aftermaths never happened because you peasants are unable to think and act and protect.  Because Ben and Ben alone will decide who is worthy to know things and act on things.  Ben is like some western TV show male "hero" from the 1950's.

Edited January 30, 2019 by green

[tennisgurl]

49 minutes ago, basiltherat said:

. .  and he made Rice Krispies Treat! (and didn't burn the Eggos, Grace.)

Heheh, well, he didnt have a stupid love triangle to angst about, or a spouse to yell at for no reason! And I bet that if his dead spouse showed up out of nowhere, he might actually be happy about it, unlike some people...

[stealinghome]

Quote

No they didn't die because of any information.  One plane passenger was killed by a jealous maid and another committed suicide and neither had "callings."  Vance stuck his nose into danger big time and good for him but he was suppose to do stuff like that.  None of the other passenger died and no one in their families died.  So no, it was just Ben wanting to be 100% in charge of 100% of everything aka God Ben. 

I think you're getting the "who will die" stuff mixed up. I'm pretty sure the original poster was referring to the Angel of Death episode. He was a passenger, was getting Callings, and was convinced that because he told a few people at the bar about the Callings and they promptly dropped dead of (truly very questionable) non-natural causes, that he had killed them. (So he jumped off a building instead of just, you know, not telling anyone else). The idea was that whatever power/force gave them the Callings didn't want knowledge of the Callings spread widely, and was killing the people told. Michaela, and by extension Ben, started--I don't want to say believing the AoD guy, but they got spooked enough by the whole thing that they decided they couldn't risk telling anyone in case it was true. iirc Michaela was more on the believing it side, while Ben just thought it was a risk he couldn't take, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, as I recall it was only somewhat disproven when Michaela told Jared and he didn't die in the shootout that killed Vance--though I still hope the show comes back to the idea that Michaela asking the Callings to save Jared worked, but there will be a price to be paid, because I love the idea of them being able to bargain with the Callings.

[ams1001]

Hey, all this weird stuff is happening, my family is terrified, I know! I'll make a ton of noise rattling the door trying to take the paint off without telling them I'm going to be doing that! Because I'm such a good guy.

Seems kinda silly for them to assume Cal wouldn't have said anything to his twin sister about what he sees/hears.

 

19 hours ago, fauntleroy said:

Drinking game Ben mentions 'my family'. A lot of his dialog is awful.

Are you trying to get us all killed?

[ottoDbusdriver]

Interesting that the cover of Celebrity Dossier Magazine Special Edition (Dec. 2017) commemorates the passengers of Flight 828, but doesn't mention the flight crew or pilots, yet the pilot is on the cover in the 2nd row of headshots.  Somehow Cal was not on the cover.  Or that the silhouette of the plane on the cover is a Boeing 747.  It's like the propmaster for this show just gave up.

At least the plane on the billboard was the proper Montego Air Airbus, though the web site doesn't go anywhere IRL.

This episode of Manifest is brought to you by Rice Krispies.

So, there's snow on the ground, and last episode they confirmed it was Dec. 2018.  Still no sign of seasonal festivities anywhere.

Jared was in the Stone house all of 40 seconds before that brick came through the window, during which time that this anti-828er managed to spray red paint on the doorbell camera and spray the red 'X' on the door and pick up and through a brick through the window and yell 'Freaks !'.  Did Jared not notice anyone sketchy hanging around outside the house ?  That's some mighty fine police work there Jared.

Ben seems to think that the brick was meant for Ben and Cal -- I'm pretty sure it was just a fan of the show that doesn't like Grace.

Oh no, not the dark lightning.  A dark lightning blizzard ?  FFS !!
That's a heck of a leap by Saanvi that the cave was an aftershock of the 828 disappearance.  

Hold on -- Zeke's sister died while hiking ... alone ... and somehow the cops were alerted, found her, and pulled up her dead body all within an hour of Zeke last seeing her.  What, were these cops working for Lencrafters ?  Finding bodies in just under an hour.  It looks like Chloe fell off that small cliff.  Were Zeke/Chloe's parents nowhere near by ?

Wait a minute -- it's only been 2 days since Daly stole the plane and it disappeared/blown up, but in that 2 days this dufus managed to register a web site, develop some righteous anger issues, come up with web site content and erect a billboard somewhere near Tannersville, New York.  In 2 days !!!   WTF ?   Yet Jared says 'ever since' the plane was stolen, the idea that web sites have been popping up purporting that the 828ers are terrorists have started to spread.  Ever since 2 days ago !!

This episode of Manifest is also brought to you by Cordoba pork rinds and Apple.

The Stone's street address is 2414 -- 2 x 414 = 828.  Coincidence ?

Cloudless dark lightning -- sure, why not ?  And the dark lightning is just lingering around Tannersville for kicks.

Edited January 30, 2019 by ottoDbusdriver

[Dowel Jones]

3 hours ago, Biggie B said:

I posted after last week's episode that Ben and Grace should sit Cal down - and Olive as well - and lay out what's going on, in the most appropriate way. Just friggin' tell them.

To which the kids would respond:  "No problem.  We believe you.  After all, what kind of clueless idiots would go to all the trouble to make that stuff up, without ever having an explanation?"

[Moxie Cat]

Riddle me this:

Sister Chloe died in 2006 (per store guy).

Zeke said he was 15 when his sister died, and was talking on his phone (ok for 2006).

However...

"Missing" poster from 2017 said that Zeke was 36.

Indeed, Matt Long is 38. He's beautiful, but he's not 26.

hmmm....time travel or crappy writing?

[kelslamu]

I so wanted them to put some cleaner or something on those brushes while trying to clean the door.  Those brushes were so dry.  So did cave guy's angst allow him to tap into Mikaela's angst? 

Totally got a weird vibe from Saanvi this episode.  Suddenly I thought she could be behind stuff.  I'm trying to make this more exciting I think.

Oh yeah, it seems as if Grace would have to see Danny again.  Someone has to return the truck to him.  Hello?

[kelslamu]

I kept thinking he got a call on his cell in 2006 in the woods???  I mean I guess there may have been a tower close by.  

[preeya]

20 hours ago, fauntleroy said:

Razor scraper better than brush to remove paint from glass door.

My thought exactly. They looked like two jerks trying to "wash" spray paint from glass.

[Jacks-Son]

1 hour ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Oh no, not the dark lightning.  A dark lightning blizzard ?  FFS !!
That's a heck of a leap by Saanvi that the cave was an aftershock of the 828 disappearance.

Hey,  there's Dark Lightening coming down,  let's just stand here and gaze in wonder instead of heading back into the cave.   Look at the sun,  there's a solar eclipse,  isn't beautiful,  hey,  where did all the lights go?

I was confused by Saanvi's theory and don't know what to quite make of it.  The dear girl was so excited,  she was going to sissy in her pants because she was in her Happy Place,  that i think she made some kind of weird connection that somehow,  the Plane was the earthquake and the minor time slippage in the cave afterwards is the aftershock 3 1/2 years later. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Edited January 30, 2019 by Jacks-Son

[ottoDbusdriver]

58 minutes ago, Moxie Cat said:

Riddle me this:

Sister Chloe died in 2006 (per store guy).

Zeke said he was 15 when his sister died, and was talking on his phone (ok for 2006).

However...

"Missing" poster from 2017 said that Zeke was 36.

Indeed, Matt Long is 38. He's beautiful, but he's not 26.

hmmm....time travel or crappy writing?

My money is on bad math skills by the writers.  Because date math is just so hard.  </sarcasm>

Unless Zeke aged an extra 10 years because of ..... spins wheel of misfortune .... dark lightning ??

[Jacks-Son]

Did anybody else think that Grace (who lacks that particular skill) was going to ask Ben and Calamander if they were still Human when she had that odd side-eye look at them after the big billboard reveal.

[KaveDweller]

6 hours ago, Jacks-Son said:

Ben should have said, “This is airing live? Good, because then the world will learn that you threatened the life of my child!!!”  The video would show Ben threatening a man who threatened his son and asked if he bleeds.  What's so horrible about confronting someone after that comment?

Exactly! When the guy said the video was live, I was trying to figure out why he was so happy. Because it seemed to me like he was the one who looked bad. I didn't see anything Ben said that was so bad given the situation.

[Camera One]

Grace went from not being able to operate a toaster to cooking lasagna with Chef Calamari?

I'm sure the hate group subplot will be swept away when they don't need the filler anymore and The Major will kill off the jerks who are trying to hurt her potential lab rats.

[Clanstarling]

On 1/28/2019 at 8:39 PM, Frost said:

Is it too much to ask for Grace to just apologize and get on with it?  Just saying I need you back doesn't wipe the slate clean.

That, and the fact that she said it was when she was clearly scared and felt she needed a man in the house - which I get, but it's not quite the same as if she'd said it prior to the incident.

On 1/28/2019 at 9:26 PM, tennisgurl said:

Plus, he and Michaela have better chemistry than she does with Jarred. And, you know, he isnt married, least of all to her best friend.

That's the truth, they do have better chemistry. But I'm not sure we know he isn't married - just that he's not married to her best friend. ;)

On 1/28/2019 at 9:56 PM, shapeshifter said:

Oh, @tennisgurl, for a TV boyfriend, maybe, but IRL, please promise this Board Mom that you would NOT EVER take up with a guy with that much baggage, no matter how many stars you saw when you touched him. 

*Sigh* This show has no likable characters. Even Saanvi is testing hiker dude's blood without permission.

The title of the episode, "Cleared for Approach," is almost hilarious to me because I can only think it means that with Jared and Ben and Grace out of the way, Michaela is clear for Zeke's approach. 
Hilariously awful, that is.

The titles are stretching it a bit, but yeah, this one is pretty funny.

On 1/28/2019 at 11:32 PM, Camera One said:

I'm glad Olive told Ben she knew about the Callings.  Now she has a purpose... Resident Teenage Expert on Ancient Symbols.

Despite this being a show with callings and other supernatural stuff, I just had to laugh when Ben saw the picture of the peacock, remembered his calling from way back, and said "This has to mean something! It can't be a coincidence." (paraphrased)

 

16 hours ago, Biggie B said:

Speaking of Zeke - he seemed to deliver all of his lines in a flat monotone. That aside, I hope that by next episode, he and Michaela are already sleeping together. Just cut to the chase. That will leave Jared high and dry. I still think Lourdes will be pregnant.

Maybe that's why they have chemistry. They'll get married and be known by all as the "Monotones."

13 hours ago, Moxie Cat said:

Riddle me this:

Sister Chloe died in 2006 (per store guy).

Zeke said he was 15 when his sister died, and was talking on his phone (ok for 2006).

However...

"Missing" poster from 2017 said that Zeke was 36.

Indeed, Matt Long is 38. He's beautiful, but he's not 26.

hmmm....time travel or crappy writing?

I know, I was trying to do the math in my head because I figured the actor was at least 38 given the grey in his beard (I didn't look it up, and I'm amazed I guessed his age). When I was doing the math, I only had 15 as a reference point and was trying to figure out how he had a phone on him at that age.

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Clanstarling said:

16 hours ago, Moxie Cat said:

Sister Chloe died in 2006 (per store guy).

Zeke said he was 15 when his sister died, and was talking on his phone (ok for 2006).

However...

"Missing" poster from 2017 said that Zeke was 36.

Indeed, Matt Long is 38. He's beautiful, but he's not 26.

hmmm....time travel or crappy writing?

I know, I was trying to do the math in my head because I figured the actor was at least 38 given the grey in his beard (I didn't look it up, and I'm amazed I guessed his age). When I was doing the math, I only had 15 as a reference point and was trying to figure out how he had a phone on him at that age.

Store guy did say, "His sister, Chloe, died on this same mountain in 2006." Maybe Zeke was cast after they wrote this and he was originally supposed to be 26? That's Michaela's age, isn't it?
Or maybe Zeke has been doing other time traveling?

Surprise, surprise, teens did have cell phones in 1998, and now I remember getting my teen a cell phone around 99 or 2000 because she had to walk 3 miles to and from high school when the city bus was too crowded and passed her by. They were a lot cheaper back then when they didn't have wifi. And she did use it the way you'd think a teen would, and not at all how I imagined.

[Clanstarling]

7 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Store guy did say, "His sister, Chloe, died on this same mountain in 2006." Maybe Zeke was cast after they wrote this and he was originally supposed to be 26? That's Michaela's age, isn't it?
Or maybe Zeke has been doing other time traveling?

Surprise, surprise, teens did have cell phones in 1998, and now I remember getting my teen a cell phone around 99 or 2000 because she had to walk 3 miles to and from high school when the city bus was too crowded and passed her by. They were a lot cheaper back then when they didn't have wifi. And she did use it the way you'd think a teen would, and not at all how I imagined.

I was trying to do the math when he was telling the story,  before Michaela went to the store. But apparently I was no longer thinking about it, because the date references went right by me. (I gave up with the math to pay attention to the story. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.) 

Becoming a detective by 26 seems unlikely, but weighed against all the other things, sure, she might be.

I didn't get a cell until this century, once my kids were high school. Not an early adapter. Lol

[meep.meep]

18 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

Wait a minute -- it's only been 2 days since Daly stole the plane and it disappeared/blown up, but in that 2 days this dufus managed to register a web site, develop some righteous anger issues, come up with web site content and erect a billboard somewhere near Tannersville, New York.  In 2 days !!!   WTF ?   Yet Jared says 'ever since' the plane was stolen, the idea that web sites have been popping up purporting that the 828ers are terrorists have started to spread.  Ever since 2 days ago !!

This episode of Manifest is also brought to you by Cordoba pork rinds and Apple.

The Stone's street address is 2414 -- 2 x 414 = 828.  Coincidence ?

Cloudless dark lightning -- sure, why not ?  And the dark lightning is just lingering around Tannersville for kicks.

The dark lightning - it's back, and this time, it's personal!

Never underestimate the power of a dufus with righteous anger issues!  

[Moxie Cat]

7 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

That's Michaela's age, isn't it?

Good call. Melissa Roxburgh is 26. I assumed she was older.

Josh Dallas is 40. Idk, I assumed they were siblings who were a year or two apart, and Ben's resume, episodes ago, indicated that he got his BA in 2002 or thereabouts - so I always assumed he was late 30's (give or take the time travel, of course!) Plus, he has a 15-year-old daughter, so Ben likely is (or should be) late thirties.

And due to the detective rank, plus a friend whose mother had Alzheimer's, I guess I just assumed Mick was at least in her thirties too.

I'm probably spending way too much time pondering trivial details for this show!

[cameron]

Michaela's groucho marx eyebrows.  Please get rid of them.