Found Star Shanola Hampton Explains Why Gabi and Sir’s ‘Freaky’ Dynamic Is ‘Not Sexual’

Keisha Hatchett

The crackling tension between Gabi (played by Shanola Hampton) and her kidnapper-turned-captive Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) on the NBC drama Found is undeniable. But it’s that intense chemistry which makes their prickly dynamic difficult to define.

“It’s freaky, right? It’s weird,” Shanola Hampton tells TVLine of Sir and Gabi’s relationship. “It started by people assuming that this was going to be some sort of love story, twisted thing. Then you realize, ‘Wait a minute, no. He sees her more as a daughter but also wants to save her? And does he really care?’”

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Sir does appear to love Gabi on some twisted level. His concerned expression during her emotional breakdown at the end of Episode 4 said as much. And after his angry reaction to Trent (Brett Dalton) showing up at Gabi’s house, this week’s episode — airing Tuesday at 10/9c — will show just how much he cares about her.

“Does it drive him crazy? Absolutely,” Hampton teases. “Gabi is also taking the risk of bringing someone in the house. No one has entered these doors since Sir’s been in the basement, so what you’ll see is Sir really losing it.”

But the Found star says that impending freakout isn’t because he’s in love with her in a sexual sense. “I think that’s what’s really great about this, because you see this chemistry and you don’t know what it is. It is that undefined, but it’s not sexual,” she explains. “How many times do you get to watch television and there’ll be a dynamic that’s that strong and has that much chemistry, but it’s not about ripping each other’s clothes off? It makes it even weirder, and it makes the audience feel even crazier.”

Things are equally undefined with Trent, who is both a strong professional ally for Gabi and a potential romantic partner. But given her current circumstance — namely, holding a man chained up in her basement — opening her heart to him is off the table for now.

“If you think about it, she [doesn’t have] the capacity to be in a relationship with anyone because she can’t even be in a relationship with herself right now. There’s too much going on,” Hampton shares. “She is selfless because she thinks about others in a way that she wants to help and nurture, but also not put them in a position because she’s put herself in such a terrible position. It’s just too complicated for Gabi to open up to Trent in that way.”

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