There are a few TV drama formats that sometimes feel played out. At this point, there have been so many police procedurals and medical dramas that it seems like it's basically impossible to mine anything fresh from these genres. Yet year after year, networks go back to those same wells looking for new hits, which they somehow keep finding despite the odds.
This is quite true of the police procedural drama, a mainstay of network programming around the globe for decades. The Law & Order franchise alone has produced more than 1,400 episodes over 68 seasons of television across seven different series. That doesn't even count foreign adaptations or spinoffs set in the same world.
That's what makes High Potential so interesting. Despite a familiar premise, its rookie season on ABC managed to stand out quickly with steady growth in viewership and a season 2 renewal. With a solid season 1 behind it, this series has set itself up for a breakout sophomore season and hopefully a much longer run.
At its core, High Potential has an exceedingly familiar premise. A cop gets partnered with someone quirky who has a talent or skill that helps them solve cases in untraditional ways. Fans have seen it before in series like The Mentalist, Lucifer, and Bones. Heck, Nathan Fillion has built a great career on this premise in Castle and The Rookie. And the more Nathan Fillion, the better.
Kaitlin Olson, best known as Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds on the long-running dark comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, is the key to this series. She plays Morgan Gillroy, a single mother of three with a massive IQ and a deep breadth of knowledge. Her obsessive attention to detail, combined with her ability to make connections others miss, has earned her a spot as a civilian consultant in the LAPD's Major Crimes Division.
What could have been a standard police procedural is borderline dramady, largely thanks to Olson's performance. She brings just enough of that "Sweet Dee edge" to make Gillroy a compelling and engaging protagonist. It also helps that the series was cast well overall, including Judy Reyes from Scrubs and SNL alum Taran Killam.
The writing is quick and witty, offering an interesting take on the crime of the week police procedural format. It is, at times, actually both funny and charming. Beyond that, Morgan's home life with her three children, as well as her positive and cooperative relationship with her second ex-husband, is both intriguing and humorous. Those scenes honestly watch like a family sitcom hidden within a police procedural, and that's a good thing.
High Potential literally has high potential
What this series built in season 1 has set itself up for huge success in season 2. Potentially, of course. Following Morgan's adventures with the LAPD will be the core of the story, as well as her efforts to raise her children. At the same time, the showrunners have already done a superb job of setting up more for viewers to dig into.
The season finale saw the debut of a mysterious new enemy for Morgan. He is smart, creative, and isn't afraid of hurting people as part of his games. More importantly, Gillroy has been completely caught off guard by someone for the first time in her life. If Morgan is the Batman in this scenario, it looks like she might just have her own Joker. If played right, he could prove to be an ongoing challenge for the team as they unravel who he is and why he's doing what he's doing.
On top of that, there is the mystery of Morgan's missing first husband. The father of her oldest daughter mysteriously disappeared years ago and members of Gillroy's new team have agreed to help figure out what happened. During the course of season 1, they discovered clues related to a larger plot. How that plays out will likely be a driving force in the series, particularly if it all connects to Morgan's new nemesis somehow.
Every year, there are new series that have the potential to do something big, only to fall flat on their faces in season 2. The sophomore slump is real in TV land. High Potential not only has all the pieces to survive that same slump, it has everything it needs to thrive. Viewers will just have to wait and see how those pieces get put together when Morgan Gillroy and company return.