Spoilers ahead for Episode 8 of Found on NBC, called "Missing While Homeless."
Found guaranteed that the new episode on November 21 would be intense after the cliffhanger reveal that Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) had been spotted in Gabi's (Shanola Hampton) neighborhood. "Missing While Homeless" wasted no time in revealing that Sir was actually still contained in his cell in Gabi's basement, but the threat was enough that Trent (Brett Dalton) didn't want to leave her alone and Lacey (Gabrielle Walsh) came close to opening that basement door. By the end, Gabi and Sir's relationship was more twisted than ever while she continued to try to keep Trent and Lacey in the dark, and Dalton spoke with CinemaBlend about what went down and hopes for a second season.
Gabi's secret about Sir had never been in more jeopardy in the 2023 TV schedule than in "Missing While Homeless," with Trent trying to keep an eye on her at all times, Lacey asking Gabi about the basement, and Zeke spotting somebody in her house on infrared. She wasn't thrilled with Trent in this episode after he revealed that Sir had been following her for decades, but he hadn't wanted to tell her about it. The two clearly care about each other, but the Sir secret is a monumental obstacle between them... and Trent doesn't even know it.
Brett Dalton, who also opened up about Trent's top priority for Gabi, shared how he views and approaches that tricky dynamic with Shanola Hampton's character, saying:
I think Trent is probably blinded by his affection and his desire to protect, so even if there are signs, Gabi is a complicated character. And I don't think that Trent shares the same trauma that she does. She's probably more used to concealing her feelings and handling them on her own at home by herself, and so I think that she's a little bit more guarded. I think I'm used to probably staring a little bit at the emotional walls that have been put up and [am] okay with that, and as Trent said, he's a very patient man. I think he realizes that he will be there for as long as it takes, but he's there standing firmly on the ground with arms open.
Trent is obviously a capable and dedicated detective, but his feelings for Gabi have him "blinded" to any clues that she might be dropping during their interactions. In his defense, she's a very good liar, but she also unraveled a bit in "Missing While Homeless." Whether his patience will last forever remains to be seen; with his job in jeopardy, it's possible he won't even be a detective by the end of Season 1. Dalton continued:
I'm sure that there have been a few indications that Trent probably just hasn't clocked, even though they were there. That's what makes this whole thing so interesting. I don't know if that can last forever. [laughs] That's a big secret. That is a very big secret, and it seems that it's becoming increasingly difficult to keep.
Gabi proved in this episode that she's willing to do just about anything to keep the secret, including telling Sir that she loves him. Shanola Hampton crushed her performance as Sir forced her character into it, and the Sir secret remains hidden... but, as Brett Dalton said, it seems increasingly difficult for her to keep it.
It also remains to be seen if Gabi will be even more guarded with Trent after learning that he'd known for a while that Sir had followed her for years. She was immediately furious with him, and I had to ask the actor for his thoughts on whether his character regretted hiding the truth from her. Brett Dalton shared:
I do think that that is probably part of it, but oftentimes in life as parents and good friends and people who just want the best for other people, sometimes we think that concealing information is the right way. It sort of denies them the opportunity to process and get over at their own time, but that's what we do in order to protect other people and their feelings, and so I think that that's part of it, for sure, but I'm sure that he felt like he was doing a not-so-honest thing for very honest reason.
If the day comes when Trent finds out about Gabi hiding Sir in her basement, could she remind him about the secret he kept from her? She would have a point about him hiding the truth, but Trent not telling her that Sir followed her over the years isn't quite on par with her illegally keeping the man imprisoned in her basement.
Trent finding out the secret could lead to disaster, but I'm certainly invested in seeing if it will happen! When I spoke with Brett Dalton, I predicted that fans would really respond to "Missing While Homeless." He agreed, saying:
I do too. I think the rest of the show that we have, the rest of our season, does an excellent job of wrapping it up every single episode. It's an incredible show and I cannot wait to see how people react to what we have in store from here on out. It's quite the ride… I think all of the response out there has been really excellent, really encouraging. So, fingers crossed for Season 2.
My fingers are crossed as well, and the star's comments definitely hype what's still to come in the remaining episodes of Season 1. Whether or not Found will be renewed for Season 2 remains to be seen, however. NBC will air the final two episodes of Season 1 early in the 2024 TV schedule following La Brea, which returns for its third and final season.
For now, you can keep tuning in to new episodes of Found with Brett Dalton, Shanola Hampton, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET following The Voice and revisit earlier episodes streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription. At the very least, I hope the show answers the questions of how Gabi caught Sir in the first place and what happened to Annie before the final credits roll on the first season!
