“Found” star Shanola Hampton explains Gabi’s major decision about Sir

Gabi Mosely is tired of carrying around her big secret and has decided to do something drastic about it.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Found season 1, episode 12, titled "Missing While Eccentric."

Gabi Mosely’s big secret is out.

The penultimate episode of Found season 1 begins with Gabi (Shanola Hampton) calling Dhan Rana (Karan Oberoi) to her home to reveal that Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is in her basement. We learn it was Dhan who found Sir for her after her father’s death... but he didn’t know she's been keeping him in her basement and getting his help with cases. The pair clash, but, of course, a case gets in the way. After the murderer is found and the case (which included Gabi getting briefly abducted) is closed, Gabi lets Dhan know she is turning Sir in, even if she must face justice for the abduction.

Ahead of next week's season finale, we spoke to Hampton about Gabi’s motivations, her connection with Dhan, and what to expect in season 2.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You could assume Lacey [Gabrielle Walsh] would be the first one to find out about Sir, but it's Dhan. What does this ordeal (Gabi asking him to track down Sir and him finding out the truth) say about their particular bond?

SHANOLA HAMPTON: She’s thinking she went into this without a true plan. When she had the “idea” she was going to use a monster to find monsters, she didn’t really see past that. It just got away from her and she’s unraveling. She doesn’t know what to do, so she calls Dhan, the person she knows she can always call.

Dhan isn’t a person who opens up to many people. Just his husband and Gabi. Gabi saw him at his most vulnerable and saved him, so she was able to break through when no one else could. For that, he will forever be grateful and feel indebted to her. Everyone at Mosely & Associates are loyal, but Dhan is loyal to the death. When you see Dhan come, it makes sense.

Why do you think Gabi lets Dhan find Sir in the basement instead of just saying what she did? She could have saved him the shock!

She couldn’t bring herself to say the words. Once you’ve said what you’ve done, it makes it more real. It keeps her from actually having to say it for a few extra seconds. Also, how do you say that to someone? Gabi didn’t prepare for this point and that’s why she just points.

How does Dhan's reaction impact how Gabi sees what she has done?

This was the fear when she realized that she was going to have to come clean and face what she did. It’s the look that Dhan gives her when he walks up the steps. She knows that there’s going to be a version of their uncomfortable exchange with each person [at Mosely & Associates] and it scares her because, in essence, that’s her only family.

Gabi closes cases by any means necessary, but she provokes a killer in this episode. Is that to solve the case or is there more to it this time because of what’s happening with Sir?

For Gabi, everything is about solving the case, but this time she has nothing to lose. That’s why she provokes him. She has no fears left because her biggest fear is realized. 

Sir freaks out when he finds out that Gabi has been taken. From your perspective, what do Gabi and Sir mean to each other?

It’s more what does Gabi mean to Sir. You’ve seen this push-and-pull and this crazy chemistry that is really undefined. People think there’s love there because it’s a man and woman, but it’s obsession. Gabi is Sir’s air. He longed for this kind of intellectual stimulation and there is something about Gabi that serves that need, but not in a sexual way. [There is] only one thing he loves in his own twisted way, and that’s Gabi Mosely.

How much is Gabi weighing closing cases without Sir in this decision to turn him in? What does Gabi think will happen now that she is ready to turn Sir over?

Ultimately, Gabi, unlike Sir, has a moral compass and now it’s time for her to face the music. If there was a way for her to solve cases from jail every week, she would do it. At this point, she knows she’s got to pay for her sins when she confesses. Having Sir in her basement is not sustainable for her mentally, and in the end it would affect the cases in a negative way.

Congrats on season 2! Is there anything in particular you’re excited to see next season? 

You already know the M&A characters, but you don’t know their back stories. I’m excited to dive into Margaret [Kelli Williams], which I think we’re going to get to do a lot in season 2. I hope we get to know each character more as well as what happens to Sir and Gabi after this season finale. That’s the big question.

What does this character and the mission within the show mean to you?

I chose to do a show that has purpose and tells stories that haven’t been seen on television in this way before. To serve underserved communities in this way and also make it entertaining. It means everything to me. One of the advantages of being on a successful series for so long, I was able to wait for what spoke to me, and Found spoke to me in a big way.

What can you tease about the season finale?

It’s heartbreaking, but also involves a case that has been lingering. There’s beauty and tragedy, which is what our show has been.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Found airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.