Denis Kimathi
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Isn’t it everyone’s dream to age gracefully well into their golden years?
The caveat is that once someone reaches a certain age, they lose the strength of youth and they become a vulnerable member of society.
That opens them up to exploitation from morally bankrupt people and sometimes may meet their demise because of someone else’s actions.
Found Season 1 Episode 3 explored one such case through Reggie, an older black gay man who had lost his husband and fell into a pit of loneliness.
There is always something unique and incredibly human in the cases the show tackles, and they make sure that they have all the bases covered so that they may be able to represent the missing person appropriately.
Through Reggie, the show dove into various topics relating to situations older people in society find themselves in.
The first was loss, and if you’ve never experienced loss, I can guarantee that the feeling is always wrecking no matter how old you are or how many times you have lost people.
In Reggie’s case, he lost someone near and dear to him. It was unclear how long Reggie and his late husband had been married, but due to their age, one can assume that they had seen everything happen right before their eyes.
They experienced a time when gay people existed on the fringes of society, from the turbulent entry into society to marriage equality.
They were not only each other’s lovers but also best friends.
Experiencing a death such as that one left Reggie exposed. He spiraled into loneliness because, at his age, he didn’t have many friends, and the ones left were really not his friends. He also didn’t like them much.
He also lost a partner in every sense of the word.
His late husband appeared to be the diligent one regarding responsibilities, and with his death, Reggie was left exposed.
There are lonely people who no one would ever know that they are lonely, but there are also ones you can see from a mile away.
Even if Reggie were social, it wouldn’t take much for someone to figure out that he was lonely if they knew he’d lost his husband a while ago.
Elder abuse is prevalent in society, and what Julian did was horrible. He saw a man who needed someone to talk to and decided to exploit that.
To make matters worse, it wasn’t his first rodeo since he’d been doing that for a while to many elderly customers.
That man was a criminal mastermind in incubation, and it was great he was caught before he had hatched.
He made an elaborate plan to frame Hollis for the lost funds and even kidnapped Reggie when Reggie didn’t buy into the narrative.
Reggie’s case hit harder for Dhan because he couldn’t help but place himself or his husband in Reggie’s situation.
Dhan is usually rough with people, but this time, it was different. It was a bit personal.
The episode provided insight into Margaret’s past as we met Taylor, Margaret’s daughter.
Margaret: The young woman I was talking to earlier is my daughter. Yeah. I know. The abridged version is she wants to emancipate from me, and I am dealing with it.
Lacey: Wow, OK. First, you don’t have to deal with it on your own. And second, are you really going to sign the emancipation docs?
Margaret: She’s never asked me for anything before. It’s the least I can do. I haven’t been Taylor’s mom for a long time. Not since Jamie went missing. Lacey: Emancipation is permanent, Margaret.
Margaret: I’m aware
Lacey: Did her dad put her up to this?
Margaret: I doubt it. I mean, Taylor’s always been really headstrong. And Daryl’s not a bad person. The reason he went for full custody of the kids was because he saw what I couldn’t. That my inability to stop looking for Jamie was hurting our other kids more. Distance and time brings clarity. So Daryl made the right call.
The loss of a child can be incredibly traumatic for many people, and unfortunately, it may lead to a breakdown in other relationships, especially in a family unit.
Margaret sustained shock to her system when her daughter, whom she remembered as a child, showed up all-grown, wanting to be emancipated.
We finally learned why she spent her nights at the bus stop, and the reason was sounder than I’d originally thought.
I know that Lacey calls it a superpower, but it’s really 13 years of training that started the day Jamie went missing. I don’t just go to the bus station hoping to find him. I go to keep the memory of that day fresh. You know, those … those precious seconds between when I had him and when I didn’t, and I and I recreate the day as much as I can.
Margaret
She was expecting to see her son at that same stop,just as much as she was trying to keep the memory fresh in her mind to try and figure out what might have happened in seconds.
It was heartbreaking to realize just how much someone’s life can take a turn in seconds. It was understandable why she obsessed over it.
Margaret Reed is usually calm and composed so that she can notice what everyone else misses, but for the first time, we saw her be curt with Lacey because she was experiencing strong emotions.
It came as a surprise to everyone to learn that Margaret had more children.
The hour also saw a revisiting of the past as Sir toyed with Gabi’s memories, leaving her disoriented for mostof the episode.
Gabi: Take it back.
Sir: Take what back?
Gabi: I said that I was lonely. That did not mean that I wanted you to kidnap someone, another child, for me. I would never, ever, ever.
Sir: If it makes you feel better, wasn’t easy for you to ask.
Gabi: I remember every moment of that year. Every dark, suffocating, agonizing moment.
Sir: Distorting the truth for one’s own protection is a basic human instinct. So, if you’d rather not remember, I understand.
The insinuation by Sir that Gabi was the one who asked for a companion was a significant accusation.
Gabi Mosley could not believe that she had become selfish enough to put another person through that.
Since she was a child, her memories were not as good as Sir’s, and he took the opportunity to try and manipulate her. He fed her a bogus version of events, and for the rest of the day, Gabi was ridden with guilt.
It didn’t help that a reminder of her perceived misdeeds in the form of Lacey was present everywhere she turned.
She unjustly took out her feelings on Lacey. But that led to a conversation between them that ironically improved the situation.
Gabi and Sir’s relationship appears complex. There is an emotional entanglement that both don’t recognize and if I’d go out on a limb here and make a prediction, it might evolve into co-dependency.
There is no clear end to how their situation resolves, but I have a feeling it will not be straightforward.
Intrusive Thoughts
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Dhan and Zeke bonding? Who would have thought it? They must have reached a turning point for Dhan to volunteer personal information.
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Dhan nees to keep his anger in check becasue Mark Trent will reach the end of the rope in as far as he’s willing to tolerate Dhan’s shenanigans. The anger is a liability to the himself and the firm.
Gabi: Cancel it, Trent. Any public attention right now could get Reggie killed.
Trent: I’m not asking. This is police protocol.
Dhan: You had of hearing? She said no CMA.
Trent: I’m sorry, am I talking to you?
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Some little things we do that we justify to ourselves might have far-reaching consequences. Hollis’ online scams got her indicted, and the best-case scenario was that Gabi and her team were not law enforcement.
“Missing While Widowed” explored the unseen lives of forgotten people in society and their unique challenges.
It delivered an entertaining hour with a twist-filled case while also providing important lessons to the viewer.
What did you think?
Chime in in the comments section.
Denis Kimathi is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. He has watched more dramas and comedies than he cares to remember. Catch him on social media obsessing over [excellent] past, current, and upcoming shows or going off about the politics of representation on TV. Follow him on X.