season 1, episode 7, “One of Us”

“Who is the best detective in the LAPD Major Crimes Division?” This question is asked in High potential‘s midseason finale. And the answer, simply put, is that it’s not a detective at all: it’s the cleaning lady turned consultant. Morgan Guillory’s (Kaitlin Olson) 160 IQ, photographic memory, quick thinking and empathy make her an ideal researcher. She catches things others don’t see, listens patiently to potential suspects and, best of all, isn’t completely bound by rules, much to the chagrin of her partner, Detective Karadec (Daniel Sunjata).

So yeah, Morgan is the unofficial best detective right now. She proves it again in ‘One Of Us’ when their bullpen is taken hostage by two former US Army sergeants. She’s the one who solves the case and saves everyone while stuck in the LAPD building with no resources and scared for her teenage daughter she brought to work. It’s both impressive and bizarre – to the point that I often raised my eyebrows. To understand how her mind works, we have to accept that agents like Karadec, Selena (Judy Reyes), Daphne (Javicia Leslie), Oz (Deniz Azkendiz), and Melon (Garret Dillahunt) aren’t that great. They are undoubtedly good, but they do not have the same qualities as Morgan.

I know that’s the premise of the show, but I’d like to remind everyone that Kate Beckett was at least a seasoned, skilled detective before an amateur mystery writer joined her motley crew. Castle. But it’s okay. I’m in because the cast is great, the procedural element has some fun jokes, and High potential has proven itself to be a worthy weekly escape, as well as a big part of why network TV is so back.

Getting back to the core of “One Of Us”: Morgan’s kid beats her at a board game and her reward is a “yes day” – meaning Morgan has to do what Ava (Amirah Johnson) asks. At the top of her list is a field trip to her mother’s office. They pick a bad day to go in, because after a quick tour, while Ava is in the restroom, two highly trained National Guard officers take control of the floor at gunpoint. Morgan is stuck in the Major Crimes bullpen with Daphne, Melon and a dozen other staffers. Fortunately, Karadec, Selena and Oz are outside and can help from the police van in the parking lot. Morgan also quickly texts Ava to leave the building, but she should know better than to think a teenage girl is going to blindly listen. Naturally, Ava doesn’t leave and hides in a small office until she is caught.

Why does this actually happen? The attackers, Brooke (Addison Timlin) and Jeremy (Michael Trotter), want to break their friend out of prison. They believe Logan (Maurice Marvel Meredith) has been wrongly arrested for the murder of their mentor. Brooke and Jeremy want the cops to find the real killer before they blow up the place with bombs. Morgan is the only one who believes them. She quickly deduces how Logan was framed for a crime he didn’t commit and vows to find out who did it. Morgan and Karadec, bickering as they may, establish that they are a strong team even though they are not physically together. The duo work together, talking sporadically over the phone while everyone listens, to track down the real criminal.

As this all unfolds, Morgan also connects with Brooke on a personal level. She realizes that Brooke and Logan are in love and plan to start a family. This puts Jeremy over the edge – I guess he’s not a fan of being the third wheel – and he gets angrier as the episode goes on, eventually getting into a physical fight involving the janitor, Tom (JD Pardo). gets injured. Now, in case you just tune in High potentialMorgan and Tom have been flirting for a while before he finally asks her out at the top of ‘One Of Us’. Tragic timing!

Fortunately, Morgan convinces Brooke to let Ava and Tom out of the building. This leads to what I think is Olson’s best acting on the show yet. She says a tearful goodbye to Ava, not knowing if they will see each other again. I mean, viewers know Nothing bad will happen, but Olson sells it anyway. High potential is a basic procedure on paper, but the reason it works so well is Olson’s leading performance.

By the end of the episode, when the real killer is arrested, Brooke and Jeremy are also on their way to prison. (Looks like Logan’s the only one who got out of this situation without a hitch, huh?) It’s a predictable outcome that’s only made better by the fact that Ava and all of Morgan’s colleagues now understand how vital she is to the division . Even the gruff Melon gives in and gives Morgan her own desk at the police station. (About damn time!) How long will it last? High potentialDo Morgan’s writers find a way to send Morgan to proper LAPD training?

Once again I have to walk back and think about what Karadec and Selena were doing before Morgan arrived. They were solving cases, but not at the same speed as with her help. For example, the only reason Morgan quickly realizes that Brooke’s bombs are fake is because she is familiar with a 1991 Montreal Convention that stipulated that plastic explosives require a substance that is an irritant. Who carries that kind of information in their brain?

Stray observations

• • We now have four love interests for Morgan: her partner, Karadec; her ex, Ludo (Taran Killam); LAPD’s handsome janitor, Tom; and her yet-to-be-seen other ex, Roman, if he’s still alive. I’m on team Karadec, but I support my girl Morgan having fun with Tom.
• • Speaking of Roman, Selena and Melon chillingly investigate his disappearance 15 years ago. To catch you up on the previous episodes, they found evidence that he was returning home (he had diapers in the car for baby Ava) when something potentially bad happened to him.
• • Morgan’s outfits are becoming more and more professional, but they still exude a hint of her eccentric personality. I hope they don’t lose that charm.
• • One of the funniest scenes of the midseason finale involved Melon volunteering to be the best detective around, which led to Morgan and Daphne having a “WTF?” shared. Look.
• • Seven episodes in and not much has been done Daphne, Oz and Selena have to do it. Let’s hope that changes.
• • In case you missed it, High potential‘Viewer numbers are flourishing. As of last week, it is ABC’s most-watched new series in six years. This bodes well for a possible second season. And that’s a good reason to start tuning in if you’re still unsure.
• • See you next year!