Procedural shows are everywhere on TV these days. It’s hard to avoid them — whether they focus on law enforcement working together to catch criminals or first responders rushing to save lives. Lately, though, a new type of procedural has appeared.
In this version, an ordinary citizen with no law enforcement background partners with the police as a consultant to help solve difficult cases.
This citizen often has special skills that help them see clues others may miss. CBS has had success with Elsbeth, a show featuring Carrie Preston as an unusual attorney who has a different way of looking at each case.
ABC is trying something similar with High Potential (created by Drew Goddard and based on the French series HPI), starring Kaitlin Olson as a unique single mother who helps the LAPD with their investigations.
What is ‘High Potential’ About?
Morgan Gillory (played by Olson) is a single mother of three who supports her family by working as a night cleaner for the LAPD’s Major Crimes Unit. One night, while she’s listening to music and dancing around the office, she accidentally knocks over a case file, scattering its contents.
While trying to put everything back, she notices something odd in one of the crime scene photos. She ends up rearranging one of the team’s suspects on the murder board, labeling them as a victim instead. This change frustrates Detective Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), who wants to know why Morgan interfered with his case.
By this time, we’ve already learned that Morgan is highly intelligent, with a much higher IQ than most people. This helps her remember lots of information, including random facts, that she can apply whenever necessary. This skill comes in handy when she needs to spot even the smallest details in a case.
Although Karadec wants to arrest Morgan for stepping over the line, his boss, Lieutenant Selena Soto (Judy Reyes), decides to bring Morgan into the investigation as a trial experiment.
It’s a bold move, considering Morgan isn’t officially a police officer, but she’s noticing things the rest of the team, including junior detectives Daphne Forrester (Javicia Leslie) and Lev “Oz” Ozdil (Deniz Akdeniz), have overlooked. Despite Karadec’s objections, Soto’s idea goes into effect, and Morgan’s unconventional thinking means she sometimes operates outside the rules.
When she takes the job, Morgan faces the challenge of figuring out who will care for her kids. This includes her moody teenage daughter Ava (Amirah J) and bright middle child Elliot (Matthew Lamb). Her ex, Ludo (Taran Killam), steps in to help since they are still on good terms and co-parenting.
Kaitlin Olson Shines in ‘High Potential’
Morgan is learning how to be a detective, but she’s doing it her way, complete with bold animal prints and high-heeled boots at every crime scene. This colorful style comes from the 2021 French series HPI that High Potential is based on. Olson pulls off her character’s bold look with ease.
More importantly, High Potential gives Olson the chance to showcase her full range of talents, not just her comedic skills, as her role in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia often does. Morgan is a straightforward character, but she is also quick-witted and sharp-minded.
This allows Olson to try new things in her acting. Her scenes with Sunjata, where Morgan’s energy clashes with Karadec’s serious demeanor, are among the best in the first three episodes.
Sunjata, a seasoned procedural actor, plays a great straight man to Olson’s more lively character, balancing Karadec’s calmness with Morgan’s fast-thinking approach.
The show isn’t just about fun investigations. There’s also drama as Morgan tries to balance her work at the LAPD with her duties as a mom. Unsurprisingly, her frequent absences create tension with her oldest child, Ava. Their struggles go beyond normal mother-daughter conflicts.
Ava is biracial, and her father has been absent for many years. Morgan believes Ava’s father didn’t just leave them when she was a baby.
She starts thinking about whether she can use her new position with the LAPD to finally find out what happened to him. This adds a deeper, emotional layer to the show, making Morgan feel like more than just a trivia-filled detective and more like a real, relatable person.
‘High Potential’ Puts the Spotlight on Its Lead
While High Potential is a fun show, it falls into a common procedural trap by focusing too much on its main character, leaving the supporting cast underdeveloped. Most of the first episode focuses on introducing Morgan and getting her onto the team.
After three episodes, we still don’t know much about the other characters, and they seem to blend into the background. Characters like Forrester and Oz only appear to give case details, which feels like a missed opportunity.
There’s potential for future episodes to fix this. It would be interesting to see the show views other characters’ lives, especially since we already know about the chaos in Morgan’s home life.
Despite its early flaws, High Potential offers a fun, engaging watch. It shows us how Morgan’s mind works as she pieces together clues. As the team shares their ideas, quick flashes show Morgan’s thinking process, allowing us to see how she connects evidence to past experiences.
These visual moments add excitement to what could be a typical procedural format, helping the show stand out from others on TV. After three episodes, shows Morgan’s thinking process, allowing us to see how she connects evidence to past experiences.
These visual moments add excitement to what could be a typical procedural format, helping the show stand out from others on TV.
AfterHigh Potential has plenty of room to grow. With Olson’s energetic performance and a fresh approach to crime-solving, it’s already off to a promising start.
High Potential premieres on September 17 on ABC, with episodes available to stream the next day on Hulu.
