Season 1 - Episodes 1 through 11 Discussion

[Trini]

M-PG talks about 'Sir' here: https://www.tvinsider.com/1113500/found-sir-gabi-annie-alive-dead-basement-mark-paul-gosselaar/

[Driad]

The interviews raise the question of how much the showrunners should tell the actors about their characters.  Should the actor who plays Sir know whether Sir is a killer?  Should the actor who plays Gabi know whether Gabi really has Sir in her basement?  Knowing these things might help the actors portray their characters more convincingly.  On the other hand, an actor might accidentally tell a friend or an interviewer something they shouldn't say.

[cameron]

Gabi's facial expressions on this last episode were really over the top.  Having a hard time liking the actress or her character.

[Mr. Sparkle]

On 12/6/2023 at 7:55 AM, cfinboston said:

Has anything on primetime TV ever been as absurdly cringe as the student dramatically telling Gabi that she feels unseen and alone while grabbing her phone and developing the "I am Bobby" hashtag? Teenagers do not behave that way.

Why was there nobody else in the school hallway apart from the M&A crew? 

This is when I started giggling. It's like the writers have never actually met a teenager. Total afterschool special. 

The whole school scene was ridiculous. No way they're allowed to walk around freely and talk to whoever they want without the school being present. 

I agree that all tv shows rely on ridiculous situations and suspension of belief, but this show feels like it's trying for a gritty realism and then the writing and characters go so far from realistic that's all that I see. I'll finish the season, but unless there's nothing else on or the finale is really compelling, I probably won't be back. 

[FlowerofCarnage]

13 hours ago, MarylandGirl said:

Oh, your thought about Annie makes a lot of sense! As thinking that Sir killed Annie would make Gabi be afraid to try to get anyone else to help her, or else they'd end up getting killed, too.

I still wonder if Sir lost a daughter in some way. Via death, running away, a wife divorcing him and taking off with their child--something to trigger him to kidnap a child. Unless maybe the school fired him, so he needed a student?

I don't think Sir has ever been able to maintain a romantic relationship let alone marriage and children.  Dude has major issues with women and sexuality that he has to resort to kidnapping to try to form a family.

[MarylandGirl]

28 minutes ago, FlowerofCarnage said:

I don't think Sir has ever been able to maintain a romantic relationship let alone marriage and children.  Dude has major issues with women and sexuality that he has to resort to kidnapping to try to form a family.

Good point on his issues with sexuality. And women. OK, scratch that theory of mine!

[cfinboston]

13 hours ago, mrsbagnet said:

 

I think the people who make this show believe the writing is way better than it actually is. The show *looks* like it should be good: an attractive cast who are all decent to really good actors, well-styled sets, and movie-like cinematography. But the writing is so ridiculous that it ruins it.

Exactly right! You nailed it. One part I really hate is that they suggested that Gabi used Sir as a secret weapon to understand the minds of criminals. In the first episode she finds the missing kid because Sir tells her where to look. This could have been a fabulous plot arc where he consistently adds anything valuable. However it always falls flat or it's something pedantic like "the word phoney is from 'Catcher in the Rye'. 

This element had so much potential including an exploration of the morality of a bad guy being able to make positive contributions. 

 

 

[possibilities]

He could have made a contribution from prison, if they wanted to show that he had something to offer. He could teach literature to other inmates, for that matter. Having his victims rely on him feels so icky and unreal.

I'm increasingly annoyed by having Gabi rely on him for help with cases. And I am generally sympathetic to Gabi, and don't really understand why people don't like her. But the basement plot is really bothering me more and more.

I hope he's in her imagination-- it would be a really interesting device if they showed that, on the one hand she's making a big difference by finding people the cops don't prioritize, and on the other hand she's so traumatized that she has this whole delusional scenario in her mind.

I've seen shows that give criminal, incarcerated, or ex-con folks a showcase for being redeemable or having something to contribute. I'd like to see this show continue its agenda of showing that people who are psychologically traumatized are also able to make a major contribution and that it's not all or nothing (i.e. you don't have to be a savant, or a superhero, or highly trained by some secret agency, or even a thoroughly sane person in order to be awesome and brave and smart and do something for the world; you just have to have empathy, resources, care enough to make it a priority, and then dedicate yourself to the project).

[jabRI]

I have a hard time believing the press did not know his actual name, i can't believe gabby would have withheld that as a teenager.  so why were there all the 'sir' references in terms of sighting, etc,  The press loves to use all three names 'john wayne gacy' etc.  No way they would use 'sir' if they had  a real name.  BAD LAZY WRITING.

[cfinboston]

19 hours ago, jabRI said:

I have a hard time believing the press did not know his actual name, i can't believe gabby would have withheld that as a teenager.  so why were there all the 'sir' references in terms of sighting, etc,  The press loves to use all three names 'john wayne gacy' etc.  No way they would use 'sir' if they had  a real name.  BAD LAZY WRITING.

I didn't even think of that but you're right! Since he'd been a teacher it also makes no sense that no student recognized him and said "that's Mr Evans." 

[jabRI]

4 hours ago, cfinboston said:

Since he'd been a teacher it also makes no sense that no student recognized him and said "that's Mr Evans." 

Right!? Especially since this was not a stranger abduction, this was her teacher, someone would have put two and two together.  There are so many plot holes, not sure how they can be fixed!

[luna1122again]

But DOESN'T the media have his real name? I was sure they did, but still used the "Sir" nickname as well,  as that's what he insisted she call him while abducted. Sure, the media uses real names, but they also use nicknames for criminals all the time. We know the real names of the Night Stalker and the BTK killer, etc, but that's still how they're often referred to. 

 

[Trini]

1 hour ago, luna1122again said:

But DOESN'T the media have his real name? I was sure they did, but still used the "Sir" nickname as well,  as that's what he insisted she call him while abducted. Sure, the media uses real names, but they also use nicknames for criminals all the time. ...

Yes, "Sir"'s real name was mentioned in the pilot (or maybe the second episode?). What doesn't make sense is everyone who is not Gabi or Lacey referring to him as "Sir" -- and they've done that a lot.

[possibilities]

But people still talk about "the Unabomber" and "Son of Sam" even though those people's names are known.

For purposes of TV,  think it's easier for viewers to keep track of one name per character. But people do that IRL also.

[jabRI]

Interesting points. I totally missed that his name was revealed so early, but still think they'd mix up this name and 'sir' in the broadcasts, especially the sightings.  Guess we'll find out next season how this all is resolved!

[AnimeMania]

S01.E11: Missing While Interracial

When a Black man goes missing his family turns to M&A, but suspicions begin to swirl when he’s implicated in the disappearance of a white woman. Gabi digs in on her search for Annie, the girl she saw at the cabin. Sir reveals why he kidnapped Gabi.

Premiere Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2023     NBC          10pm 

Juliette Jeffers as (Savannah Davis/Jolene?)

(J. Elliott/Elliott Windsor III?) as Russell Davis
Kelsey Caesar as Brandon Davis

Abby Brammell as (Victoria/Veronica Burkhart?)
Alexander Roberts as Robert Franklin
Emily Topper as Allison Burkhart
Rena Maliszewski as Paula Chapman
Monique Grant as Dr. Yvette Jones
Jonathon Pawlowski as Harwell Justice
Nayab Hussain as Dr. Aviva Brumson
Samantha Binkerd as Becky Wimbish
Emerson Bennett as Jamie Reed

Next New Episode: January 9, 2024 

[Brown44]

I'm looking forward to the final 2 episodes. 

[babyrambo]

The actress that plays Young Gabi did an excellent job this episode. She really sold that excitable joy at the beginning (poor kid just wanted new books) and it made the ending that much more terrible. Being held captive is terrifying enough, add the constant stress and fear of waiting for the abductor to strike—the audience knows Sir didn’t sexually or physically assault her but as girl taken by her male teacher, assault would definitely be her number one fear—and the horror would be unimaginable.

While watching I wondered how she’d even come to trust him so much that she got her into his car. Then I remembered all the rides home from games and clubs my friends and I accepted from teachers/coaches as teens (with parental permission but still) and was reminded that kids think they’re invincible and hardly ever expect the worst will happen until it does. A teacher lying about their intentions back then wasn’t even a possibility to me because teachers were rule following authority figures—boring, old and where fun went to die. All the horror stories seemed like just that: ‘stories’. Looking back I’m just thankful to have made it to adulthood relatively unscathed. 

As for M&A, I thought Lacey looked really cute this week and liked seeing more of Margret’s journey. The deeper they explore it, the less extreme sitting vigil at a bus station for a decade seems. It’s definitely a lot but progress isn’t linear. I would still like her to get some respite by the end of the season though.  

The case of the week didn’t work for me at all. Very contrived. 

[Driad]

Gabi's elaborate hairdos puzzle and distract me. She is so busy with work that I wouldn't expect her to spend a lot of time on her hair, whether she styles it herself or not.

[babyrambo]

52 minutes ago, Driad said:

Gabi's elaborate hairdos puzzle and distract me. She is so busy with work that I wouldn't expect her to spend a lot of time on her hair, whether she styles it herself or not.

Small, long locs like hers can look time consuming to style but they’re really not. Since the hair is already permanently parted all she has to do is put it up or down. She does ponytails (with flair lol) more often than not but a style like last night’s updo would take, at most, 15 minutes  in the morning (which would seem involved if you’re more the brush and go type for sure). In reality she would keep a that kind of updo for a few days at least. But TV shows love an in-episode change up just like they love an oversized apartment. 

What stands out to me is the fact that she’s always so well dressed and put together despite being so emotionally turbulent. Gabi unravels more and more every week but you wouldn’t know it by looking at her. Which is probably the point but adds to the artifice of the show. 

[MarylandGirl]

13 hours ago, babyrambo said:

The actress that plays Young Gabi did an excellent job this episode. She really sold that excitable joy at the beginning (poor kid just wanted new books) and it made the ending that much more terrible. Being held captive is terrifying enough, add the constant stress and fear of waiting for the abductor to strike—the audience knows Sir didn’t sexually or physically assault her but as girl taken by her male teacher, assault would definitely be her number one fear—and the horror would be unimaginable.

While watching I wondered how she’d even come to trust him so much that she got her into his car. Then I remembered all the rides home from games and clubs my friends and I accepted from teachers/coaches as teens (with parental permission but still) and was reminded that kids think they’re invincible and hardly ever expect the worst will happen until it does. A teacher lying about their intentions back then wasn’t even a possibility to me because teachers were rule following authority figures—boring, old and where fun went to die. All the horror stories seemed like just that: ‘stories’. Looking back I’m just thankful to have made it to adulthood relatively unscathed. 

As for M&A, I thought Lacey looked really cute this week and liked seeing more of Margret’s journey. The deeper they explore it, the less extreme sitting vigil at a bus station for a decade seems. It’s definitely a lot but progress isn’t linear. I would still like her to get some respite by the end of the season though.  

The case of the week didn’t work for me at all. Very contrived. 

The story of how Gabi ended up being taken by Sir chilled me for a similar reason. I had a male English teacher in high school that I was rather close to. We'd talk alone in his classroom after school on occasion (this was 25+ years ago). He never gave me a ride anywhere, but I likely wouldn't have hesitated to get in his car. I trusted him. (I also realize in retrospect that he may have possibly been grooming me, but thankfully, nothing ever came of that, so I feel lucky in a way.)

I also liked seeing more of Margret's journey, though the EMDR worked a bit more quickly than is realistic, from knowing a couple people who've done it (and having a session or two of it myself). It was also nice seeing Gabi there supporting her.

Agreed on the case of the week being contrived. I didn't feel particularly invested in it. Especially compared to Gabi's flashbacks with Sir and the stuff with Margret. And the couple lying in beds next to each other, as the parents hugged each other and them was just eyeroll-inducing.

Curious as to what will happen in the last two eps!

[Trini]

Yeah, I think the things outside the 'case of the week' were more interesting this episode. Although I was curious about where the couple went.

Finally we got to see how the whole thing started! But now I want to know more about Annie, and exactly how Sir was able to get away with that -- even though they did give some explanation.

So if the arc with Margaret is about her accepting the loss of her son and letting go of guilt, then I hope that they don't miraculously bring back her son (which I thought they might do), because I'd be very annoyed at the whiplash.

About the preview for the next 2 episodes:

Spoiler

Really?? Dhan is the one to find out first? Would not have guessed that. And it looks like (but previews can be deliberately deceiving) Gabi wants him to "take care of" Sir. I would hate it if she thought of him as her personal hitman, he (like the rest of the team) has enough trauma as it is.

 

[cfinboston]

Is anyone on here a physician or EMT? I am dying to know if that IV procedure is real. It sounds insane but I can't imagine them just inventing it.

Apparently now that Trent is back on the job they've reverted to Gabi stomping into the police department at will and commandeering Trent. Also he easily shares police evidence with her, like Alison's laptop.

Poor Detective Shaker. Now she's relegated to sitting at her desk and doesn't get a single line.

Do hospitals allow patients to lie together in double beds especially when one was just in surgery and they thought he was dying? That seemed cringeworthy bad.

No way is Gabi careless enough to say out loud that she spoke with Sir in the present tense. 

 

 

[FlowerofCarnage]

I loved how  Teen Gabi politely told Sir to mind his business when it comes to her social life. 

Sir has such a deep understanding of human behavior, is a master manipulator but has 0 self-awareness.   He is delusional enough to think that because his feelings toward teen Gabi aren't sexual that it makes everything he does ok. And speaking of sex;  I think Sir's puritanical ways came about because the show is on network TV. If this were cable or streaming, we would get a Sir grooming Gabi to be the perfect mate for him. 

I am not buying Annie's storyline. Her parents were neglectful to the point they didn't report her missing but had her committed?  

I agree that the case of the week came off as really contrived.

[Trini]

Interview with the showrunner, previewing the last two episodes:

'‘Found’ Boss Promises Immediate Answer to Gabi’s Phone Call & Reveals Its Implications'

 

So...

Spoiler

... She implies that Dhan(?) has known about Sir in the basement this whole time!?!

 

Also more teases from the showrunner and Gosselaar here:

https://www.tvinsider.com/1113501/found-season-1-returns-2024-sir-gabi-flashback-mark-paul-gosselaar/

Edited December 15, 2023 by Trini

[Simba122504]

I agree. How the hell do they make money?  I swear Sir is the most bizarre kidnapper I have ever seen. His motive doesn't even make sense because he doesn't have one. Not a pedophile or a child killer. He kidnapped Gabi, but the creator says he did not rape her, even he though he believes they belong together in his twisted mind. He kept her for a whole year but didn't sexually abuse her. The series has some good acting, but it's like a parody of everything that's wrong with network shows in this modern era. 

[MarylandGirl]

11 hours ago, Simba122504 said:

I agree. How the hell do they make money?  I swear Sir is the most bizarre kidnapper I have ever seen. His motive doesn't even make sense because he doesn't have one. Not a pedophile or a child killer. He kidnapped Gabi, but the creator says he did not rape her, even he though he believes they belong together in his twisted mind. He kept her for a whole year but didn't sexually abuse her. The series has some good acting, but it's like a parody of everything that's wrong with network shows in this modern era. 

I also question how they make money! Or does Zeke have so much they don't need it? Are they all getting paid? It doesn't seem like any of them have side jobs.

With Sir, I get the sense it's more of a paternal thing. He thinks he can be a better father to her than her own father, in part because he can teach her. But sort of in the stereotypical "Daddy's Little Girl" thing, where he wants to be the only man in her life, even if it's not romantic or sexual. Hence, his jealousy of that guy she liked when he kidnapped her and of Trent.

[Simba122504]

3 hours ago, MarylandGirl said:

I also question how they make money! Or does Zeke have so much they don't need it? Are they all getting paid? It doesn't seem like any of them have side jobs.

With Sir, I get the sense it's more of a paternal thing. He thinks he can be a better father to her than her own father, in part because he can teach her. But sort of in the stereotypical "Daddy's Little Girl" thing, where he wants to be the only man in her life, even if it's not romantic or sexual. Hence, his jealousy of that guy she liked when he kidnapped her and of Trent.

Like on "The Flash." They somehow had an endless amount of money to burn without making money! lol Even that would involve uncomfortable abuse and murder.  S1 of "Will Trent"  was better even though they had to tone down the original content for TV. The irony is broadcast television took more risks in the past. 

[luna1122again]

19 hours ago, MarylandGirl said:

With Sir, I get the sense it's more of a paternal thing. He thinks he can be a better father to her than her own father, in part because he can teach her. But sort of in the stereotypical "Daddy's Little Girl" thing, where he wants to be the only man in her life, even if it's not romantic or sexual. Hence, his jealousy of that guy she liked when he kidnapped her and of Trent.

It's just weird that they look the same age now. i know we're supposed to believe Gabi is a lot younger than the actress, but it adds to the creepy element and doesn't seem paternal in the present day scenes, when MPG looks younger than in the flashbacks. 

[FlowerofCarnage]

Some answers to our questions:

https://www.tvguide.com/news/found-nbc-mark-paul-gosselaar-episode-11-season-1/

[Johannah]

Sir not aging, and it being so obvious to the viewers, and Gabi making that phone call, gave me this interesting, intriguing, and somewhat sick, thought...  Sir is in the basement, but he's dead.  Has been since she caught him.  She just realized she has to get rid of the body, hence the phone call.  It's in the freezer.  Along with all those meals she keeps bringing him.

It doesn't line up with other stuff, like the heat signature.  Just a sick thought I had.

[MarylandGirl]

58 minutes ago, Johannah said:

Sir not aging, and it being so obvious to the viewers, and Gabi making that phone call, gave me this interesting, intriguing, and somewhat sick, thought...  Sir is in the basement, but he's dead.  Has been since she caught him.  She just realized she has to get rid of the body, hence the phone call.  It's in the freezer.  Along with all those meals she keeps bringing him.

It doesn't line up with other stuff, like the heat signature.  Just a sick thought I had.

Oh, this actually makes a lot of sense! (Admittedly, I have a bit of a twisted mind!)

With the heat signature, I forget--where we looking at that screen from Gabi's point of view? If so, maybe she was imagining the heat signature there, and it was representing what she saw in her mind?

The lack of aging could also play into it all being in Gabi's mind. I can picture a scene where she anxiously leads someone down to the basement and then...there's no one there. Just a bunch of old items piled up, say. (Though in that case, is Sir still out there alive somewhere?)

[mrsbagnet]

I would love for the "Sir is dead" theory to true. Sadly, I haven't seen any evidence that the writing on this show could be that clever. I hope they prove me wrong.

Edited December 19, 2023 by mrsbagnet

[babyrambo]

On 12/14/2023 at 8:12 PM, Trini said:

 

  Hide contents

... She implies that Dhan(?) has known about Sir in the basement this whole time!?!

Spoiler

Thought the same as you when I watched the episode 12 trailer and read the articles. The hints they’d dropped throughout the season about Sir’s capture made it seem like Dhan even helped her plan things out but maybe not? He seems the most likely to be okay with this though.

On 12/18/2023 at 7:25 PM, FlowerofCarnage said:

Some answers to our questions:

https://www.tvguide.com/news/found-nbc-mark-paul-gosselaar-episode-11-season-1/

According to this interview, Sir is 50, just like the actor. The choice to not age him up was on purpose. Which means Sir is likely not dead or a dream (I find those theories interesting and in early episodes actually wanted that to be the case as well, but like others have said, the show probably doesn’t have the range to tackle that).

I like both actors in these roles but I can’t help feel like they should’ve either gone with a younger actress for Gabi or an older one for Sir. They look so close in age in the current day scenes it kinda breaks believability. 
 

Also interesting to me is what MPG said about Sir’s capture: 

Spoiler

“Gosselaar: We learn how Sir was brought into the basement, how he was found. We know who helps Gabi. There is someone that helped Gabi find Sir. That person isn't aware that he is in the basement, but that person did help Gabrielle locate Sir, and then basically, that person said, "Look, do what you want to do with Sir, but I don't want to know anything about it."

-

Given that answer and the trailer for the next episode hinting so heavily at Dhan being the one Gabi called, I’m guessing he’s the one who helped her track him down. There’s also Zeke or Trent, and either would’ve been easy to convince to keep an eye out. But less so to turn a blind eye to the basement of it all. Trent’s shock at Gabi’s, “Sir was telling the truth” slip makes me think that despite his crush on Gabi, given his profession, next to Lacey, he’s the person who would be the least understanding in this situation and probably isn’t who she called. But I’m not sure. Trailer are always edited to be misleading and I feel like this show wants to build up to a shocking ending so anything is on the table. 

Edited December 20, 2023 by babyrambo

[Trini]

A few quotes from Kelli Williams about Margaret and the showrunner gives a few teases for the next episodes at TV Insider: https://www.tvinsider.com/1114625/found-season-1-return-finale-preview-spoilers-kelli-williams-mark-paul-gosselaar/

 

And the synopsis for the next episode has been released; doesn't really address what's been teased by the promos or interviews, but sets up the case of the week:

Spoiler

"MISSING WHILE ECCENTRIC"

01/09/2024 (10:00PM - 11:00PM) (Tuesday) :

When a confused and battered young woman lands on Zeke's doorstep and says she was kidnapped and her abductor still has her friends, the team races to put the minimal clues together. Gabi shares devastating news with Dhan.

TV-14

 

[Trini]

BTW, there's a forum for the show now; and a thread for the latest episode:

https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/5922-found/

[Mr. Sparkle]

On 1/10/2024 at 5:07 PM, Trini said:

BTW, there's a forum for the show now; and a thread for the latest episode:

https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/5922-found/

I moved all episode 12 posts to that thread. There will be another thread for the finale. 

I'm going to lock this thread until after the season is over. 

If you have any ideas for new threads, let me know.