Kaitlin Olson Goes Full 'Good Will Hunting' in ABC's 'High Potential'

By Jen Maravegias | TV | September 19, 2024 |

By Jen Maravegias | TV | September 19, 2024 |

Wake up, babe. A new quirky detective show just dropped.

Based on the French television series HPI - Haut Potentiel Intellectuel, ABC’s High Potential stars and is produced by Kaitlin Olson of It’s Always Sunny. She plays a single mom hiding her high IQ behind a low-wage job and a vibrant wardrobe until the police recruit her to help solve challenging cases.

Morgan (Olson) is content scraping by, cleaning the bullpen for LA’s Major Crimes Unit—Kyra Sedgwick’s old beat from The Closer. She’s on her own with three kids: a teenager constantly embarrassed by her, a tween who idolizes her, and a toddler who’s too young to have an opinion. Morgan’s 160 IQ is both a blessing and a curse. She can calculate the exact cost of groceries before the cashier rings them up (much to her daughter’s dismay). But her high cognitive abilities also come with anxiety and a “compulsion to put things right,” as she explains to Lieutenant Soto (Scrubs’ Judy Reyes).

During a late-night cleaning session, Morgan notices all the mistakes the detectives are making on a high-profile murder case while dancing to “Heavy Cross” by Gossip. It might be the most perfect opening sequence to set a TV show’s tone ever.

When Morgan goes all Good Will Hunting on the detectives’ crime board, she’s arrested for obstruction until she points out all the clues they missed to Lt. Soto and Detective Karadec (Daniel Sunjata from Power Book II: Ghost). Detective Karadec isn’t interested in her help, as there needs to be an external conflict for her to overcome. But Lt. Soto quickly sees that she’s a savant and a wealth of useful knowledge, like knowing the direction the wind blows into the LA basin and which direction churches face (always east?). That information could come in handy.

Like Monk and Castle before her, Morgan has to earn the police’s trust by solving the case they can’t crack. Sure, she uses extrajudicial methods without facing consequences, but she’s plucky, like Nancy Drew, so who’s going to stop her?

High Potential also features Taran Killam as Morgan’s schlub of an ex-husband, Batwoman’s Javicia Leslie and Deniz Akdeniz (The Flight Attendant) as junior detectives, and Garret Dillahunt will join the cast later this season.

Olson is pitch-perfect in this role, balancing quirky know-it-all energy with sarcasm and humor. She and Judy Reyes are going to be great together. While I’m almost certain there will eventually be a romantic subplot between Morgan and Karadec, I’ll enjoy every moment of their antagonistic relationship until then.

Of course, every quirky detective needs a driving force behind their desire to solve crimes. Will Trent had his mother’s death. Monk had his wife’s death. Morgan’s motivation is the disappearance of her husband, the father of her eldest daughter, who vanished without a trace years ago. She’ll help the police if they help her.

High Potential is a fun romp that continues Hollywood’s love affair with unconventional crime fighting. It will fit perfectly into your viewing schedule between Will Trent and Elsbeth this season.

New episodes of High Potential will air on Tuesday nights on ABC and will be available the next day to stream on Hulu.