Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘High Potential’.High Potentialis nearly halfway through its first season, with what is looking to be anintense and suspenseful midseason finaleon the way. The show follows Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson), who was once a night cleaner for the LAPD and is now their major crimes consultant. After Morgan interfered with a case board in the show’s pilot, Lieutenant Selena Soto (Judy Reyes) decided to hire her as a consultant, in spite of some pushback. Morgan has since become a crucial part of the LAPD, helping to solve cases each episode, alongside her once-reluctant partner, Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata).
Morgan is not the typical procedural consultant. She feels deeply, and she uses her emotionsas well as her intellectto help solve cases. These cases often hit close to home for Morgan. In Episode 4, “Survival Mode,” Morgan goes with the mother of two missing children to meet the man holding them for ransom. She gets more involved than what is typically expected because it makes her think of her own kids.High Potential’s sixth and latest episode, “Hangover,” brings a casethat has Morgan reflecting on her work history. In doing so, the show emphasizes her working relationship with Selena.
‘High Potential’s Latest Episode Brings Up Morgan’s Past
In “Hangover,” the LAPD major crimes team investigates the murder of Elaine Barton (Katie Ryan), the Founder and CEO of a startup for a medical device meant to help children with their anxiety. The morning after the launch party for the device, Elaine’s assistant, Sam (Alison Jaye), wakes up in her boss’s office with no memory of the night before. The whole place is absolutely trashed, with the word “FOREVER” written on the wall, and Elaine lying there dead. It turns out that Elaine was killed the night before with one of her own trophies, andSam can’t remember enough to determine whether she did it.
From the very first interview with Sam, Morgan feels a connection to her. She picks up on Sam’s fake smile when talking about Elaine, which leads Sam to reveal that Elaine is a cruel and demanding boss. Karadec believes that Sam killed Elaine,but Morgan disagrees with him,determined to prove Sam’s innocence. She sees herself in Sam, someone who grew up without a lot of money, and who had to work for some rough bosses. This leads to revelations from Morgan’s past, about how she had to work for difficult bosses before she became a consultant for the LAPD.
‘High Potential’ Paints a Stark Difference Between Selena and Elaine
After Morgan and Karadec find a hidden camera in Elaine’s office, it is revealed that Elaine was the one who tried to kill Sam. Sam pushed her in self-defense, and when Elaine fell, her head landed on the sharp part of the trophy.After the case is resolved, Selena invites Morgan to join the team for drinks. Morgan initially declines, but she later shows up at the bar. When Selena asks why, Morgan says that she wanted to come see Selena and thank her. The former janitor explains that investigating this case made her reflect on her own work history and how grateful she is to have a boss like Selena now. It is a sweet moment andthe best one that this pairing has hadyet.
Before ‘High Potential,’ Kaitlin Olson Starred in This Underrated Network Sitcom
Before she was solving crimes, she was nannying spoiled kids!
From the beginning of the show, Selena has been advocating for Morgan.Morgan and Karadec may have a strongpartnership now, but that was not always the case. Initially, Selena was the one who pushed to have Morgan become a consultant. Selena and Morgan have had some great conversations in the past, both about the job and about motherhood. However, this moment at the bar stands out from their other moments, becauseit shows Morgan explicitly thanking Selena and expressing her appreciation for her.
High Potentialcontinues to emphasize the importance of vocalizing feelings. Whenever the characters share significant moments, the show also makes it a point to have them acknowledge each other with their words.After Morgan saves Karadec’s lifein Episode 5, “Croaked,” he not only thanks her, but clearly states thathe wantsto thank her. In “Hangover,” Morgan explicitly tells Selena how much she means to her as a boss. Selena, in turn, tells Morgan thatshe would not let her quit even if she tried. These two characters have always gotten along, but it clearly means a lot to Selena when Morgan expresses her appreciation for her.
High Potentialairs on ABC on Tuesday nights in the U.S. and is available to stream the next day on Hulu.
High Potential
A single mom with a brilliant but unconventional mind becomes an unlikely crime-solving partner to a by-the-book detective. Her unique ability to piece together clues that others overlook makes her indispensable to the LAPD Major Crimes unit, leading to an unorthodox but highly effective investigative duo.
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