High Potential Season 2 Risks Losing Fans With Soap Opera Twist

High Potential season 1 was a huge hit for ABC. Adapted from a French crime series, the U.S. version stars Kaitlin Olson as Morgan Gillory, a single mother with a genius-level IQ who solves cases in High Potential season 1 for LAPD’s Major Crimes Unit as a consultant.

Season 1 had several overarching dramatic threads, including Morgan’s chemistry with her partner, Detective Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), and Morgan’s quest to solve the disappearance of her first husband years ago. High Potential’s season 1 finale upped the stakes by introducing the most chilling adversary for Morgan yet with the Game Maker twist.

However, showrunner Todd Harthan alludes to a concerning trend for High Potential season 2 that does not bode well for the future of the series (per TVInsider.com). If the show strays too far from the DNA of season 1, it risks losing the fans who love High Potential for being a procedural, not a soap opera.

High Potential Season 2 Story Tease Is Concerning For The Long-Term Future Of Kaitlin Olson’s ABC Hit

Showrunner Todd Harthan Is Open To A Love Triangle For Morgan In High Potential Season 2

ABC via MoviesStillDB

Morgan and Karadec’s will-they/won’t-they tension was a hallmark of High Potential season 1, but the introduction of their new captain, Nick Wagner (Steve Howey), might create a new romantic interest for Morgan. Showrunner Todd Harthan seems excited about the possibility of a love triangle.

When asked if Wagner is being positioned as another possible suitor for our heroine, Harthan happily admits that a love triangle could be in the cards. “I never say no to any good soap these days,” he laughs.

Harthan says he would “never say no to any good soap opera,” and emphasizes the chemistry that naturally exists between the actors. While the best writing certainly takes into account the interplay that organically happens on set, taking cues from soap opera storytelling seems unnecessary in what is already a fairly convoluted plot.

The danger in pushing a love triangle is that High Potential could lose sight of what made its first season resonate with audiences. Fans tuned in for a clever procedural anchored by Kaitlin Olson’s charisma, not for melodrama. If season 2 borrows too heavily from soap tropes, it risks diluting the show’s unique identity.

Why High Potential Doesn’t Need To Be Like A Soap Opera

High Potential Is Already Juggling Too Many Plotlines In Too Few Episodes For An Investigative Procedural

Image via ABC

High Potential is a dramatic investigative procedural with incredible moments of comedic relief, but it’s balancing a lot as is without adding a love triangle on top of Morgan’s messy personal life. Morgan is trying to find her missing husband while developing feelings for her current work partner – all while co-parenting with her second ex-husband (played by Taran Killam).

High Potential has been compared favorably to Psych, but High Potential is moving at rapid speed. Psych’s Shawn Spencer had similar will-they/won’t-they tension with his partner, but even in seasons with double the episode count, it still wasn’t until the end of Psych season 3 that a new love interest was brought in as a roadblock.

Now, High Potential’s showrunner has all but guaranteed a love triangle for Morgan in the beginning of season 2. Psych also waited three seasons to introduce a villain who targeted Shawn because of a delusion of being intellectual equals, but again Morgan has a faster timeline, introducing the Game Maker in High Potential‘s season 1 finale.

Fans like slow-burn tension, but High Potential is risking throwing too many soap elements into a dramatic procedural. Will there be time for a case-of-the-week between the romance, the Roman mystery, and the Game Maker’s targeted machinations? High Potential season 2 premieres Tuesday, September 16, and hopefully, it will remain the show fans have come to love.

Source: TVInsider.com