Alert: Missing Persons Unit boss in series premiere and how the return of a missing child will fuel the mystery of season one

Fox’s latest foray into police procedurals focuses on the Philadelphia Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit – telling stories of all the ways people can go missing while also delving into the mystery of two officers’ missing child.

of The Black List Showrunners John Eisendrath and Jamie Foxx, Alert: Missing Persons Unit follows police officer Nikki Batista (Dania Ramirez) who joins the Philadelphia MPU after her son Keith goes missing to help other people find loved ones while she searches for her own loved ones. Six years later, her world is turned upside down when her ex-husband Jason Grant (Scott Caan) arrives with evidence of their missing son’s life. Or is it?

The series premiere, which aired on Sunday, leaves viewers in doubt when, at the end of the episode, their son Keith tears up the pages of a diary containing specific details about his life after a joyous reunion with his parents.

“We suspect he has something to hide. is he her son That’s a question that’s going to be the focus of the show, and we’re going to give audiences concrete answers in most episodes to the question that’s asked on the subject in each episode,” Eisendrath told Deadline about the mystery said, adding: “What I like is the situation where the audience can get in front of our heroes. The audience sees Keith tear out those pages, his parents don’t.”

Eisendrath broke down the premiere episode with Deadline and dropped a few hints about what Nikki and Jason might find out about the person claiming to be their long-lost son. Episode 2 of Alert: Missing Persons Unit airs Mondays at 9pm on Fox in the series’ regular timeslot.

Reporter: How have you worked to differentiate yourself? alarm the many other television sequels?

JOHN EISSDRATH: I think there are probably two answers to this question. The first is just that the process for missing persons is very different because the types of stories that can be told about missing persons are incredibly diverse. These could be people who have been kidnapped and are desperate for information. These could be people who have run away and have no interest in being found. These can be stories involving a crime, from kidnapping to murder. These can be stories that do not involve a crime. So there’s a huge range of possible stories, which I think is very different from Procedures, which are essentially crime series. So I think that alone makes it unique. I think missing persons is a thing too – which I was thankfully wrong – but thought a few hours ago that one of my kids was finally taken. And I think it’s something so many of us live with, so many of us fear, so many of us identify with. I really wasn’t ready to move on until I thought there might be an interesting mystery at the heart of the story because it’s extremely important to me. When I imagined that there might be a mystery surrounding Nikki and Jason’s missing and returned son, and that there might be a mystery surrounding him and his return, which would be the core emotional story, I found it exciting and found interesting and could captivate the viewer. You have the great irony of the two experts who spend all day trying to find the missing relatives of other people who have lost a loved one themselves, and then are so desperate to get them back that they might miss some clues that other people see if he is their child or not.

Reporter: As you mentioned, there are so many ways that someone can go missing. Where do you get your inspiration for some of these stories we’re going to see this season?

EISENDRATH: Some stories were pulled from the headlines. We are always looking for the most relatable and emotional core of the story. When you think about the story of a missing person, it’s easy to think about what would make a circumstance so scary, tragic, sad, or serious. Everyone has his own fear of you. So the authors aim to bring caring, loving people into this situation. In my case, when one of my sons went missing, I showed him how to ride a bike and he started riding his bike and we were on the block where we lived and he turned the corner. I was so excited. I ran after him. I turned the corner and he was gone. I walked all the way around the block. He was nowhere to be found. I went to restaurants, grocery stores, everyone in my area for an hour and asked, “Did you see that boy?” and I was like, ‘Oh my god, I have a child that was taken away from me.’ Turns out he was in the house the whole time. He walked around the block and went inside. I never bothered to look inside because I thought he was gone. So we do a story on the show where it starts with two parents teaching their kid to ride a bike and they turn the corner and the kid is gone. We start with something very simple that anyone can relate to and build the puzzle from there.

Reporter: I’m also glad you mentioned Keith, because by the end of the first episode, it’s clear that something is wrong. Can you explain what’s going on there?

EISENDRATH: It’s funny because when I wrote the pilot, I was worried that I didn’t give the viewer enough clues that there might be a mystery surrounding Keith’s return. But anyone who watches TV is so trained to look for the secret that may or may not be there that no one has missed the fact that they are trying to hide something by tearing up the pages in the diary. So we suggest he has something to hide. is he her son This is a question that will be the focus of the show, and in most episodes we will give viewers concrete answers to the question asked on this topic in each episode. After the first episode, the question of who he is clearly arises. What I like is the situation where the audience can get in front of our heroes. The audience sees Keith tear out those pages, his parents don’t. So I hope the audience will say, ‘Hey, Nikki and Jason, he ripped the pages out of the diary. come on guys Listen, you need to know something’s going on.” Even in the pilot, you might get the sense that the sister, her daughter, is a little distant with Keith. Why is she far? what does she know It will become clear to the parents, and as soon as the parents start to wonder why their daughter does not bond with their son, a series of stories will begin that will solve the question about Keith.

Reporter: It’s also pretty clear that Keith’s return will test some relationships. Mike and Nikki are already on a rocky patch at the end of the episode.

EISENDRATH: I’m a huge soap fan, I love a good love triangle. But I think the special thing about this one is that everyone’s point of view is very sympathetic. Jason and Nikki didn’t get divorced because they abused, cheated and didn’t love each other. Her marriage failed because her child was taken away and her marriage could not survive this tragedy. She meets an incredibly nice person in Mike, and we see them become engaged when we first meet her. And then yes, Keith will be back. Well, Mike, who feels a bit of an outsider at the end of the pilot, understands why he’s an outsider. He understands that Nikki and Jason need time to rebuild their family. Nikki makes it very clear to both men in her life that it is a very delicate balancing act between wanting to get her family back and continuing her relationship with Mike. Jason is in the same position. He would like to spend time with his old family, but he has also moved on in his life. So it’s a situation that not only strains Mike and Nikki and Jason’s relationships, but also causes friction between Nikki and Jason, as they don’t always agree on how to deal with Keith, both about who he is. , and how to easily integrate a now-adult child back into their world.

Reporter: I also wanted to ask about Kemi because I think she adds a great element to the MPU. Why did you decide to have a character that focuses on faith, but also move away from a Christian-centered story there?

EISENDRATH: I had the pleasure and experience of meeting a shaman who is a very close member of our extended family. This person uniquely showed me the power of faith and approach to solving emotional problems and practical problems through ritual. I think that experience made me believe in its value, and I think so [it’s interesting] in a police environment where the solution to the crime or missing person mystery is ultimately based on facts. Kemi is not a mystic. Kemi cannot see into the future. Because of her beliefs, Kemi cannot predict the outcome of a scenario. But the people who come into the MPU are desperate. They are at their worst and I think someone like Kemi can offer the kind of comfort and hope that people in these circumstances so desperately need. This gives her a chance to both solve the underlying problem that leads her there, which is most important – to find that missing loved one – and to offer help and comfort along the way. As for the non-Christian part, I think the faith is universal. I don’t think any particular culture or religion has a place in this market. And I think yes, it’s great to see someone channel a non-Western type of faith, if only for the sole reason that it will dramatize how similar it is to any other type of faith.

Reporter: Can we expect our questions about Keith to be answered by the end of season one, or are you planning an extension?

EISENDRATH: Fingers crossed there will be more than one. I think we’re going to give audiences very clear answers about Keith pretty much every episode, and I definitely think they’ll get satisfaction by the end of the season. You can wait and see if the story ends or not, but there will be no shortage of questions and answers about this mystery this season.