Found Season 1 Episode 12 Review: Missing While Eccentric
Jasmine Blu
at
.
Everything is about to change.
However, if you had to hedge your bet, it will not be in the way Gabi posits by the end of Found Season 1 Episode 12.
There is so much to unpack in a breakneck penultimate installment that will undoubtedly set us up for an unforgettable season finale.
And while I'm a diehard fan of the series and chronic live-tweeter at the official TV Fanatic X account, this is my first foray into waxing poetic about it in the esteemed Denis Kimanthi's stead, so bear with a girl.
"Missing While Eccentric" is quite an hour to delve into as it was nothing short of jampacked.
The hour highlighted some of Found's biggest strengths and weaknesses.
They didn't let up off our necks once during this ambitious installment, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that there were pacing issues, and, ideally, this would've worked better if it was split into two episodes.
I remember you. You're the one who followed me that day. You found me for Gabrielle.
Sir [to Dhan]
Aisha's case was so unusual that it could've been the perfect opportunity to have something not wrapped up by the end credits.
Things would've been just as intense while still having time to play out and breathe had Gabi Mosley's abduction been the last thing we saw as the credits rolled.
They could've milked Dhan's feelings about where he left things with her before she was taken, and we would've gotten more of the others and why her absence unnerved and triggered them.
They built up all these stakes, and the case took some dark turns, but before we could even process any of it, we hurtled forward into something else -- the pressing need to wrap things up by the end of the hour ever-present.
And we got thrust into a world where to be nerdy, weird, Black, and a woman was a literal death sentence as the reminder was pressed upon that the world is rarely a safe space for Black women.
Related: Found Review: Missing While Interracial
To Found's credit, they didn't browbeat the point home as much as usual, but in some ways, that made the message more shoehorned.
You could appreciate some subtleties, like the slight nod at the microaggressions Black women face when entering the medical realm. It was galling that Aisha was drugged beyond what you would deem acceptable for recreational antics and was as terrified as she was nonsensical.
But even if we gave the doctor the benefit of the doubt, how on earth would you look at all the bruising all over Aisha's body, including the horrific lacerations and such around her neck from a literal shackle, and conclude that this young woman just had a "rough night out partying?"
There was so much happening in the hour that, ironically, the concept of Black women falling victim to society's blindspots got lost in everything else. And by the time Gabi was making her admonishing speech and taunt to the press, it felt like obligatory social commentary checked off the list.
Shanice was stabbed 50 times and thrown in the field behind me. Historically, Black women have been forgotten, disregarded, cast aside. They are invisible in this society, and this predator knows it. He is brazen because he thinks nobody cares. But I know there are people out there who do care. Whoever you are, take a good, long look at my face because I'm coming for you, and I will not stop until you are behind bars or dead.
Gabi
Aisha couldn't have passed out at a better person's house than Zeke Wallace. If M&A hadn't taken that case, they would've never saved Estrella or captured what amounts to a sexual sadist serial killer and his complicit wife.
It was one of the most disheartening cases of the season.
When they found Shanice's body in a field of flowers, brutally stabbed 50 times, it was hard not to get emotional. It was undoubtedly a bleaker case for the team, befitting some of the darkness that crept up in other parts of the episode.
And, as customary, the case coincided with many aspects of what was happening with these beloved characters.
Related: Chicago PD: How Hailey Upton's Impending Departure Changes the Landscape of the Series
It resonated with Gabi that, like Aisha, a traumatic event like the loss of her father is what caused her to act out of character. And that intense trauma and grief is essentially what led to this tangled web she's created with Sir.
Naturally, Gabi would get abducted during a case that pertains to vulnerable Black women at a time when her constant protector was so angry at her that he left her uncovered.
On the one hand, Found makes all these connections well, and they have a way of driving the plot and revealing little tidbits about the characters along the way.
On the other hand, sometimes it feels like the series is too mindful of the need to walk a tight line with Gabi, making her complex and showing the complexities of trauma and the not-pretty ways it manifests while not making Gabi "unlikable."
It results in holding her accountable, but not for too long, which is playing it too safe.
Gabi Mosley is messy, beautiful, complex, broken, strong, vulnerable, and human. It's what makes her such a rich and compelling character.
But it's also okay if the audience or the other characters can sit in their unfavorable feelings about some of the things Gabi does without the series feeling compelled to remind us why she's a sympathetic character and our heroine.
It felt as if Dhan Rana didn't have enough time or space to process the full breadth of his feelings about what he had discovered: the hurt Gabi caused him and everything he thought about their cases, Sir, and the company before Gabi got kidnapped during a situation designed to guilt him.
Dhan: Why did you call me?
Gabi: I need for this to be over.
Dhan: You call me because you want me to do what you should've done, what you still can't do. I won't. I won't because I'm not the same person I was a year ago, the one who would've done it and asked no questions. I'm different, better, because of you, because of M&A, and now I realize it was all fake.
Gabi: Don't let my mistakes destroy your progress, your growth. You're right; you are different.
In the end, while we fully expected her most loyal soldier to stand by her side no matter what, cramming all of this into a single episode made it feel as if he had to set aside and let go of his own hurt and feelings to put her first much sooner than necessary.
It became less about venturing to explore Dhan on a deeper level and more about giving us a taste of his and Gabi's dynamic before pushing him into forgiveness in a dramatic fashion.
We learned right out the gate that Dhan did have some role in "Sir" Evans ending up in that basement.
It means many of us were partially correct about him knowing something.
He was the one who tracked Sir down and lured him to the farmhouse at Gabi's request when she was fresh off her father's loss and longing for revenge. However, Dhan didn't know Gabi kept Sir alive and in her basement.
All that sketchy behavior he exhibited was because he assumed Gabi killed Sir and got rid of the evidence and didn't want to ask questions beyond that. Although, the Dhan we know would've helped her bury the body.
My only gripe about this revelation is that it was exposition-heavy and inorganic rather than an interesting flashback. But it led to some delicious tension between Gabi and Dhan, for which the series set the foundation well.
Gabi: Nine months ago, I came to you for help. You found Sir and lured him into the farmhouse where I was waiting. But you never asked me what I did with Sir after you found him.
Dhan: I thought you were going to turn him in, but when you didn't, I assumed you did what any of us might do if we came face to face with our own personal devil: kill him.
Gabi: And that would be more palatable to you?
Dhan: I understand putting a bullet in his head for all the hurt he caused you. But kidnapping him? Putting him in a cage? Torturing him? Becoming the exact monster we hunt every day?! Every day! That is... you know I was held caged in the ground, Gabi. You know what they did to me, that you would do the same thing...
Dhan is quick to judgment and slow to grace.
Everything about his immediate reaction to Sir, his piecing together why Gabi called him, and the avoidance and passive-aggressive comments throughout the case aligned with everything we know about him.
He was so caught up in the betrayal and everything else that he hadn't even considered that Gabi's out-of-character actions were a byproduct of her grief and poor coping that got out of control. And he puts her on a pedestal just enough that sometimes he forgets Gabi is as damaged as the rest of them.
Their fearless leader and lifeline isn't infallible.
But now that the air has cleared a bit and Dhan has a better look at Gabi's dirty laundry, her connection to Sir, and what her coping with trauma looks like, he understands her better.
Almost losing her didn't hurt.
If there's one thing worth longing for in Found Season 2, it's more exploration of the other characters and dynamics.
For the most part, everything revolves around Gabi, and we get these small glimpses into her relationship with the other characters or the characters themselves, but not enough.
But what's evident is that each member of M&A has a transcendent connection with Gabi. So much of their stability, coping mechanisms, grounding, purpose, and identity are inextricably linked to Gabi and this safe space she's built for them.
Gabi: I allowed my trauma to define me for too long, turning me into something I'm not. but I know what I have to do now. First thing tomorrow, I'm going to tell everyone about Sir and then turn him over to Trent for processing.
Dhan: Gabi --
Gabi: I know what that means for me, but I have to. That's the only way to truly start healing. I am so sorry for dragging you into this, Dhan. And I'm sorry that I allowed Sir to help with our cases and taint all the good work we've done here at M&A. But hopefully, the work can go on, and you can start healing again. Dhan: I'm not ever going to leave you again. I'll be here to support you every step of the way.
It wasn't a surprise to see Dhan nearly lose his shit when the couple abducted Gabi. Losing her presence would completely disrupt everything for him and likely would've caused a severe setback.
Dhan likely would've beaten that man to death if Gabi hadn't stopped him. He was that far gone, and it's sad to see how he could regress to being right on the edge like that when triggered, but healing isn't linear.
But that's why it was so frustrating that Gabi did what she did. She knows all of Dhan's triggers, and she was so desperate to rid herself of Sir. For all that, she was selfish and didn't consider the position she was putting Dhan in or what any of this information could do to him.
Deep down, she knew how Dhan would react to her imprisoning Sir. He brings to mind the saying that you wouldn't wish something on your worst enemy.
Related: Chicago Fire: How Kara Killmer's Exit Affects the Show Greatly
Dhan knows what captivity underground feels like, and he would've sooner preferred Gabi put a bullet in Sir than opt to do what she did. That's why it was such a slap in the face when she called him there to finish a job she couldn't.
Gabi's willingness to have Dhan feed his inner demon for her gain was offputting.
And Dhan had every right to be angry about her request. It spoke to how she saw him at the moment that she hadn't considered all of his growth or how asking him to kill someone for her could stall his progress or irreparably damage him.
She hadn't considered how the process of rescuing people serving as a form of therapy and healing for them would be tarnished if it was some twisted form of redemption for Sir, too.
You've come to kill me. That's why Gabi called you. Gabrielle loves me, executioner, that's why she called you. Because she can't do it herself. I know she's considered it. She always realizes how much she needs me. She needs me to be her partner to help solve your cases because you and the others aren't smart enough. Your clients would never be found if it weren't for me. Isn't that ironic, executioner? The big bad wolf of Mosley & Associates is their savior.
Sir
M&A was supposed to be theirs alone for a specific reason, and Sir's addition to the mix disrupts all of that.
Those moments when Gabi feels out of touch with the people she considers her family and her bonds with them can feel so one-sided, even though we know they're not supposed to be.
It's hard to unring a bell. Once Gabi called Dhan over, wordlessly directed him toward the basement, and made such a request, there was no taking any of that back, even when she realized what a colossal mistake it was to demand so much of Dhan.
He isn't a weapon at her disposal, and it was irksome that she treated him that way. She realized too late that she didn't want to stifle his growth or cause any setbacks, but it made you wonder why she hadn't considered that.
Then she left him there as if the option was still there for him to kill Sir if he wanted.
We've waited all of Found Season 1 for Sir to interact with someone other than Gabi, and it didn't disappoint.
Sir is such a manipulative bastard.
He relished taunting Dhan about how special his connection is to Gabi and what he contributes to the case-solving. He knew how to tap into Dhan's insecurities and soft spots, which is disturbingly impressive given that Sir doesn't even know the man.
But Dhan got the upper hand when he resorted to using Sir to help find Gabi, and it was nice to have someone else there who could put Sir in his place.
You are going to read this file and help me figure out who took her because if Gabi doesn't survive, neither do you. I will put a bullet in your head and won't think twice about it.
Dhan [to Sir]
I do not doubt that Dhan would personally kill Sir himself if he needed to, which would put Sir on borrowed time if not for the fact that he's probably out of the basement by now. What do you all think?
What's unmistakable is that Sir loves Gabi, and he'd do anything in his twisted way for her. The last thing he knew, Gabi was missing, taken by the bad guy she wouldn't let him assist with, and no one had been back to tell him otherwise.
He went FERAL when Dhan told him about Gabi's abduction. We already know he's still in that basement because he wants to be, and he's had opportunities to leave before.
He considers his entire existence linked to Gabi, so if there were ever a time for Sir to escape, it would be now, in some quest to find and save her.
I will always be the one who understands you, Gabrielle. That has always been our connection.
Sir
It would only feel natural if Gabi had resigned herself to telling the truth to everyone and turning Sir over to Mark Trent, only for him to be gone by the time she got home.
The flashbacks gave us the final moments leading up to Gabi's abduction, and they were as disturbing and heartbreaking as you'd imagine. We got to see why Sir made the move when he did.
He relished Gabi's disappointment when her father couldn't show up for her, which meant he could worm into her world again and capitalize on her longing for that time and attention.
But Hugh Evans could never be Gabi's father, and anytime her father showed up, he'd be reduced to second fiddle again.
Related: Found's Kelli Williams Talks Margaret's Healing
You could see the jealousy in his eyes when Gabi was still ecstatic that her father showed up for her. And at that moment, he probably orchestrated his plan to make a move.
Her fate was cemented when young Gabi spoke about her plans with her father and bidden Sir adieu for the entire summer.
I don't know what Sir thought he'd gain by telling Gabi how her father had searched for her tirelessly while she was gone. But worse yet, Mr. Mosely went to Sir frequently to confide in him.
It's so sick and twisted!
Maybe he figured giving her that bit of solace would be a peace offering. But he wasn't prepared for her steely resolve and biting way of cutting him down to bits.
She's been paying attention and piecing together things herself, and she knew where to drive in the knife and twist when she mentioned his mother and how he'd always be unlovable.
Shanola Hampton and Mark-Paul Gosselaar continue to do their best work when playing off one another. Her delivery of those remarks gave you chills; they sounded so eerily cold. And to his credit, he was so visibly rattled by what she said that he flinched when her phone vibrated.
It's a constant game of chess with those two, and every time you think Sir is the one who gets the upper hand, she pulls something like that.
You watched my father suffer, knowing that you had the power to alleviate his pain by giving him his daughter back. One way or another, today will be your last day on this earth, and you will die knowing that your mother was right, that you are broken.Unlovable.
Gabi
Sir wants her, that's evident, but it's apparent that he knows he doesn't deserve her either, despite everything he said about her biological father to that effect.
Gabi Mosely burns too brightly for him ever to have complete control over her again, no matter how much he tries to delude himself.
It's why his methods have geared toward trying to convince her that they're connected, fated somehow, because even he knows that the only way he'll ever have Gabi is if she chooses him.
But he also knows that a part of her does. Their fates are intertwined, but what's to be done about it is the real question.
Musings and Mullings:
- Found kills it with cinematography, direction, music, and sound. There was so much tension with Dhan walking down those stairs slowly, with the music ratcheting up a notch and those panty sounds, followed by Sir slowly emerging from the shadows -- pure art.
- It was an excellent episode for Dhan. Karan Oberoi said more words in this one episode than he has most of the season! And it's always nice to get more depth from the character, even though I'll forever appreciate that his hands are perpetually rated "E" for everyone.
- Um, what's going on between Lacey Quinn and Zeke? Their vibes are feeling less platonic by the second.
- Detective Shaker is such a badass and a great scene-stealer. She knows how to get things done.
- Sir gives the most entertaining nicknames. "Executioner" is as enjoyable as "Heavy Boots."
- It's exciting that the team gets to start a whole new wall!
- Trent texting Gabi for a meeting can't be good. Do you think he's figured out the truth about Sir? It's doubtful he let go of that slip of the tongue she made before about talking to him recently, and he picked up on Dhan's behavior during the case.
Over to you, Found Fanatics.
What did you think of this jampacked episode?
Is Sir still in the basement? Should Gabi go through with telling the others the truth? Were you intrigued by the case?
Hit the comments, and let's discuss it all!
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
