Summary
High Potential finds a nice rhythm in Episode 5 with a fun case that just ends up getting a bit more complex than necessary.
There’s a case to be made that Episode 5 of High Potential, aptly titled “Croaked”, gets a bit too complex for its own good. But a part of me thinks it might be the best episode thus far, or at least the one that didn’t irritate me like Episode 3 did or keep making excuses for Morgan, as in Episode 4. To be fair “Croaked” doesn’t challenge her much either, but it contains her excesses to (mostly) her interactions with Karadec, so the police department doesn’t have to contort itself to accommodate her.
Outside of the complexity of the reveal, I did like the case in “Croaked” too. It’s kickstarted by the death of a veterinarian who has been poisoned by a dart frog submerged in hand sanitizer (original!), but also makes room for some family time with Morgan and the kids – especially Ava – and shows another side to Oz. There’s nothing more on the Roman front just yet, but whatever.
The Frog and The Printer
The death of Dr. Monica initially seems like an accident. When you work with exotic animals all day, there are risks involved. But the various printouts of the word “murder” don’t bode well, and Morgan’s deductive reasoning quickly proves foul play (is it a stretch for her to assume the printer was voice-controlled and figure out the location of the dead frog instantly? Probably.)
In the process of this initial crime scene investigation, Morgan shoots Karadec with a snake tranquilizer to prevent him from paralyzing himself with the poisonous hand sanitizer, which feels like the kind of thing I’d typically complain about, but I didn’t mind it. High Potential revels in Morgan putting Karadec through the wringer. It’s only when she puts the other officers in real danger or lets key suspects off the hook on a whim that I get wound up.
Anyway, the foul play theory holds water. Through Dr. Monica’s friend Bethany and her son Gavin, the police learn that Monica was arguing with a man shortly before her death. With the help of an Avengers comic – oh, Disney – Gavin is able to provide a hilariously accurate police sketch of the man which identifies him as Monica’s ex, Shane Seger, who had seduced her at 16 and spent the better part of the intervening years in prison for armed robbery foiled by his footwear.
Animal Farm
Shane is awful, but he has a watertight alibi. Luckily, new clues lead Morgan and Karadec – and also Daphne and Oz, albeit following a different trail – to Monica’s secret apartment, where she’s keeping a menagerie of exotic animals that she no doubt intended to trade on the black market. But why?
As it turns out, Monica was in a romantic relationship with Bethany and the animal sales were to fund a new home together. Nathan knew about this affair, giving him a clear motive, and the second he’s pressed on the matter he confesses to killing Monica. But we know he’s lying, don’t we folks?
Kaitlin Olson and Daniel Sunjata in High Potential | Image via ABC
The Flip Flops
Of course, it’s Morgan who eventually figures the whole thing out, using Monica’s father’s offhanded comment about the fact Shane was wearing flip-flops during the robbery – which wasn’t in the police report – as a starting point. This is where things get a bit complex, so try to keep up.
Since Monica’s father knew about the flip-flops, he must have gleaned that information from somewhere. It turns out it was from Monica, who was Shane’s accomplice in the robbery. At the time, she was pregnant with Shane’s child, which is what led to her being estranged from her father.
Because they both have ear dimples – they’re called preauricular pits and they’re very rare and hereditary – Morgan figures out that Gavin is the biological child of Monica and Shane. Bethany and Nathan adopted him.
This means that Monica’s relationship with Bethany was all a ruse. She was trying to get close to her to get close to Gavin. After discovering this, it was Bethany who killed her, letting her husband take the fall – and even helping the police along! – rather than own up to it and risk losing Gavin.
Morgan does note that this doesn’t exactly feel like a victory, since Gavin is still losing a parent. Karadec tells her that this is what happens more often than not, which I appreciate.
And Another Thing…
High Potential Episode 5 also spares a little bit of time for Morgan’s home life. Of particular note is that she notices Ava gulping down a suspicious pill and, fearing the worst, snoops around her room. She discovers birth control pills. It’s worth noting that she and Ludo figuring out what to do with this information is the funniest scene of “Croaked”.
As it turns out, Ava’s just taking the pills for her acne. But she shares a nice moment of frankness and honesty with her mother which is good to see. I’m glad the show keeps sneaking these moments of domesticity into the episodes and I hope it continues to do so.
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