Found arrived in the 2023 TV schedule as an intense freshman series bringing Shameless' Shanola Hampton, Pitch's Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Brett Dalton together in some very new roles. The seventh episode of NBC's drama ended with the shocking reveal that Sir had been spotted in Gabi's neighborhood, with an alarmed Trent breaking the news to her and Lacey, completely unaware of Gabi's big secret. Dalton spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of the new episode on November 21 to preview the aftermath of that cliffhanger and his character's #1 priority with Sir potentially on the loose.
There are still more questions than answers about who reportedly saw Sir and how Sir escaped Gabi's basement if he is indeed out and about in her neighborhood, but it's safe to say that her secret could be in even more danger than when Sir had the chance to alert Trent to his presence. When I spoke with Brett Dalton ahead of the November 21 episode, called "Missing While Homeless," I asked the actor whether Trent's top priority will be hunting down Sir or protecting Gabi by her side. He previewed:
I think that probably finding Sir is the ultimate way to protect Gabi, because him being out there is a constant threat. It's a constant trigger to all of her trauma, and Trent is someone who is a good guy and has some trauma of his own, I'm sure as we all do, but I don't think that it's exactly the same. Gabi is a kidnapping survivor who saved herself, and I think maybe deep down, Trent feels like he can be of service to her and to fix her in a way and protect her. He's constantly there as a safe harbor in a life that has been so tumultuous. I think they're both kind of on the same plane. Capturing Sir would would be the ultimate way of protecting Gabi.
Trent's support of Gabi throughout the first season has clearly meant a lot to him, as she opened up to him about her father in a way that she didn't with members of her team. That said, she has a very big secret locked up in her basement that prevents her from being honest with him, so it remains to be seen if his desire to "fix her" and "protect her" will be welcomed by her in the next episode!
Found has yet to actually reveal how Gabi caught Sir in the first place, so it'll be interesting to see Trent's approach to him potentially being on the loose again. Just like the Annie mystery, it's possible that the truth behind how she captured him has a large part to play later in the series.
I noted to Brett Dalton that I loved the moment in last week's cliffhanger when Trent was immediately concerned for Lacey as well as Gabi, and I asked how important the team is to his character, despite Trent not actually being a member. Dalton explained:
In a word, extremely. I think that he probably feels more of a kinship with that team than his own police department. There's clearly a lot of friction with the captain who's played brilliantly, by the way, by Billy [Kelly] and who's actually a nice guy in real life. But [Trent] is a third generation detective who is working in a police department that doesn't seem to care, and here is a team of survivors with their own stories, who are somehow turning all of their pain into purpose and solving these cases that the police department can't even be bothered with looking at, let alone solving.
Trent has already learned that he can't exactly bend all the rules that Gabi can without repercussions, as he was suspended from his job as a detective. The odds currently don't appear to be in his favor of returning to good standing among his peers in the police, but if the first seven episodes of Found are any indication, it's always good to expect the unexpected. Dalton continued:
The team is incredibly important. I think that if there [wasn't] such loyalty to his father and that line of work, I could see Trent being a part of that team. And in a way I think that he is an honorable member, and I even got a chance to take a shot with them and toast to the found members. I mean, I think that I am part of that team, but I am also part of the system and I'm trying my best to bend the wheels of justice in the direction of the forgotten.
Will Mark Trent ever become an official part of Gabi's team, and take a shot with them every single week that they find a missing person? Only time will tell, and the show is still early in its run. NBC hasn't confirmed whether or not Found will be renewed for Season 2, but the network has announced its release dates for the early 2024 TV schedule. Found will air its final two Season 1 episodes in the new year, starting on Tuesday, January 9 following La Brea, which has its own major cliffhangers to resolve.
For now, be sure to tune in to Found's "Missing While Homeless" on November 21 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC, following the latest episode of The Voice. You can also revisit the earlier episodes of Season 1 streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
