High Potential

^{Review by AJ}

High Potential is a crime procedural featuring a high IQ single mother who gets recruited by the police after accidentally solving a murder case using her extraordinary organizing skill. Blending Sherlock Holmes-style crime solving with fish out of water hijinks, High Potential – adapted by Cloverfield’s Drew Goddard from the French television series HPI (Haut Potentiel Intellectuel) – stands out among the barrage of crime shows on television with its fresh, eccentric approach.

Though she possesses an IQ of 160, single mother Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) works as a cleaner at the LAPD headquarters to support her kids. Her Sherlock-esque ability gets revealed when she stumbles, quite literally, over a murder case file. As she picks up the file's crime scene photos, she determines that the case's primary suspect, the victim's wife, is also a victim, and marks it on the LAPD's murder board, solving the case in the process. Seeing her potential, LAPD Major Crime boss Selena (Judy Reyes) recruits her to be a special consultant. Morgan is paired with Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), a senior detective who’s sceptical of her unorthodox method. Together, the mismatched pair must combine their expertise to crack bizarre crimes around LA.

Truth be told, High Potential’s weekly cases are the run-of-the-mill mysteries you can find in every crime show on TV. However, the show makes up for it with plenty of character charm, courtesy of its spirited leading lady. Morgan’s almost superhuman deduction skills are juxtaposed with her straightforward and often eclectic demeanour, which often bemuses or annoys the people she comes across, not least her partner Karadec. The two are the textbook buddy cop pairing: one a gruff, by the book officer; the other a brilliant hot mess. Olson and Sunjata’s chemistry carries this dynamic really well. 

Something else the show does really well : more than the typical weird uber genius trope, Morgan’s character is also brimming with warmth and affection. A single mother with three children of every age group, the show balances her crime-fighting career with her chaotic home life: the money trouble, the challenges of co-parenting, the frustration of raising an angsty teen. Part of why Morgan joins the police force is motivated by her oldest daughter, who has a different father than her younger siblings and is the only one who did not inherit her mother’s super intelligence. It puts a strain on their relationship, but also gives way to some of the show’s most tender moments. It’s just refreshing to see a depiction of an empowered female lead in this way. The heartfelt approach also extends to its case of the week, which often highlights human relationships as much as the violent details. 

Fast paced and kinetically charged, one of the show’s most enjoyable allures is its hyper extra editing. To illustrate Morgan’s unique thinking, the show goes out of its way to put really imaginative imagery on screen. It’s not enough to have Morgan rap her way to expositional deductions, the show also adds really cool re-enactment scenes that go hard on the comedic angle. This show’s commitment to its absurdist humour is not only fun to watch, it also perfectly suits its heroine. The dynamic, vibrant cinematography really lifts the show from the often drab non-cable and streaming outputs, proving that creativity has not truly left network TV, especially in the procedural genre. 

With a magnetic leading performance, heartwarming storylines and joyously bold visuals, High Potential stands higher than the rest.