Recap: FBI "Manifest"

 

Can Maggie and OA protect a U.S. Senator from an assassination attempt? Here's a recap and review of FBI "Manifest."

When an unknown assassin makes an attempt on a U.S. Senator's life, he only manages to wound her husband. The FBI immediately launches a manhunt, and while their initial suspect turns out to be innocent, he provides a crucial clue. This leads Maggie and OA to escort the Senator, along with her bodyguard, to D.C. on a secure plane.

The plan quickly falls apart when Maggie discovers the Senator dead in the airplane bathroom. Jubel and his team learn that their suspect has carried out numerous assassinations using a toxic nerve agent, and this one resulted in the Senator's death.

As Jubel's team tracks down the perpetrator from the passenger manifest, they realize the killer wasn't the obvious choice. The true killer was the passenger with the cane, who used the device to deliver the toxin via contact. The touch-based toxin even manages to infect OA, but thanks to Maggie's desperate threat to the suspect, they secure the antidote just in time to save her partner.

Later, Maggie learns that the top brass plan to give their captured suspect what he wants in exchange for information about his past hits. However, as they escort him, they are ambushed by a group of assassins. In the chaos, both sides are taken down, and the suspect manages to slip away.

Jubel and Isobel ultimately learn that the Senator's billionaire donor was the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy, even after they find out he died from the same toxin that killed the Senator. With the dangerous killer now on the run, Maggie and OA take a moment to enjoy some ice cream, reflecting on the case and celebrating the passing of the Veterans' Bill.

"Manifest" was a really engaging episode, full of the classic case-of-the-week procedural vibe. The twist at the end, where the cunning killer gets away, was compelling and left the audience highly curious—it strongly suggests we might see him again later this season.

The high-stakes plane setting worked well. The moment the Senator touched the passenger's cane, he became an immediate suspect. Still, the story cleverly introduced red herrings that forced me to second-guess my gut instinct about the seemingly frail old man. It was a fun ride keeping all those guesses alive! Overall, I give this episode an 8/10.

What do you think the escaped assassin's next move will be, and are you glad that subplot will likely continue this season? Leave a comment.

You can catch FBI Mondays at 9/8c on CBS and streaming the next day on Paramount+.