An emotional father takes drastic measures to find his missing son, causing Gabi to be caught in his crosshairs. M&A races against the clock to uncover the truth. Margaret makes a shocking revelation about Sir's accomplice.
A client hires Gabi to find a missing loved one. That's the structure that informs the underlying premise of nearly every episode. The introduction of a gun changes the situation. Suddenly, a crime has been committed against Gabi and Margaret. Before, they were worried about Jamie after he didn't return home following his visit with Sir. And now, they had to start working on a new case. It's one filled with personal animosity. It's not a story built off a previous case. Most episodes have pretty resolute conclusions with the missing people cases. The uncertainty largely comes from the personal lives of the characters. Instead, this episode delves into Gabi's professional life before creating M&A. She worked for a private investigator. However, she allowed her trauma to inform her judgment. She only saw Monty as an abuser. Her job was to return his son Jalen to his mother, Dalia. She didn't look deeper than that basic assessment. Jalen was an abusive husband and father. He betrayed the family by trying to steal his son. Gabi caught up. He served three years in prison. He was released early for good behavior. That decision by the courts informed the actions of those within this family now. It served as a reckoning that finally acknowledged the pain that has long existed within them.
Monty needed Gabi's help. Yet he also blamed her for what happened to him. He was trying to be a good father. He knew Dalia couldn't care for Jalen. Their marriage hit its breaking point. He couldn't fight for its survival any longer. The divorce got contentious because of Dalia's parents. They were judgmental about Monty from the moment they met him. He didn't meet their standards. Their daughter didn't either. They were disappointed for her not living up to her potential. They blamed her for a lack of direction in life. In reality, she was suffering from depression. That worsened after giving birth. She was ashamed. She was never willing to seek treatment. Therapists harmed their family. Dalia's parents made a deal with a child psychologist to lie on the stand about Monty's abuse towards Jalen. Dalia was the one who made mistakes. Monty was covering for her. He wanted to protect her. He saw that as his responsibility. He continues to advocate for their protection. He doesn't know what happened to Dalia and Jalen for the last three months. He's been in the dark. Now, he must turn to Gabi to track them down. He needs his family to be reunited. The M&A team needs that too. They can't let anything harm their family. Gabi matters to each of them. Yet they also must take their cues from her. They can't allow their emotions to distract from her objective.
Gabi's greatest superpower is approaching people with empathy. When she first met Margaret, everyone else had written her off. She had gone crazy after losing her son. She was no longer worthy of friendship or compassion. It was simply too hard to entertain her wild notions and obsessions. Gabi approached her as a grieving and concerned mother. She was trying her best. That saved Margaret. It allowed her to function as a professional adult again. She is always teetering on the edge. She fears the lose of Jamie every time she doesn't know where he is. Yet he cries out for his mother after learning she is in danger. That proves their connection. Dhan doesn't need DNA results to know that. He also connects with Jamie's story. After his rescue, he struggled holding two contradictory views in his mind. Jamie sees two parents who loved him. His kidnapper lied to him about Margaret. After awhile, he forgot about her love and believed the lie. Now, he's back in her life. He wants to be here. He wanted to apologize to Gabi for overstepping in the previous case. He didn't break into her house. He wants to impress her. Yet he continues to struggle. Every member of the team does. Their instincts are well-meaning. When they actually listen, that's when they offer Gabi the advice she needs to connect with Monty. Gabi has all the skills necessary to escape and find Jalen. No one needs to rely on Sir to ensure a safe outcome.
Margaret and Trent repeatedly visit Sir in prison though. Margaret wants to know why Jamie saw him. Meanwhile, Trent needs to know how Sir broke into M&A. Trent can only see this hostage situation one way. Gabi has immense compassion for Monty. She won't press charges. However, he's willing to accept the consequences of his actions. Trent may advocate for leniency. That may not mean much. He's a repeat offender. He quickly committed a crime soon after release. None of that is mentioned. It's not a concern. The show instead offers a concise ending to this story. Dalia took action over her life. She finally got the treatment she needed. She didn't tell anyone because she needed to do this on her own. That resulted in a world continuing to believe lies about Monty. His case is examined through a new lens now. People will look at him differently. He's a father just doing what's best for his family. The entire show understands that impulse. It still makes way for a couple bombshell reveals. Margaret meets Heather. Immediately, she deduces she is actually Sir's sister. That delivers a new prime suspect for who Sir's accomplice has always been. Margaret only shares this news with Gabi. She also confronts Sir about trying to weaponize her friendship with Gabi to get what he wants. In doing so, he slips about what happened to Jamie. Suddenly, Margaret has a new suspect to investigate. She just needs to find the evidence to confirm her suspicions. That provides the next stretch of the season with purpose. The narrative will never stray too far from mixing ongoing mythology with cases-of-the-week. Yet the balance has been struck in just the right way recently to make for a more engaging show.
