‘High Potential’ Review: Kaitlin Olson Is the One Good Reason to Watch ABC’s Clumsy Procedural

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‘High Potential’ Review: Kaitlin Olson Is the One Good Reason to Watch ABC’s Clumsy Procedural

As a seasoned TV critic with over two decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen it all – from the sublime to the ridiculous, and everything in between. And let me tell you, “High Potential” has piqued my curiosity like no other show in recent memory.

Note to writers: If your main character feels the need to announce their IQ wholly unprompted, I’m going to require at least 30 minutes before I’m prepared to take them seriously again as a likable human. If you’re prepared to take that risk, have at it, but otherwise it’s perhaps advisable to have your character simply prove their intelligence.

Approximately one-quarter through the pilot episode of ABC’s fresh procedural dramedy titled High Potential, an excessive amount of information is dumped, akin to any I’ve previously encountered. Kaitlin Olson‘s character, Morgan, shares her IQ with a senior LAPD officer – 160 if it matters to you, though it truly doesn’t. The dialogue persists beyond this revelation.

In simpler terms, Morgan refers to her exceptional abilities as being “someone with a highly developed intellect.” This implies she has superior mental faculties, including creative thinking and an exceptional memory, among other things.

Sounds great, right? WRONG-O!

160-IQ Morgan replies, “No, not something to be called a gift. Instead, my brain is consumed by every minor issue I encounter. It’s relentless and chaotic, making it hard for me to maintain employment, relationships, or even carry on a conversation. It’s not a gift.

It’s a bad scene, but it’s brief and it does, if nothing else, lay out the premise of High Potential, which shouldn’t be as difficult this series is making it look. Viewers are familiar already with Good Will Hunting (or Abbott Elementary) and thus the not-so-shocking notion that somebody could both be super intelligent AND work on a custodial crew. Viewers are even more familiar with the idea that police departments often employ civilian consultants to lend their expertise to floundering detectives.

Despite having sent three episodes to critics, the series titled High Potential is yet grappling with understanding the fundamental aspects of ideas that seem remarkably clear. It’s a challenging journey I’m prepared to endure a little while longer, solely due to one factor: Kaitlin Olson.

In the passage given, Olson’s character Morgan is depicted as a LAPD officer who is also a mother of three: Ava (Amirah J), Elliot (Matthew Lamb), and baby Chloe. Unlike the city of Los Angeles which seems to be crime-free at early mornings, Morgan shows up at the LAPD, where she dances around while cleaning with her headphones on, even when no one else is around. On a particular day, while dancing (boogie), she accidentally knocks over a case box. Upon looking at the contents, she makes an important adjustment to a crime board that was tracking a mystery involving a murder and a missing woman.

Detective Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) isn’t pleased when someone disturbs his crime scene setup, so he commands a thorough search through the security footage to find the offender. This is because, unfortunately, there are times when the LAPD offices are unattended and it’s hard to identify who might be present. Eventually, Morgan is called in for questioning about tampering with evidence until she pulls one of those clever, “Let me clarify everything in a condescending manner!” stunts that makes almost everyone understand she’s exceptionally intelligent. However, this isn’t the title of a new television show airing next month. Instead, it’s a scenario from a fictional series.

Well, around then, Morgan starts flaunting her smarts, or as she puts it, her IQ. She mentions her penchant for binge-watching documentaries, which gives her an edge in knowing the history of church architecture across Europe, the naming traditions in Madagascar, the burning duration of candles, and just about anything else that could come in handy while tackling cases within the LAPD’s Major Crimes division. Frankly, it seems like these early episodes have them solving crimes that might not be as high-stakes as I would have expected.

Karadec maintains a degree of doubt, yet he and Morgan engage in their typical detective-contractor banter. Supervisor Selena (played by Judy Reyes) is simply relieved to have an addition who can enhance the department’s case resolution numbers. On the other hand, colleagues Oz (Deniz Akdeniz) and Daphne (Javicia Leslie) greet her with a subtle mix of warmth and reservation.

High Potential, initially conceived by Drew Goddard from a French format, might seem surprising since its premise – “genius single mom police consultant” – could have been considered as original without much hesitation. However, it appears that certain aspects of the French structure are subtly woven into this American adaptation, although they may not be immediately apparent. Given Goddard’s initial involvement, the show was then handed over to the original creator Rob Thomas and half the team from iZombie, another series featuring a civilian consultant. They subsequently passed the reins to Todd Harthan, known for his work on Rosewood, where the civilian consultant was a private pathologist. The show seems to be undergoing changes as it evolves.

This is a lot of creative people — a lot of TALENTED creative people — to not be able to solve one big riddle: How much does Morgan’s “high potential” actually allow her to know?

In a scenario where Morgan possesses extensive knowledge on one specific subject, it would be necessary to include other characters, regardless of her attempts to guide investigations towards that particular area. However, if she only has a basic understanding across various topics, there should be someone else in the office, using a computer to research the complex ideas she can’t fully articulate. As things currently stand, Morgan seems to know everything about everything, which might render everyone else unnecessary.

What role do each character play within the story? Essentially, Selena is portrayed as a compassionate supervisor, while Garret Dillahunt enters the scene in episode 2, adding a skeptical authority figure to the mix. Meanwhile, Oz and Daphne, who are presently undecided about their areas of expertise, serve to express admiration.

Karadec consistently comes across as rigid, critical, and often mistaken, except in matters related to fundamental police protocol. It seems Morgan spends her evenings watching anywhere from 10 to 12 hours of television and YouTube, but not true crime documentaries or Dick Wolf dramas (though this could have been clarified with a brief dialogue line). Given this, Karadec serves as a sort of guide for technicalities like “evidentiary chain of custody” and “gloves,” to Morgan. This makes the other detectives appear less intelligent, while Karadec ensures the LAPD maintains its ethical standards. To put it bluntly, this dynamic is funnier than any dialogue so far.

The main focus in the first three episodes seems to be understanding when and what Morgan is aware of, far surpassing the temporary cases of the week, which can be easily discarded. So far, High Potential has shown a knack for illustrating Morgan’s different sparks of inspiration with humorous interjections, even causing me to laugh out loud on several occasions. Keep up this quirky approach and show more unusual locations in Los Angeles. Embrace what sets your series apart!

At present, Olson stands out significantly in her roles, particularly in comedic performances on ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’. While it took the industry a bit of time to recognize the underlying dramatic authenticity in her wildest comedic works, such as “Hundred Dollar Baby” and “Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare”, her work on ‘The Mick’ and her Emmy-nominated ‘Hacks’ have demonstrated her versatility. Although this performance may not be considered “serious” due to elements like the costumes and dancing, Olson is capable of anchoring even the most outlandish scenes with her strength, and she manages to convey the absurdity of certain moments in a way that ‘High Potential’ recognizes.

In terms of her home life on the show, she convincingly portrays tender scenes with Lamb and Amirah J, as well as the infants, although the series hasn’t fully utilized Taran Killam’s character, Ludo, her ex-slacker, who is mainly characterized as “Named Ludo.” Olson and Sunjata are still working on their on-screen chemistry; in the pilot episode, it appeared that Sunjata was reading lines off-camera, but he has been improving. Fortunately, there’s no hint that we should be hoping for a romantic relationship between them in the future.

The versatility to take on any tonal shift is what makes Morgan, our character, ideal for the Major Crimes team – however, given her quirks and affinity towards lighter crimes, one might argue she’d be better suited for handling more playful cases. This series has tremendous potential in Olson, and to realize it fully, other aspects need to evolve alongside her.

(Concluding note: Unless your main character is a bouncer for a Mensa-affiliated strip club, there’s no reason for ANYBODY to ever say their IQ in your movie or TV show. But I would absolutely watch your show about the bouncer for a Mensa-affiliated strip club.)

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2024-09-17 16:55