Becoming The Muse

High Potential Series Review

High Potential is a 2024 American Crime Drama series created for ABC. It is based on the 2021 French television series HPI. The series premiered on the 17th of September 2024.

The show follows a single mother who works as a cleaning lady for the Los Angeles Police Department. She is a High Potential Intellectual with an IQ of 160 who becomes a consultant for the LAPD’s Major Crimes division, where she uses her skills to help solve crime.

The Good

It’s a light hearted show which might be just what the doctor ordered when you are looking for something clever, engagaing and humourous to watch. It feels like a blend of Law and Order with Monk, The Mentalist and a hint of Psych.

Kaitlin Olson as Morgan is funny with the snarkiness of a human tornado who confidently walks into a room, knowing that with a genius IQ, she is the smartest person in the room. She is as chaotic and charming as she is quirky and endearing.

The supporting cast are good particularly Daniel Sunjata who plays Detective Karadec lending an interesting dynamic which spins around like two magnets that can’t decide whether to attract or repel each other.

Each episode is a stand-alone case following a crime of the week procedural investigation, with a running subplot that keeps everything loosely connected. After watching mystery box shows like From and Teacup, its refreshing to watch something that’s not only light but gives self-contained answers.

The Bad

While the show tries to go for a unique perspective its still a procedural crime drama and not as groundbreakingly clever as it would seem if you have watched The Mentalist or Monk or maybe even Medium but without the supernatural.

It feels fresh and familiar, even the little plot twists in the episodes where you know at the end of the day they solve the case.

Major cases usually involve murder and so it can get a bit jarring reconciling the murders with the show’s light hearted and comedic nature giving it a dark humour edge.

The Ugly  

While the show tries to break stereotypes, Morgan’s whimsical character as a High Potential Intellectual doesn’t quite add up, you’d think she’d at least have had her life organised in the way her OCD makes her meticulously breakdown crime scenes, how did she end up as simply a cleaner.

Its explained that her condition means she cant keep a job and tends to quit, but really with a 160 IQ, I am sure one could figure a way earn comfortable money by their own terms.

Just when the show has grown on me, it went on a winter break and wont have any new episodes until January 2025…

Final Thoughts

High Potential is a light and entertaining crime drama that one will find easy to binge watch as they try to solve the who-dun-it cases..

Have you watched this or similar shows.