High Potential Season 2 Premiere Review: Morgan v. The Game Maker? Iconic!
Oh, the Morgan versus The Game Maker matchup is about to be ICONIC.
It feels so good to have Morgan and the gang back, and High Potential Season 2 Episode 1 did not disappoint! The hour gave us the perfect taste of what’s in store for the season, and I can tell you right now, I’m going to be glued to the screen.
There are so many fantastic elements at play here with a certifiably chilling threat, an intriguing “patsy,” the squad genuinely feeling like the perfect found family, and the Roman mystery taking promising turns.
What’s already worth appreciating is how enriching it is as a viewer to see how close the team is now. We went from the early days of High Potential Season 1 where there was some resistance to Morgan’s addition to the team, to everyone missing her absence as she reeled from her scare.
We could feel how worried they were about her, and how closely they’re monitoring this case.
Soto expressing her guilt to Karadec over how she brought Morgan in was such a great moment because it spoke to the genuine care that these two women have developed with each other.
But it also put into perspective how The Game Maker and the specific trauma of what he’s inflicted on Morgan and her family is especially terrifying because Morgan is a civilian.
She didn’t sign up for the force and swear to Protect and Serve.
At the end of the day, she really isn’t like them, and she could abstractedly understand that this new consulting gig could lead to action and some risks, but nothing could prepare her for this.
And for once, the team responds to her lack of credentials with the appropriate empathy and concern. Despite all of their murder cases, there’s still a fun, kookiness to everything that allows Morgan to be in a bubble — until now.
It’s the first time where we’ve seen Morgan’s signature humor fade away into something heavier and more real, and I’m already excited about seeing these different layers to Morgan and how Katilin Olson flexes her skills even more with capturing the complexity of this character.
Morgan is terrified for herself and her children, and she’s not hiding it one bit. The team is doing a great job of being supportive of her, but that also came with a healthy dose of kid gloves.
She has seen the Game Maker multiple times and knows what he looks like. It’s not all in her head, even though she’s operating from a place of fear and trauma.
I loved how vulnerable but assertive she was confronting everyone in the bullpen. They meant well, but they kept assuming that her mind was playing tricks on her regarding the Game Maker’s taunts and the times she’s seen him.
But she made her case when reminding them, as a mother who is terrified of what this man is capable of and the threat he poses to her kids, she knows exactly what he looks like — every stand of hair and blemish (well, maybe not the latter, have you seen David Giuntoli’s face? It’s kinda perfect).
Morgan knows that man well, but he’s incredibly smart, and he knew that many people would doubt her. He loves to gaslight her and mess with her head. And he’s in there, deeply embedded, Morgan isn’t even denying or hiding that.
It’s what makes this matchup so delicious already. It puts me in mind of The Mentalist‘s Patrick Jane and Red John cat and mouse game. We’re only an episode into this, and it’s just as riveting.
The ending, in particular, was a standout. I didn’t envision Morgan coming face to face with him again so soon — I especially didn’t expect him too waltz into the bullpen where everyone can see him.
It felt like they’d drag that out a bit more, maybe play into the others struggling to support Morgan while still having some doubts.
But, admittedly, this way, everything about him is unexpected. I don’t know where we’re going next, and perhaps, that’s the point and what makes him such a formidable opponent for Morgan and the team.
Right now, he has them right where he wants them. Similarly, he has arranged the same for Jason. As an aside, it’s so great to see Nick Wechsler guest-starring as we wait for The Hunting Party‘s return.
The Game Maker arranged his downfall so menticiulously, that there isn’t much the cops can do for the guy. Every bit of evidence supports the theory that it’s Jason who killed their missing woman.
It’s an open and shut case, even without the body, and at best, they’ll be able to stop the ex-husband from killing Jason, but at worse, Jason will die, labeled a killer, and the ex-husband will go down, too.
But why do you think the Game Maker is showing up now? He has genuine interest in toying with Morgan. It seems her took this woman, partly because of her proximity. She also was a blonde single mother with a sense of style just like Morgan.
He keeps leaving all of these little clues that are innocuous enough for others to dismiss but are the perfect dog whistles for poor Morgan, sending her into a spiral to which we’ve never seen before.
It’s as if the issues for the Game Maker is that Morgan took herself out of play by hiding away with her family for some time, and he didn’t like that. He likes the cat-and-mouse thing, and he clearly sees her as a worthwhile opponent.
Thre’s no retreating or hiding if he has anything to do with it, so he succeeded in putting her back in play where she wanted to be or not.
The hour spent a lot of time on Morgan’s mental state, but we could also see bits of how rattled the team is, too.
Karadec has been pushing himself hard, not sleeping or stopping until he can catch this guy. Daphne and Oz are hot on his heels, but there’s a quiet, unspoken thing with Oz.
We had the briefest of moments where Morgan inquired about how he was doing, and another little nod at his experience. But I’m really looking forward to the season digging deeper into how he’s coping, too.
He nearly died, and that experience, even as a law enforcement officer who knows his life will be at risk, is still impactful. I would love to see how he’s carrying on despite all of this.
You do get the sense that the team is a bit more tight-knit with each other. They loved each other and had one another’s backs before, but they’re bonded like never before.
Hopefully, this season will really flesh him and Daphne out more. It’s a good start that there are no secrets between the team anymore.
Now, everyone knows about Roman and how Morgan came to join their unit in the first place. And with that barrier gone, it feels like everyone is on equal footing in a refreshing way.
Speaking of Roman, it was genuinely surprising to see them already introduce us to him by the hour’s end! Mekhi Phifer is EVERYTHING.
Seriously, this cast is unreal, from the mains to the guest stars, and might I add, there’s even A Million Little Things reunion of sorts, with James Roday Rodriguez directing.
They got a lead that Roman was in Vegas, and Daphne and Oz went to see him since Morgan didn’t want to leave her kids. But I’m wondering why he’s in that motel, and what’s he been running from.
Also, he pulled that letter out from beneath the mattress — was that Morgan’s address? Was he alaready on his way to her and the kids?
They left us with us one heck of a cliffhanger!
The Game Maker is wreaking havoc on Morgan and the team, and now, enter Roman!
That was such a strong opener, and I cannot wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds! But I’ve talked about it enough. Now, I’m dying to hear from you guys!
High Potential is BACK, baby, and firing off on all cylinders! What are you most looking forward to? What did you love about the premiere? Enjoyed this review? Help us out.
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