TL;DR: High Potential’s midseason finale delivers everything you want from a network procedural: high-stakes drama, sharp humor, and a plot twist that makes you question everyone’s motives. Kaitlin Olson continues to own the role of Morgan, Wagner remains the human embodiment of “red flag,” and the Roman mystery is about to blow wide open. Bring on 2026 — I’m not emotionally ready, but I’ll be watching anyway.
High Potential season 2
There’s a moment about halfway through High Potential’s midseason finale when I genuinely yelled at my TV — like full-on, “Don’t go in there, Morgan!” energy — and that’s when I realized ABC’s underdog detective drama has fully graduated from quirky procedural to full-blown obsession. The One That Got Away isn’t just a cheeky title for a stolen Rembrandt case; it’s also a sly wink at how this show keeps slipping through the cracks of your expectations — and then sucker-punching you with emotional chaos and cliffhangers worthy of a prestige thriller.
Episode 7 officially closes out the first half of High Potential’s sophomore season, and wow, it does not hold back. It’s a delicious cocktail of mystery, heartbreak, and “Wait, is that guy evil or just European?” energy, shaken over ice and served with Kaitlin Olson’s razor-sharp wit.
When Morgan and Karadec get called in to investigate a stolen Rembrandt worth $22 million, my first thought was: “Finally, a case that’s bougie enough to match Morgan’s chaos.” The setup feels deceptively simple — a missing masterpiece, an anxious rich couple, and a brooding art recovery expert who looks like he just wandered out of a cologne commercial.
Enter Rhys Eastman (Aiden Turner), the “specialist” sent by the insurance company to help track down the painting. Within five minutes of meeting him, I knew two things: 1) He was absolutely going to kiss Morgan at some point, and 2) He was definitely shady. That combo has “disaster rom-com meets noir thriller” written all over it.
But here’s the beauty of High Potential: even when you see a twist coming, it still lands with style. The investigation spirals from art theft to potential war crime when Morgan discovers that the painting might have been stolen from a Jewish family during the Holocaust. Suddenly, the stakes aren’t just about recovering stolen art — they’re about generational trauma, stolen identity, and who gets to claim ownership of history. The writers handle it with a surprising amount of gravity, balancing the show’s quirky tone with some genuine pathos.
And then, of course, Captain Wagner (Steve Howey) has to come in and ruin everyone’s good time by throwing a public tantrum.
Look, I don’t know who needs to hear this at ABC, but Wagner’s “will-they-won’t-they” dynamic with Morgan stopped being charming about three meltdowns ago. There’s a fine line between stern leadership and mansplaining in Dolby Atmos, and Wagner crosses it every episode with Olympic precision.
His attempt to humiliate Morgan in front of the entire station? Not cool. His weird jealousy-fueled meddling in the investigation? Even less cool. I swear, the guy operates like a LinkedIn post about “alpha leadership.” It’s becoming increasingly obvious that he’s hiding something — and not just bad communication skills.
Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) finally calls him out, bless his French soul, which sets up what might be the best verbal sparring of the season. The quiet, steady Karadec standing up to Wagner gave me flashbacks to every slow-burn cop show from the early 2000s (The Closer, anyone?). It’s restrained, mature, and loaded with subtext. Meanwhile, Morgan’s off having drinks with Rhys, which — in true High Potential fashion — devolves into a makeout session and a shocking realization that, surprise, her new crush is the thief.
Rhys turning out to be the culprit could’ve felt cliché, but instead it plays like a gut punch. It’s classic Morgan: too smart for her own good, too trusting of the wrong men, and just impulsive enough to chase a lead straight into heartbreak.
Parallel to the Rembrandt fiasco is the slow-burning Roman Sinquerra arc, which at this point has more layers than a lasagna. We finally get some movement when Arthur calls Morgan to warn her that he’s being followed after handing over Roman’s backpack. She, being the queen of “I’ll handle it myself,” loops in only the people she trusts — Selena, Daphne, and Oz — to unpack the mystery.
The contents of that backpack are giving Lost-meets-Seven energy: cryptic photos, dead ends, and one massive clue that ties everything back to a mysterious man who’s apparently willing to kill to retrieve it. When Arthur ends up confronted by that very man — played with icy menace by John Pyper-Ferguson — it’s clear we’re headed for something much darker in the back half of the season.
The Roman plotline has been teased since Season 1, but it’s finally feeling like it’s about to explode. If the first season finale was a grenade, this midseason closer is the sound of the pin being pulled.
What makes this episode work isn’t just the mystery, though. It’s the tone. High Potential continues to walk the tightrope between heartfelt character study and procedural absurdity. Kaitlin Olson remains the show’s MVP — she plays Morgan like a caffeinated Sherlock Holmes who shops at Target and parents like she’s running a start-up. Every time she connects the dots mid-conversation or outsmarts a suspect while eating takeout, it’s TV magic.
By the time the credits rolled — after a shocking murder, Rhys’ true identity reveal, and a menacing tease of what’s coming next — I realized I hadn’t blinked for about twenty minutes. This is ABC’s best midseason cliffhanger since How to Get Away with Murder’s Season 1 finale, and that’s saying something.
The only downside? We now have to wait until 2026 for answers. Seriously, ABC, what kind of emotional hostage situation is that?
High Potential Season 2, Episode 7, “The One That Got Away,” is a confident, twisty, and emotionally rich midseason finale that proves this show has finally found its stride. Between its clever writing, standout performances, and jaw-dropping cliffhanger, it cements itself as one of ABC’s smartest and most underrated series. If the back half keeps up this level of energy — and finally gives us Roman Sinquerra in the flesh — we’re looking at something special.
