Shanola Hampton is back as Gabi Mosely in season 2 of Found, which she also produces. The second season premieres tonight at 10 PM ET/PT on NBC.

In any given year, more than 600,000 people are reported missing in the U.S. More than half that number are people of color that the country seems to forget about. Public relations specialist Gabi Mosely (series star and producer Shanola Hampton), who was once herself one of those forgotten ones, and her crisis management team make sure there is always someone looking out for the missing. Gabi, however, has a chilling secret: In the midst of grief, she imprisoned her childhood kidnapper, Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar). Now Sir has escaped and is on the loose, and her biggest secret is now her biggest threat.

I caught up with the actress over Zoom to discuss continuing Gabi’s story, what her wardrobe really represents, fan interactions, approaching the fragile side of her character, and more. Keep reading for everything she told me!

I’m a big fan of how with a series, you get to reprise a role rather than a movie, where you kind of close the chapter and leave that role. I personally love hearing about that experience, so can you tell me a little bit about what you were most excited to revisit when it came to this particular character and getting to continue her story?
Shanola Hampton: Oh my gosh, there was so much because I think she started such on a high of everyone thinking she was one person and she is that person, but also so damaged. So we got to see her flaws come through throughout the entire first season, all the way to a huge meltdown. If you go back to that final episode, she was on the ground and broken. So, to be able to then come back [for] season two and watch a person, a character have to come from that broken space to a healing, a penance, dealing with her stuff, and to not be looked at the same way she was, it’s everything that an artist wants. It’s so juicy, it’s so delicious to jump in and be like, ‘I get to continue this journey with her and the audience does too.’ So I think that’s what’s beautiful, it’s not all tied up in a nice bow.

I want to go off of what you just said because we did see her in this broken state and I really love when we get to see a character be vulnerable. I feel like we don’t always get that, especially for women and women of color. We’re kind of trained to be strong, especially as a leading lady, but being in that broken space is so important to resonate with audiences. But I also feel like now that we’ve been there, now that her secret is out and people know, she gets a whole different life to her. She gets a whole different, almost freedom in a way. How did you approach that? That’s what I’m most excited to see going into it is, what is she going to look like now? 
What you just said — you’re so good, why are you so good? You just get her and you get the show. That’s why I love you. So I approached it in a couple of ways. One is she’s never been this fragile in front of people ever before. I wanted to make sure that we allowed that fragility to show because you don’t get to see it in women, in leads, in people of color to what it feels like to be that kind of vulnerable in front of people and to watch her not be healed automatically and to be like, ‘Yeah, I’m not okay. Yeah, I’m not okay.’ And so, it’s really — what I wanted it to be and what I wanted for Gabi, and what I want for the audience is for it to feel authentic. Those times that she has to put it on because they are really focused on finding these missing people, she puts it on, those times where she is broken, she is just broken, the guilt, she feels all of those things. But the biggest thing that I wanted and that I love that we did in this episode and that resonated with me in a whole new way was that you are not defined by your biggest mistake. You are not defined by your biggest mistake and to have that, I think, is gonna help people who watch this show when they reflect on their lives. Sure, probably not them putting anyone in the basement, but whatever that mistake was for them to realize that that does not define you and yes, we all have to do our penance. We have to pay for our actions and then, you move on and you try to heal, but that doesn’t happen automatically and when you have 22 episodes, the character that you’re looking at, it’s not happening automatically for. So I’m excited about all of that.

I want to just bold, underline, and highlight all this stuff you’re saying.
‘Cause you get it, you know!

I told you last time, this is the show I’ve been waiting for. I love it.
When I tell you, I really, you’re going to be so satisfied. We’ll talk again ‘cause I do wanna hear [your thoughts]. You’ll keep it real with me and I’m gonna keep it real with you. It is so, so good. It is so, so, so good, and just remember that I said this episode to you: 2×12. Just remember I said that to you. Then contact me and we’ll talk after it. Make sure you contact me and then we can do our thing.

We will talk again, I’m ready. I feel like we have to start a weekly podcast.
And just talk about it, like we’re people, okay? We’ll call it, “S&S,” you know? Or we can call it “Sophola,” “Shanophia.”

With Lacey in danger, I feel like for adult Gabi, the stakes have just never been higher. She is all in and she’s always all in, but this is her sister. This is someone that she has to save and I feel like that’s also going to introduce a new side to Gabi in terms of what we’ve seen for her methods and just how she handles the situation. It’s also going to stir up a lot of feelings, like that’s trauma. That’s very traumatic for her to have to deal with. She’s not with Lacey either. She can’t be there holding her hand, so talk me through that. I imagine getting in that headspace was challenging in the best way.
Yeah, no, it was really good because what I love about it is that we get to see the love story of two women on television that are sisters and that have this unique experience that they’ve had together and they’ve stayed bonded by that, but it’s grown so much deeper than that for them. You get to see Gabi in her rawest state, nobody can break someone down like that of a loved one being in danger that they love so much. She’s so broken, and so responsible, and so guilty and just wants to trade places with her for all the things. She’s not there to be like, “Run Bella,” or “Let’s figure this out together.” The trust that she has to have that Lacey can, and she loses it in, ‘Can she survive this? I know she’s strong, but is she strong enough against Sir?’ All of those things you get to experience, but not just for one episode. For multiple episodes, it keeps you going. It’s not instant gratification, folks. You got to watch week to week. Sadly, we’re back at that.

But isn’t that the best though? Isn’t that so nice that it’s not just solved in one episode, but we get to see it build up to a gratifying point? Also, with those weeks, you get to make theories. That’s one of my favorite things as a member of the audience is to make theories on what is happening next. I don’t know if you get to see that online but I imagine it’s awesome to be part of the show and see how the fans are responding.
Yeah, oh I love that. I think fan interaction is the best thing. I think we have gotten away and I’m guilty of it too, I love a good binge. Emily in Paris, I watched it. I had to wait for the second half to come. So, I’m guilty of it too but I think what’s really lovely about us going back to what a good procedural thriller — which this is really its own genre for a procedure, but we have such a thrill — is that you get to discuss the whole week and then on Thursday be like, ‘Okay, was I right? No, I was wrong. Oh, I knew it. You’re not slick, I knew it was [that] and this was what was gonna happen.’ I love it and also, with our show, one thing I can tell you is you need your commercial breaks because it is a lot. It’s a lot coming at you and it will — you know why you watch a show and then you have to be in the dream? Like you’re gonna be awake, kidnapped with Lacey somewhere in your sleep with Sir, figuring out how you gonna fight him and get out. It messes with your mind. 

Are there any smaller details that help you get into Gabi’s mindset that maybe audiences wouldn’t notice?
The little things or even the big things and I’ve been asked about it is the wardrobe and why she always looks good when she’s going through so much trauma, and what I want to remind audiences is that any sort of obsession, even if it looks vain, it is really a mental thing. It is the one thing she has control of and it’s also something that Sir put in her brain when he used to make her play dress up and read scripts. Think about it. Think about it. So it’s not just, ‘Oh, here’s Shanola Hampton playing Gabi Mosely, that’s visually pleasing.’ It is psychological and so, it’s such a small tidbit and it could look like for TV, but there is a mental anguish behind it and almost an obsession because it’s what she can control and how you take from your path as much as you hate it, and it plays a part in who you are.

This can be a very dark show, but I feel like those themes make it much deeper and easier to resonate with audiences. What has been the most memorable fan response or interaction that you’ve had tied to the show?
The thing that I will say about fans is the response has been super great. What has been the most shocking to me and I’ll give you one, is a woman said to me when Mark-Paul and I were together, she said these words, “I can’t believe you made him so bad. Why did you make him so bad?” And meant it. Swallow that. This man kidnapped Gabi Mosely as a child, she put him in the basement because of all of the crazy, her daddy died and she feels nothing but why did you, ma’am, make this man so bad? Yes, girl. Now take that and enjoy season two! I can’t make it up.