'Manifest' Season 1 Episode 11: Black Projects, predictions, and betrayal are what you can look out for in 'Contrails'

The tenth episode of 'Manifest', rightly named 'Crosswinds' left us on a cliff hanger as Captain Daly (played by Frank Deal) almost exposed the fact that he probably knows what could be causing the "Callings" in the passengers' heads. NBC had earlier given a glimpse of the Captain before the show returned from its long fall-break on January 7, and it was already assumed that he might have something important to say. When the passengers assembled in the tenth episode, Daly had revealed to Ben that being the pilot he had seen things that no one would believe.

On the hand other, Autumn Cox (played by Shirley Rumierk) finally rebelled against the Major and tried defying her orders by throwing the phone into the ocean.

However, her rebellion ended within a few moments when she was once again encountered by the unknown-Major's men who thrust another phone in her hands and led her to a black car outside where the Major apparently awaited her arrival. Cox's transformation was not expected and that leaves doubts of her true intention — is she really helping the passengers, or is she working with some other organization altogether?

Watch the promo here:

Episode 11 is named 'Contrails' which is the trail of condensed water left behind by an aircraft. And we can expect that in this episode the characters will probably trace the trails back to the plane in search for answers. As the episode is set to release on January 14, here are the three things that you can look out for:

1. Captain Daly's Black Projects

It is strange that the show did not bring the pilot's account into consideration until this point, but it seems that it is finally time for the Captain to open up about his experience with the unidentified situation. The promo trailer suggests that the Captain brings in a few classified documents to help Ben with his findings, and in the process the two end up in Arena 51, along with Michaela and other police officers. The episode has been dubbed as "KXTA", after the notorious Area 51, a highly classified remote detachment of Edwards Air Force Base, within the Nevada Test and Training Range.

The area is known for its secrecy which has further led to several controversies about the place including alien invasions.

Daly is set to trace his steps back to the area, and he is about to take up his own Black Project which in a way symbolizes the testing of experimental aircraft and weapons systems. The promo gives us a glimpse as Daly races with the aircraft right into something that Ben defines as Black Lightning, and probably in his experiment to test the truth, Daly might re-discover certain uncomfortable truths about the plane.

2. Cal, the "Third-Eyed Raven"

Ben Stone's son, Cal, has surprisingly been in the center of the whirlwind that has gripped the life of the passengers by the neck. Cal is not only receiving his own "Callings" but has managed to somehow develop clairsensitive powers which let him read minds, predict the future, and in most cases see things beyond what they appear to be. He had helped Ben find the missing passengers as he seemed to know the exact location of the Unified Dynamic Systems (UDS) who had abducted them. Now, the promo pictures of Episode 11 suggest that Cal is about to lead Captain Daly towards his destination.

The promo pictures seem to reveal a flashback moment where we will see Cal interacting with the Captain, right before they board the plane. What did he say to him? Did Cal already know that something was about to happen? If so, then who is Cal really?

3. Autumn's Last Leaf

Autumn was quite a surprise package ever since she appeared on the show. Initially, she had put up the appearance of a hapless prisoner who managed to escape from the UDS lab and was seeking help from Ben. While that certainly turned out to play in Ben's favor, Autumn's real identity as UDS' spy was soon exposed. However, she again took a turn in Episode 10 when she rebelled against the Major, who is leading the UDS, by throwing away the phone that was given to her to keep the UDS informed about the passengers. The rebellion did not last long as Autumn was immediately taken in by the Major's men.

The synopsis for Episode 11 suggests, "Michaela assists Autumn in her own journey of redemption — but has Autumn truly set out to redeem herself, or is she still working against the passengers?" We still do not know, but there are chances that she will once sell herself off as the Major clearly holds the reins in this situation.

'Manifest' returns with Episode 11 on January 14 on NBC at 10 p.m, and this time there will be answers.