When Bernard explains their circumstances to Mason, who has forgotten what Manticore is and why it's even in conflict with Citadel, it comes off as one of those blink-and-you-miss-it moments that turn out to be significant in later episodes and potentially even more in the overall spy-verse.
Bernard mentions to Mason that Manticore is made up of eight families distributed around the globe. The families' goal is to hoard wealth in whatever way possible, and they have monopolized almost every vital social amenity required for human survival. Manticore can only do this because it broke down and destroyed Citadel. Since then, they've caused oil rig disasters, electrical grid problems, and even warmongering. For this reason, Bernard sees them as being the greatest threat to global peace.
Citadel, for its part, is a century-old group that has been involved in every progressive world event, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. Bernard added that Citadel has always managed to stay on the right side of history by remaining apolitical and having no allegiance to any nation in the world. The fundamental question raised by the show is whether an agency like this can even exist, given the characters in "Citadel" demonstrate that it is human nature to prioritize self-interest over the greater good.
Regardless, with Citadel's victory in the finale, Manticore and Citadel are now on equal footing, which makes the show's future even more exciting.
