I’ve been watching a lot of crime dramas recently that all follow a similar formula. They take a quirky (but lovable) eccentric detective and throw them into a crime-ridden city with a new mystery to unpack each week. It’s hard to innovate on a formula that’s so familiar, but High Potential on ABC and Hulu strikes that perfect chord between humor, engaging mysteries, a stellar cast, and a heartfelt family dynamic.
Based on a French series, High Potential stars Kaitlin Olson as Morgan, a single mom with an immaculate memory and unbeatable problem-solving skills. Olson has come a long way since her days in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, because Sweet Dee could not be farther from this crime-solving role.
Photo via Disney
Breaking the Mold
Morgan starts as an unemployed drifter, but after she helps the Los Angeles Police Department solve a crime that even stumped their most diehard detectives, she gets brought on as a consultant. Together with the stern Adam Karadec (played by Daniel Sunjata) and a slew of LA’s finest, they solve every kooky murder that’s thrown their way.
And when I say kooky, I mean it: they solve the murder of a tap dancer pushed off a roof, a doomsday prepper with missing kids, and a healthcare CEO who’s found dead after a company party. Yet the stakes are always high, with one episode featuring a pair of military soldiers holding the LAPD officers hostage.
There are definitely a lot of tropes that you’ve seen before. There’s rule-breaking, red herrings, and a whole lot of eccentric personalities. The crimes are shown through visionary flashbacks, which may not always be accurate, but they’ll give viewers a better grasp of how Morgan solves the case by episode’s end.
Photo via Disney
Characters With Heart
What makes High Potential so unique—and why I kept watching—is the family dynamic. After Morgan secures this consulting gig, she’s able to bring on her ex-husband, Ludo Radovic (played by SNL alum Taran Killam), to take care of her kids full time. The baby is the least complicated. Her teenage daughter is bitter at the world after her dad disappeared and her son shares her crime-solving quirks, confused why others choose to pick on his gifts.
In most shows of this ilk, detectives fly solo, using their lack of a family as a fuel for their work. But Morgan is the exact opposite, with her familial bond giving her the drive to keep working for the cops, even when it’s an often thankless and difficult experience.
Though Morgan acts intense and standoffish, she’s not just another stereotype of a neurodivergent person built to solve crimes. High Potential is full of memorable characters who feel like real people—and that’s why its absolutely essential viewing.
