Season 1 of the NBC drama "Found" ended with an explosive season finale that left audiences on the edge of their seats. The network renewed the highly anticipated series for a second season to address the shocking cliffhangers and leave no question unanswered.

"Found" gained immense popularity for its impact on spotlighting the racial disparities of missing person cases for Black individuals and people of color. The compelling drama follows Gabi Mosely (Shanola Hampton) and her crisis management team, Mosely & Associates, as they find missing and abducted people who are often overlooked by law enforcement. Gabi, who is also a kidnapping survivor, successfully locates many missing clients with the help of an unofficial member of her team. In a shocking turn of events, she abducted her former kidnapper, Sir (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), and secretly used him as her secret weapon to help solve many of her cases.

"The ticking clock is always there," Hampton exclusively tells BET. "If you have someone who thinks like these people who have done wrong, then every hour and minute counts. She [Gabi] was using him as a source but not as the person she needed to solve the cases. Now, she's been doing this long enough to be able to take those minutes off the clock as well. But, sometimes it takes a crazy person to find a crazy person, and that's what she used."

The first season ended with Gabi telling her team about holding Sir hostage in her basement. Now that her secret is exposed, Gabi faces a new journey that involves healing and mending broken relationships. 

"Once the major secret is out, the healing process can begin," Hampton explains. "But, it still can't begin for Gabby because she wants to pay for what she did. She's not one of these people who is saying, 'I did this terrible thing, and it is justified because he did it to me.' She says, 'I did this terrible thing, and I should pay for what I did because that is how the world works.'… It takes the secret coming out. It takes the penance. It takes forgiving herself."

One crucial relationship left for Gabi to repair in Season 2 is with her associate, Lacey Quinn (Gabrielle Walsh). Gabi caused a rift in their friendship after initially lying to her about Sir's whereabouts. As a young girl, Lacey was also kidnapped by Sir and met Gabi as a hostage.

"We'll see this season how Gabi and young Bella's (Lacey) relationship flourished and how she [Gabi] helped her come out of that shock from the kidnapping," Walsh explains. "Seeing your hero fall and knowing they've been deceiving and lying to you is a great shock…Although the trust and Lacey's identity are shaken, she will have to find herself again and redefine this relationship to see who she is outside of Gabi."

Unlike Gabi, Sir's fondness doesn't extend to Lacey, which is explored more in the upcoming season, as Sir's freedom is a significant turning point for the show. His escape poses a threat to Lacey. Earlier in the season, Sir threatened Gabi that he would kill Lacey if she ended their twisted partnership. The ending of Season 1 hinted at Sir fulfilling that promise as he crept behind Lacey's door, and her fate was left undetermined.

"Lacey is very resilient," Walsh says. "She was a victim of kidnapping, and I don't think that she has necessarily thought that one instance was it. She's been preparing for this in some ways. Whatever happens with her and Sir, she won't make it easy."

"Found" intentionally avoids romanticizing victims falling in love with their captors. However, brewing romances is a major part of the show for some characters. Slow burns are swiftly returning, and the blossoming relationship between "Found" characters Lacey and Zeke Wallace (Arlen Escarpeta) is one that many fans are rooting for.

"Zeke and Lacey definitely have a thing," Escarpeta tells BET. "They have a child-like innocence that's still growing. They're still trying to shed the younger versions of themselves. I would love to see them grow together and see what's there."

Zeke is another member of Mosely & Associates and was introduced as the team's tech wizz. However, his brilliance and savviness aren't what stole viewers' hearts. Escarpeta plays a character who battles a debilitating case of anxiety called Agoraphobia. Instead of displaying the stereotypical case of toxic masculinity, his character isn't afraid to be vulnerable and show a wide range of emotions about his mental health challenges. 

"It's crucial for a character like Zeke to express himself completely because he's a Black man," Escarpeta explains. "You're supposed to be super strong, like Superman, on TV and film, which people generally are. But for Black men specifically, it's important to understand and realize it's okay to hurt, feel, express, ask for what you need, and say what you don't like. It's a breath of fresh air."

The new season premieres on NBC on Thursday, October 3 at 10 PM ET and streams on Peacock the next day.