Review of previous episode here.

NOTE: Spoilers from this episode as well as a leaked scene from episode 4.

I admit, I fell for the okie-doke — when the episode opened, I thought, Lacey is alive, but Gabi left with Sir, hence Trent’s dramatic opening. He seemed devastated, and despite his threats, Trent obviously has a giant soft spot for Gabi, so it seemed they lost her. But psych! Which brings me to my next point.

I am still very much obsessed with this show, but Margaret and Trent are working my last nerve. The lack of EQ and knowledge of dark psychology is astounding.

I felt so bad for Margaret last season; in fact, I’m doing a rewatch of season 1, and once again, I couldn’t help crying with and for Margaret in episode 3.

But Margaret of Season 2… Houston, we have a problem. She is being way too much of a twat, and she has until next episode to get her ish together before I start actively rooting for her to take a long walk off a short pier. The nerve of this deadbeat to be so judgmental! The woman who nonsensically hangs out at a bus station every night? Talk about a sick addiction.

If she somehow came across someone who knew where her son’s body was (NB: I don’t necessarily believe he’s dead, but now I want him to be), but that person refused to share with the class, I’m sure she’d want to… well, you know, hold that person against their will until they gave answers.

Cooch Coupon Revoked

As for Trent, when the episode opened, I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he survived the teased scene with Sir holding a weapon, ready to crack his head. Turns out his face wasn’t busted from that scene. So despite my mild annoyance with him, I was still very much concerned for him — until the leaked scene of him talking to the captain, trying to get Gabi arrested. Now he deserves all of Sir’s smoke.

I appreciated watching Gabi and Trent work together for a lot of the episode. But I can’t believe that dude, after watching Gabi’s torturer mess with her again over the phone, manipulating her in real time, after hearing her explain herself in the car, after witnessing the ripples of the trauma of her experience, and knowing Sir has been stalking her for 20 years, he still can’t muster up some empathy. Obviously, Sir got into Gabi’s head young, and he’s still there. She might be able to fight off some of his scripts, but… well, she is still his in a way.
Previously, I thought if Trent were to successfully lead Gabi to jail, he would deteriorate mentally. Honoring his moral and legal code would end up torturing him, I thought, but he never really loved Gabi, did he? Was it really all about the drawers? Gabi was right to swerve him again and again. He doesn’t deserve to sniff her at this point. The will they/won’t they should be done now; I don’t want to see him get a chance at seconds, even if he has some epiphany and finds a degree of understanding for Gabi. In this version of Phantom of the Opera, Raoul must go. I no longer care if they kill Trent off. Hopefully, they do, and it’s somehow to save Christine Gabi because F this guy. I’m done with him (although I do reserve the right to change my mind depending on how E4 plays out). I hope Trent learns the hard way one day that things aren’t so black and white.

Sing for Me

As for The Phantom himself, my goodness is Sir stunted. Delusional, insane, creepy. It was super icky watching that grown-ass man in that little girl’s room. Holy hell. This series is like one long SVU episode. MPG even unnerved me in the scene with Sir and Gabi finally face to face. He sounded completely unhinged. And yet, I felt robbed he didn’t actually get to take her. Judge your mom.

The Other Associates

Zeke is also still upset, but a normal level of upset — he’s not getting sassy and can still be professional. He’s able to work with Gabi despite his feelings.

Dhan already had his moment of outrage, and though it took something drastic to bring him around, in the first place he helped Gabi carry out the task of kidnapping Sir while thinking she’d just murk him, so he was already halfway there. His actor really sold the despair after reading her letter, by the way, which made me wonder how he and Gabi came to be so close. I look forward to the backstory and why he rides so hard for her. 

Lacey’s sense of betrayal is most understandable, but she’s out of commission. I’m not sure where she stands now, but she heard a lot of Gabi’s convo with Sir, and Gabi stopped her from becoming a murderer.*

[*“Gabrielle!” Sir pleaded, and Gabi stopped Lacey from stabbing him again. Hmmm…]

And I already touched on Margaret and Trent, the high and mighty sanctimonious trash bags who probably wouldn’t take the high road themselves in certain circumstances. The nerve of them — Sir has been torturing Gabi for so long, and they’re like, Well, you’re a monster like him… They are way, way too judgmental. Gabi’s actions were kind of crazy, right? Almost like she cracked? I hope they each get an opportunity to eat their nasty words. And they do not deserve to be trusted ever again on intimate interpersonal levels. Speaking of trust…

Christian Evans

Nice try. I don’t believe he’s normal and decent for a second. He probably has dissociative identity disorder. “If I hadn’t decided to put my sanity, privacy first…” lol! The reverse guilt trip sent me. Needless to say, I still don’t trust him.

Detour

I’m going to take a moment to thank hair, makeup, and wardrobe for the perfection of Gabi in the wine colors — the leather outfit and lipstick. Wow, did Shanola look stunning! And I loved Gabi’s attitude — several times, she was like, I don’t have time for your whining; we need to do what needs to be done. Bravo, Gabi. Still the hero. I also appreciated that it was clear Gabi truly understands her power when it comes to Sir, despite minor miscalculations.

As for the in-show detour…

The Wild Goose Chase

I remember in season one, the dramatic irony of Gabi not realizing the depth of Sir’s obsession. It took her a long time to understand and say, “He is never gonna let me go.” That she and Dhan thought for a second Sir had fled the city after escaping the basement was laughable.

But Dhan now understands Gabi is the most important thing to Hugh Evans; in fact, he even said it this episode. How Dhan fell for the misdirection I suppose is a matter of how much he still trusts Gabi, and Plotty McPlot reasons, of course.

Final Thoughts

Some deep, complicated psychological stuff is going on here, and I look forward to the layers being peeled back.

I can’t believe not a single one of Gabi’s team members understands some of the basics, though. Not even Stockholm syndrome occurs to them? Everyone knows about that one. What’s happening is beyond Stockholm, but ‘brilliant’ credit card reconstructor Margaret lacks even this base? She can’t put people pieces together in non-physical ways?

Gabi is in no way shape or form free of Sir; especially since she learned how much he’d been stalking her over the years. He was her favorite teacher. They bonded over books, uncovered other commonalities. He waged psychological warfare on her as a teenager for over a year. He got in her head in ways she couldn’t even realize at the time. He became a constant in her life, however terrifying. He raged at her, threatened her, insisted he loved her. As far as she was concerned, any day was a day he could finally decide to kill her. Or abuse her in some other way. And when she finally broke free, her life was never the same. School, romantic relationships — distorted. When has she been able to enjoy having her feet on solid ground? Who can she lean on? She lost her father one way (to alcohol) upon her return, then another. And when her dad died, rage, resentment, and grief collided, birthing a thirst for revenge.

Movies such as Taken, John Wick, and countless others are extremely popular in American culture, yet some people can’t process Gabi’s need for revenge on her kidnapper, to reclaim a sense of control. She didn’t kill him; she held him where she could see him. And then he ripped even that satisfaction of confinement from her — turned out, he was delighted she kept him close. And then she found out he kept his eyes on her the rest of her life. Watching, following, perhaps even interfering in ways we have yet to see. Gabrielle Moseley was never free.

Her crime doesn’t deserve the vitriol she’s been getting. Wrong? Sure. Understandable? Absolutely.

The crime is in how some who claimed to care about Gabi have decided they have carte blanche to batter and whip this prolonged victim again and again.

I read a brilliant article demonstrating how Found is the scariest show on TV, and outside of the scorching chemistry of MPG and Shanola as Sir and Gabi, it absolutely is on the verge of horror. What a harrowing existence for Gabi. Besides Dhan, others — people who called themselves her friends — are telling her that despite the horrific experience she endured, she deserves worse because of a mental break.

It’s too bad certain people are incapable of extending grace to her. But realistic.

Looking forward to the rest of this strong black woman’s journey.

Here are my thoughts on Season 2 Episode 4.