Found continues to outdo itself with each passing episode, bringing to light important storylines and situations. The fifth episode of the season focused on Gabi and her crew (who I feel so compelled to call Gladiators because I can’t shake the similarities between them and Olivia Pope’s team on Scandal) racing against the clock to find an undocumented missing woman named Sasha.
While the week’s case featured many turns, stumping Gabi at one point as Sir accused her of “giving up” and being off her game, she eventually got back on track, realizing that Sasha wasn’t missing, she was hiding from someone very dangerous.
Sasha was an expert at going undetected due to her immigration status, and she used it to her advantage after witnessing the murder of a shady immigration lawyer at the hands of one of the criminals he was working with.
I think if Gabi hadn’t been thrown off by the visit from the executive of her dad’s will, she would have sniffed out that Manny was not Sasha’s brother when he ambushed Dhan in the apartment. It also would’ve helped if Margaret had been there observing his movements to see if he was lying. Either way though, why would Sasha’s brother ever resort to violence on the people he enlisted—through a friend—to help?
But despite taking on the case, the team was dealing with many personal issues that left them all a little frazzled, including Margaret trying to figure out who took the number off of her son’s missing poster. Watching the reality set in that this was yet another dead end was heartbreaking.
Some might think that it’s extreme that she never stopped looking, but unless you’ve been in that position, you have no idea the pain that she carries; the pain of a mother who has zero idea what happened to her baby or if he’s hurt. She can’t move on without closure or answers. And I know it’s a long shot considering how much time has passed, but I do hope this story has a positive outcome.
Dhan was an unkept mess as his husband Ethan went on a week-long work trip, and though not much is known about Dhan’s past, we find out that he has a fear of being alone after being kidnapped for years.
It’s why this “found family” is so special to each other—they’ve all gone through something similar so they all understand one another—and why they’re all so committed to finding the missing people that no one else is looking for.
As usual, Gabi and Mark’s paths crossed, this time when they realized that their cases were connected and they were looking for the same man, Manny, who was wanted for several homicides, including the immigration lawyer’s death. Mark tends to find himself split between his job on the force and trying to help Gabi because he supports her cause, even if his dedication to her gets him in a bit of trouble.
However, whenever they can help the other succeed, it’s a good day for all. Manny was on the hunt to get rid of loose ends, so locating Sasha first was of the utmost importance before he could get to her.
There was a bit of movement on Gabi and Mark’s personal relationship, though it seems she’s hesitant to get involved despite the very clear chemistry, and I wonder if that has to do with the trauma of Sir.
She enlisted Mark’s help with dispersing her father’s ashes, though eventually, she realized that even though it may have been his final wish, she wasn’t exactly ready to let go. From the episode, we glean that the two had a fractured relationship after she was found as they could never really rebuild following the events. He felt guilty for letting it happen and not finding her, while Gabi was forever changed by her trauma. It’s yet another thing that Sir stole from her.
What he didn’t take, however, is her identity. When he told her to pick a new identity back in captivity, she informed him that she would always be Gabi Mosley.
FOUND — “Missing While Undocumented” Episode 105 — Pictured: Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Sir — (Photo by: Steve Swisher/NBC)
And that’s when she informed Sir in the present day that things would be changing and that they’d be going by a new set of rules. She no longer wanted to be the monster that he made her into—and it seems like the start of her healing journey, though I don’t know if healing is exactly possible while she’s still holding him captive.
At the end of the day, no matter what her motivation for keeping him locked in the basement, she’s no better than he is. She went from being the kidnapee to the kidnapper.
She justifies the situation by utilizing him to help solve cases faster as she uses him to tap into the mind of a kidnapper, and he often helps her see what she hasn’t considered on a case. But does it make what she’s doing ok or is she the monster that she hunts every week/the monster that took her? One wrong doesn’t make a right.
She also plays by her own rules thinking she’s above the law because of what happened to her, but the truth is, what she’s doing is illegal. Not to mention the harm it continues to cause to Lacey, who still lives in fear that Sir is out there, and the people she loves as Gabi is forced to lie to everyone.
As for Sir, he had a weapon and a chance to use it on Gabi, but instead, turned it over and told her that he’s not the monster she thinks that he is.
The question becomes why wouldn’t he take the chance to escape?
I believe the answer is two-fold.
There’s a part of him that has developed a care for Gabi. I can’t shake the moment from a prior episode where he seemed genuinely upset to see Gabi hurt and angry.
But he’s also very much aware that he’s still in control and grooming her. He gives her the illusion that she wields the power, but she continuously comes to him for answers, giving him a sense of purpose and importance. Not to mention that she still very much centers her life, something a psychopath with an obsession would absolutely relish in.
We still haven’t gotten around to getting any answers about why he kidnapped her in the first place. Where did he find her? How did he take her? Why her?
Based on their interactions throughout the five episodes while she was in captivity, it seems to me like Sir chose Gabi and eventually Lacey to replace the family he lost. Why else would he have plans to “leave” the cabin where he was keeping her and take trips to Paris? He seemed to be under the impression that he’d convince Gabi to leave her life behind and be happy with him, but something must’ve led him to this desperate moment.
There’s also the theory that Sir isn’t real and he’s a figment of Gabi’s imagination, which would explain why he hasn’t aged, but that would mean Gabi’s trauma has a much deeper hold on her than we previously believed.
Either way, Found is one of the best shows of the fall, delivering exceptionally good (and important) cases weekly, while keeping audiences intrigued by the overarching storyline and mystery, fantastic subplots with the supporting cast, and a budding romance between Gabi and Mark for those fans who need relationship driven moments.
What did you think of the episode?