[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for the Found Season 2 premiere “Missing While Bait.”]
“Season 2 is going to be a roller coaster,” Found star Arlen Escarpeta promises. The premiere, “Missing While Bait,” proves just that.
Yes, Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), after ending last season hiding in Lacey’s (Gabrielle Walsh) apartment, did kidnap her. But as the premiere revealed, he also went after Zeke (Escarpeta) and Margaret (Kelli Williams), poisoning their food; the latter was stopped before she could take a bite, but the former wasn’t so lucky. The good news is Zeke’s going to be okay. The bad news is Sir is still out there and still has Lacey.
Watch the video above for what Escarpeta thought would happen next after last season’s finale, the potential for any Zeke-Sir interactions this season, and more. Then, read on as he breaks down the premiere and how he’s doing in the aftermath of Gabi’s (Shanola Hampton) confession that she’d held Sir in her basement.
Zeke was forced into leaving his home. How is that going to affect him going forward?
Arlen Escarpeta: There’s probably a little bit of strength there, that I actually survived this, that I made it through this, but at the same time, there’s a new fear. This is what the outside world feels like. And so in a way, that could possibly even bring him further into his shell. So we’ll have to wait and see how it plays itself out, but I think it’ll be interesting.
Matt Miller/NBC
Season 1 touched on his trauma, his kidnapping, but how much is Season 2 going to really dive into all that?
I think initially it’s something that we’re going to have to unpack and unravel and see what’s really there, how Zeke is affected by what he’s gone through being poisoned and being in the hospital and everything like that. But then at the same time, you have to remember, we still have cases to solve. So I think a lot of our team members, we all end up putting our own healing to the side sometimes to focus on saving and helping others. And I think that’s a lot of what you’ll see in Season 2, is us trying to find that balance of healing ourselves and at the same time trying to solve the cases that come our way.
Dhan (Karan Oberoi) found and deleted the resignation letter that Zeke had written. Zeke did say he’d continue to fund M&A for six months, so it’s clear he cares about the work. Does he truly want to resign? Is he just feeling so hurt and betrayed by Gabi?
I really believe that in that moment, Zeke is betrayed. He feels very, very, very much betrayed by Gabi and her truth that she’s finally shared. With that being said, M&A doesn’t feel safe anymore. What was family—M&A was Zeke’s adopted family, for lack of better words, and they created a space for him where he has eyes and ears outside and he’s actually able to feel what it is to be outside still through Lacy, through Dhan, through Margaret. So now that this isn’t a safe place, I don’t know why Zeke would want to be there. So that resignation letter was one, I think, of Zeke saying, this is no longer a safe space for me and I have to do what’s right for me and I don’t know if I can trust you.
What is it going to take for any sort of healing and forgiveness between Zeke and Gabi?
I think it could be a multitude of things. Zeke has a big heart. I think a simple, honest truth, one-on-one could work. On the flip side, I think solving a case together could actually bring them closer. And then you know what? It’s also going to be what the other team members feel and how they feel with it. And I think we’ll probably end up being splintered in different ways. One person may feel this way, someone may feel the other way. So it will be interesting to see how we all manage Gabi’s truth that she shared with us.
Matt Miller/NBC
What can you say about Zeke’s future at M&A? He can always write another one resignation letter…
I think Zeke’s future at M&A is one where the veil has been pulled back. I think Zeke, with his agoraphobia, the world that he’s created with M&A has felt very, very safe. He’ll be challenged to, if you want to stay at M&A, you have to create different boundaries. It has to look and feel different. And I think Zeke in himself has to grow. He has to grow and understand that the people that he has been working with, the people that he loved, they’re not perfect. They’re not perfect. They’re human beings. Even though we do these amazing things, they are flawed and he has to be okay knowing that Gabi is no longer perfect.
Will there be any tension with Dhan for deleting that letter?
There’s definitely going to be some tension with Dhan for sure, but I think Zeke, in his core, at his heart, probably knows that he still loves this place and loves these people and really does want to be here. So in a way, I hope that he finds peace and resolution that Dhan did him a favor. But yes, there will absolutely be tension there because that’s crossing the boundaries. “That’s my own private space. You were on my computer.” That’s his, what’s the word I’m looking for? I don’t want to say safe zone. It is his temple. “This is mine. This is what I use to see. This is mine. And if I allow you to come into this space, then I’ve allowed you to come into the space, but not on your own to do what you want to do and dig and search and delete.” Yeah, that’s not okay.
Zeke’s relationship with his father is rough, but it seems like they’re taking steps forward. His dad listened to Zeke and his friends about him needing to go home, and that could be another step. How does Zeke feel about how that relationship is right now and what’s coming up?
I think Zeke and his father’s relationship is one that has been growing very, very well. There’s still a lot to unpack there, Zeke’s kidnapping and how that played out. But Zeke in the least knows that his father is showing up. He’s showing up when it does count. He’s showing up to be there as much as he can. And I think Zeke’s dad is still trying to figure out his own emotional depth. He’s not a very open, loving, and hugging type of person, at least not on the surface. So unpacking that and unpacking Zeke’s trauma, I think the two of them can try to bridge a gap and hopefully, we’ll get to enjoy that journey as they try to figure things out.
With whom has Zeke shared the most significant scene so far that you’ve filmed for Season 2?
We’re on [Episode] 17 right now. There’s been a lot. I’ve had some beautiful honest moments with both Lacey and Dhan. I’ve had some explosive, honest moments, absolutely with Gabi, and I think Margaret and Zeke have had some just, oh boy, some really, “I need you, you need me” moments. It’s been very, very, very, very emotionally full for everybody across the board in Season 2. And we’ve all had to lean on each other one way or another, even though with this secret being out, our whole team is splintered. So even at the end of the day, we are all we’ve got as of right now.
What else is coming up for Zeke?
He’s going to buy a car. He’s going to go shopping. No, coming up for Zeke, I think we’re going to continue to unpack his story. We’re going to see how Zeke became Zeke. I want the audience to know more. I want those layers to be peeled back. When I’m playing Zeke and I’m in character, I find a lot of quiet moments where I get to have private moments in my character’s head of what happened before. Everyone is over there hugging and cheering and having their drinks and welcoming people home, and I’m by myself sometimes. And there’s quiet moments there where Zeke has to reflect and I can’t wait for the audience to get a peek into what’s happening inside Zeke’s head and what happened in the past and who he’s fighting and trying to be.
Found, Thursdays, 10/9c, NBC