The first season finale of High Potential gave us a few answers but also opened up a brand-new mystery. The series centers on single mom Morgan Gillory, who is working as a consultant for the LAPD. She was originally the cleaning lady, and Morgan marches to the beat of her own drum. Morgan is incredibly brilliant, and her ability to make connections and recall information earned her a spot on the squad. Her unorthodox approach often aggravates her by-the-book partner, Detective Adam Karadec, played by Daniel Sunjata.
During the High Potential finale, the team was challenged to play games with a diabolical kidnapper. This madman even kidnapped Detective Lev "Oz" Ozdil. Thankfully, Morgan solved a riddle which took them to a house with a pool. Oz was restrained at the bottom, and Karadec saved him in the nick of time. So, while the team's main suspect David Peck had been in rehab for months, someone else was pretending to be him.
Somehow, before the police gala, Morgan fits in some shopping. A stranger at the grocery store who interacted with Morgan seemed kind. However, when Morgan was unpacking her groceries, she found a note that read, “You’re the one, Morgan. We shall play again. Me and you.” Creepy!
Why Tom is a better match for Morgan on High Potential
Since she was going to the gala, Morgan phoned Tom, the former janitor-turned-nurse. Tom, played by J.D. Pardo, took a job in San Diego. He accepts Morgan's invitation, and they meet up at the gala. When Tom arrived, Morgan was sharing a dance with Karadec, but he respectfully bowed out. Morgan and Tom have a sizzling chemistry, and you can tell that, on a deeper level, they understand each other. It is a completely different dynamic than Morgan and Karadec.
TVLine spoke with High Potential's showrunner, Todd Harthan, about Morgan and Tom's possible future. Harthan is open to the idea of seeing Tom in Season 2. That sounds promising!
"“I love the guy, and I love the character. There’s a lot of affection, and nobody did anything bad to each other. There’s a lovely thing there, so who knows?”"Todd Harthan
In the end, Harthan sent Tom to San Diego, so he could remain in Morgan's orbit. After all, Tom and Morgan are both down-to-earth people. Yes, Morgan is brilliant, but she is on equal footing with Tom. When he told her that he was moving, she was sad and disappointed. Obviously, Morgan can't juggle a relationship right now, but I hope to see this flirtation eventually develop into a romance.
While there is a case to be made that Karadec could also end up in a romance with Morgan, I feel like Tom makes more sense. Plus, I love seeing Karadec and Morgan's dynamic while they are working together. I wouldn't want to see anything jeopardize their partnership at the LAPD.
High Potential season 1 is now available to stream on Hulu.
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