This One Line In 'Manifest' Has Fans Rethinking Everything

Manifest took a turn last week introducing new characters from Flight 828: Bethany, the flight attendant, and her family. Bethany has stowed away Thomas, a refugee from Jamaica, the boyfriend of her son, Leo. Leo had taken an earlier flight, and disappeared in the five-year interim between 828's takeoff and landing, leaving Thomas as family for her to look after. But Ben, Michaela's brother, doesn't want to deal with this complication until he hears a new message. So... what does "It's All Connected" mean in Manifest? Warning: Spoilers for Manifest Season 1 follow.

At the end of last week, Ben, having discovered Michaela helped Thomas escape, gets very upset. This could draw unwanted attention to them both. But as the episode opens and he starts to walk away and wash his hands of the whole affair, a voice whispers "It's all connected."

Angry at how he feels he's being manipulated, and eager to spend time with his son Cal on his day off from chemo, Ben chooses to take a day where only chance can control where they go. Flipping a coin decides the two of them go to Coney Island. Flipping a coin says pizza for lunch instead of hotdogs. Every time Ben hears the whisper of "it's all connected," he reaches into his pocket and defies the voice with the flip of a coin.

Cal plays along until he decides the game of chance wants to lead them in a particular direction. The coin flip says it's time to go home, but Cal doesn't want to take a Lyft. "It's part of the game dad," he calls out as he runs for the subway.

Once on the train, Cal is in charge, leading his father up and down and through the subway system. Ben is at first mystified, then frustrated, and then just as he starts to get mad, Cal turns and says "It's all connected!"

Ben freezes. Whatever is happening, Cal is part of it. It's all connected. But how?

It turns out Cal means the subway tunnels are connected to the boiler rooms of sub-basements, leading the two of them... right back to Thomas.

Thomas, on the other hand, is antsy. Bethany was supposed to come and take him off the grid hours ago but never came back. Ben, now the only one who knows Thomas is here, helps him pack, while Thomas and Cal discuss the finer points of chess. Just as Ben and Thomas decide on a new plan to get him out, Cal freezes and says they have to go. Ben demands to know why. Cal says: "Someone is coming."

Indeed there is. But after a moment of panic, Cal changes his mind. Whoever is on the other side of the door is a friend. He's right. It's Bethany's wife, here to take Thomas out of town while Bethany is questioned by the NSA.

Cal doesn't hear messages, but he's just as affected by whatever happened. (He may be more affected, as he stared out the window into the light outside the plane as the rest of the passengers slept.)

It's enough. Ben's back in now. He's going to solve this mystery one way or another. Hopefully, he finds answers before the feds do.