High Potential’s first season had a dynamic series of investigations, but one of the genius main character’s first lines could foreshadow some personal complications in season 2. Kaitlin Olson leads theHigh Potentialcast as Morgan Gillory, the titularHigh PotentialIntellectual who joins the LAPD as a special consultant. Alongside Lieutenant Selena Soto (Judy Reyes), Detective Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), Daphne Forrester (Javicia Leslie), and Lev “Oz” Ozdil (Deniz Akdeniz), Morgan helps the Major Crimes Unit solve cases in the LA area.
Throughout the13 episodes ofHigh Potentialseason 1,Morgan’s professional prowess clashed with her personal struggles, including her rejection of authority and the unsolved disappearance of her ex, Roman Sinquerra. Despite her shortcomings, Morgan seemed almost superhuman during investigations, finding clues that sometimes eluded the trained professionals she worked with. While theending ofHigh Potentialseason 1offered dramatic cliffhangers to elaborate on, looking back on the very first episode could reveal more about the procedural’s future.
Morgan’s Candid Speech About Her Intelligence In High Potential Season 1 Explained
Having A High IQ Isn’t Always A Gift
Before she was recruited to solveHigh Potential’s exciting cases, Morgan was merely a cleaner who knocked over a box of evidence. After reviewing the information, Morgan adjusts the LAPD’s board of suspects— something Karadec assumes is a prank at best or criminal obstruction at worst. Selena senses something deeper and gives Morgan a chance to explain herself, wherein she shows off her unique deductive reasoning skills and perfect memory. Selena is impressed by Morgan’s“gift,”but the protagonist has a more complicated perspective on her abilities.
Morgan: No, not a gift. I obsess over every little problem I see. My mind is constantly spinning out of control, which makes it impossible to hold a job, relationship, a conversation. Not a gift.
Morgan explains to Selena how her intelligence doesn’t come without its cost. Despite appearances,Morgan’s HPI makes her“obsessive”about everything, causing her to lose sleep over the most inconsequential discrepancies or mysteries. Morgan’s high IQ presents similarly to OCD, where her detail-oriented nature isn’t a quirk but a full-blown compulsion. Morgan herself tries to convey this to the LAPD in season 1, episode 1, saying she simply has to make things right when she notices they’re wrong.
High Potential Season 2’s Exploration Of Morgan’s Personal Life Should Include Her Difficulties
Her Genius Has Its Own Limitations
SinceHigh Potentialseason 1 mainly focused on Morgan’s strengths so that she could prove herselfto the LAPD, there’s room to more thoroughly explore her weaknesses now that she’s an established hero. The little that’s known aboutMorgan’s backstory inHigh Potentialalready confirms her HPI has hindered her friendships, and her estranged relationship with her father stems from him having the same condition and grooming her to have a superiority complex. Yet, there’s so much we don’t know about how Morgan broke the cycle and became the person she is inHigh Potential.
Granted, there were moments that highlighted the difficulties she faces due to her condition, like Morgan opting to pore over a case rather than go on a date with Tom (JD Pardo) in season 1, episode 8. Nevertheless, one of the bestchangesHigh Potentialcan make in season 2would be to dig deeper into Morgan’s past and who she is being the genius who can put the puzzle pieces together. She isn’t infallible, and she clearly had a complicated upbringing, and elaborating on that would only enrich her character more.
Why A More Serious High Potential Season 2 Only Makes Sense
The Procedural’s Levity Needs A Counterpoint
Plus, showing the downsides of Morgan’s“gift”would help keepHigh Potentialbalanced.The humor and personality ofHigh Potentialis what sets it apart from the bevy of indistinguishable crime procedurals, but it can’t constantly be funny and upbeat. TheHigh Potentialseason 1 finaleperfectly illustrates this by making “David” (David Giuntoli) such a menacing character with a playful M.O.— it doesn’t have to oscillate between pure comedy and pure drama. There can be a laugh at a funeral or a storm cloud on a sunny day, but it has to be balanced.
There are extreme storylines that will offer dramatic moments, like the inevitable return of Roman orDavid’s sinister plan inHigh Potentialseason 2, but the ABC hit needs something more subdued to run as an undercurrent. Now that the Roman mystery is wrapping up, perhaps Morgan’s relationship with her father can take up the mantle of the season-long conflict and reveal more about her past in the process. Conversely, Morgan can share important memories as they relate to the episodic case. Regardless of how,High Potentialseason 2 has to ensure it doesn’t lose the nuance of Morgan’s character.
