Follows Morgan, a single mom of three kids and how thanks to her exceptional mind, she is able to help to solve a crime as she rearranges evidence during her shift as a cleaner for the police department.
Welcome, fellow TV junkies, to another thrilling deep dive into the abyss of prime-time television. Today, we're unpacking ABC's shiny new bauble, High Potential, which stars Kaitlin Olson, Javicia Leslie, and Daniel Sunjata. If you ever thought the intersection of crime-solving, domestic chaos, and janitorial duties could only be found in the dark corners of Reddit fanfiction, oh boy, do I have a show for you.
Plot Twist: Cleaners Make the Best Detectives
Let’s start with the basics: High Potential follows Morgan, a single mom of three—because in TV land, no protagonist is ever happily married or childless—who somehow moonlights as a cleaner at a police department. No, she’s not solving the mystery of the weird stains in the break room fridge; she’s solving real crimes. Thanks to her freakishly sharp mind and a knack for rearranging evidence, Morgan manages to make Sherlock Holmes look like he’s playing Clue with his eyes closed.
Now, ABC clearly dug deep into their vault of international intellectual properties to pull this one out, adapting the French series HPI Haut Potentiel Intellectuel. That’s right, it’s Americanized: think croissants turned into Krispy Kremes. Morgan is essentially the human embodiment of that one friend who rearranges your fridge every time they come over. But this time, instead of being a lovable weirdo, she’s cracking unsolvable cases. I mean, sure, she’s a cleaner, but don’t let that fool you—this gal has a brain that works faster than an infomercial slap-chop.
The Nostalgia Factor: Monk, Columbo, and a Sprinkle of Quirk
What’s cool about High Potential? It’s got that retro crime-solving charm we’ve missed since Monk put his wipes away and Columbo finally got to rest his trench coat. Morgan’s got the kind of mind that’s one part savant, one part chaos, and every part perfect for this kind of show. She’s not quite psychic, not quite a detective, but just savvy enough to make the professionals look like they got their badges in a cereal box. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill cop procedural—it’s like a Sudoku puzzle wrapped in a Rubik’s Cube with a dash of Cheetos dust. You know, fun and confusing.
The pacing? Solid. It hits the sweet spot between “Are we still on this?” and “Wait, what just happened?” The show knows when to speed up, slow down, and slap you in the face with a revelation. You get just enough time to savor Morgan’s brilliant deductions before being catapulted into the next twist, like a carnival ride that only occasionally makes you want to hurl. For those nostalgic for crime-solvers with actual personality and skills beyond firing a gun in slow motion, this might just scratch that itch.
The Downside: Disorders, Diversities, and the Compulsion Olympics
Now, let’s talk about what I didn’t like, and oh, where do I begin? High Potential is like a potluck of personal issues—everyone’s got a little something going on, and it’s all baked into the script. It’s like the writers’ room had a dartboard of disorders and went to town. Morgan’s quirks are charming until you realize every other character is one diagnosis away from a therapy couch. We get it; people have issues. But sometimes, I just want to watch a crime get solved without a TED Talk on cognitive disorders. If I wanted a PSA, I’d watch after-school specials, not prime-time dramas.
And then there’s the diversity bingo card. Look, I’m all for representation, but ABC goes for the gold medal here. We’ve got female bosses, a kaleidoscope of races and orientations, and every checkbox ticked faster than a millennial scrolling through Tinder. It’s like they’re trying to win some kind of corporate award for inclusivity, and the whole thing starts feeling more like a diversity parade than an organically cast ensemble. Yes, it’s 2024, and it’s good to see the rainbow, but sometimes the forced “Look how progressive we are!” shtick can overshadow what the show is actually about—crime-solving cleaners, remember?
The Bottom Line: Ranking the Chaos
In the grand pantheon of quirky crime shows, High Potential manages to stand out—not because it’s perfect, but because it’s an endearing hot mess. Kaitlin Olson shines as Morgan, delivering a performance that’s equal parts “cool aunt” and “unstoppable genius.” Javicia Leslie and Daniel Sunjata do their best with what they’re given, but make no mistake, this is Olson’s show. The pacing keeps you engaged, the mystery solving is clever, and the humor? Just enough to keep you smirking without rolling your eyes—well, except when the public service announcements start.
I’d love to tell you that this is the next Monk, but it’s more like Monk’s slightly weirder cousin who shows up to Thanksgiving dressed as Poirot. It’s entertaining, it’s a bit much, and it’s definitely trying too hard to check every box. For now, it’s a solid 6.7 out of 10. It’s good enough to keep on in the background while you fold laundry, but maybe not the show you cancel plans for.
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