Summary
Kaitlin Olson delivers a standout performance in Episode 7 of High Potential. The midseason finale leaves the hit show on a high note.
Episode 7, “One of Us”, is the midseason finale of High Potential, though I’m not sure it necessarily feels like one. A criticism? Not really. It’s a pretty strong outing that feels a bit more in-your-face for Morgan, testing her in some new ways that feel like just reward for all the stuff she’s gotten away with. But with a long gap between now and the next episode, I’m conscious that the show has seemingly abandoned the subplot about Roman’s disappearance and still hasn’t contrived much for anyone to do outside of Morgan herself. That would have kept us ticking over!
But I’m clearly in the minority; this is a rip-roaring success for ABC, boasting viewership numbers harkening back to an age of appointment television that wasn’t entirely dominated by streaming. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
The Best Detective In Town
A lot of this episode is built around a joke. The premise is that two former U.S. Army sergeants take the LAPD Major Crimes bullpen hostage to straighten out some perceived injustice, taking notes from Ed Harris in The Rock. At one point they ask who the best detective in the building is, and Melon volunteers himself. It’s funny because Melon’s an idiot, but also because we all already know the answer – it’s Morgan, despite the fact she’s technically a consultant rather than a detective.
The novelty here is that Morgan has to solve the crime – not the hostage-taking, the one the hostage-takers are concerned about; do keep up – from within the bullpen, with no resources and under extreme pressure. That pressure is compounded because Ava, who won a “yes day” as a board game prize, chose today to accompany Morgan on a field trip to her place of work.
Side note: A “yes day” – in other words, a day when the parents can’t say no to their kids – is a horrifying concept, and this episode should be a lesson to everyone that if you indulge in such a thing, your children may be taken hostage. You’ve been warned.
The Demands
The hostage-takers are Brooke and Jeremy, who want to prove – or, more accurately, get Morgan to prove – that their comrade, Logan, has been wrongfully arrested for the murder of their mentor. They believe he was framed and are willing to blow up the building to prove it.
Morgan is trapped alongside Daphne, Melon, and a few other employees, including her new beau Tom. But, crucially, Karadec, Selena, and Oz are outside. This gives an interesting long-distance dynamic to Morgan and Karadec’s usual partnership and also gives Selena something to do since she apparently stopped looking into Roman’s disappearance weeks ago.
Morgan does that thing she always does when she emotionally connects with one of the perpetrators and immediately deduces (correctly, as ever) that they’re right, but at this point, I’m starting to feel like that’s just one of the show’s recurring gimmicks. Plus I didn’t mind it as much here because…
Kaitlin Olson and Javicia Leslie in High Potential | Image via ABC
Morgan Is Finally Challenged Personally
I’ve been moaning for weeks – ever since I spotted the trend emerging in Episode 3 – that Morgan is always right all the time and never gets reasonably pushed. That’s half true here in High Potential Episode 7, but a crucial difference rescues it. Ava is in immediate danger.
Because Ava is stuck in the bullpen we see a much more emotional side to Morgan that allows Kaitlin Olson to act in a mode that she hasn’t been asked to operate in until now. I never felt any real danger for Ava, but I believed that Morgan did, and that has to count for something. When Morgan manages to finesse Ava’s safe exit and is coaching her on walking out of the building with her hands up, I really bought it. This isn’t just a mother being fearful for her daughter, but leaving herself in harm’s way to secure her safety and trying to put on a brave face to reassure her. It’s good stuff – really good, actually.
I’m not sure how this will affect Morgan’s burgeoning relationship with Tom, either, but the fact he gets injured during the fracas and she manages to get him outside along with Ava will probably bode well. Even bringing JD Pardo back for another episode rather than just having him guest-star in one suggests to me that we’re going to be running with this, and I’d rather that than Morgan strike up any confusing romances with her ex, Ludo, and especially not Karadec.
Morgan Is Accepted (Again)
Throughout, High Potential has been working on the background theme of Morgan finally being accepted within the Major Crimes Unit. I thought we’d reached that point when she was invited out for drinks, but “One Of Us” makes it a bit more clear when the entire department, including Melon, rewards Morgan’s heroism with a standing ovation and a desk of her own.
I do wonder to what extent this show will be a tale of two halves. When it returns in Episode 8, I’d definitely like it to progress the Roman plot more and give the supporting cast some stuff to do. I’d also like to see the cases push Morgan further and allow Olson to really flourish, as she does here. Now she’s one of the gang, there’s no reason for us to keep beating around the same bush.
We’ll have to wait and see, but based on this midseason finale, there’s plenty of… potential! Oh god, I’m sorry.
