Wow, ABC Must Have Been So Impressed With High Potential (& Its Ballsy Season 1 Finale Proves That)

Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from the High Potential season 1 finale, "Let's Play."

High Potential was the breakout network TV show of the 2024–2025 season, and ABC seemingly predicted it would be a success given the events of the season 1 finale. The police procedural, created by Drew Goddard, is based on the French-Belgian crime drama HPI. It centers around Kaitlin Olson's Morgan Gillory, a high potential intellectual with an IQ above 160. Morgan works as a cleaning lady for the LAPD, and one night, while on the job, she stumbles upon an unsolved case. Using her gifted intelligence, Morgan figures out a suspect is innocent, resulting in her becoming an LAPD consultant.

High Potential has a 96 percent Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its Popcornmeter (aka the Audience Score) sits at 81 percent. The website's critics' consensus reads, "With the ineffable Kaitlin Olson on hand to inject some spiky personality into a familiar formula, High Potential is a solid procedural with plenty of upside."

High Potential set multiple viewership records upon its release. Its premiere on ABC initially garnered about 3.6 million viewers. However, the pilot obtained a 220 percent audience boost after three days, adding up to 11.5 million viewers after the episode's addition to Hulu, Disney+, and other digital platforms (per Variety). Consequently, High Potential became the most-watched new series on ABC since The Conners debuted in 2018. The police procedural's ratings only continued to grow, resulting in its season 2 renewal in January 2025.

High Potential Season 1 Ends With Multiple Cliffhangers

The Finale Doesn't Contain Any Closure

It's a good thing ABC renewed High Potential for a second season because its season 1 finale ends with numerous mysterious and exciting cliffhangers. If the show had been canceled, viewers would be left with many questions that could never be answered (at least, on the screen). Thankfully, High Potential has been a triumph, meaning fans will see what happens next in the story.

Throughout High Potential season 1, episode 13, the team attempts to track down a kidnapper snatching people from a grief support group (which also includes Oz). The suspect likes to play games (literally) with Morgan and the detectives. The solutions, which Morgan is always able to figure out, lead to the victims. Unfortunately, the LAPD doesn't catch the kidnapper by the finale's end, but Morgan unknowingly comes face-to-face with him.

While Morgan, Ava, and Elliot load their groceries into the car, an item falls out, and a man (played by David Giuntoli) picks it up and returns it to the family. Later, while unpacking the groceries, Morgan comes across a game she didn't buy. A sticker on it reads, "You're the one, Morgan. We shall play again. Me and you." The man from before dropped it in her bag, meaning he's the serial kidnapper. However, the High Potential cast has a long way to go before they're able to stop him.

High Potential continues teasing Morgan and Karadec's slow-burn romance, especially during their dance at the gala.

Karadec also calls Morgan right at the end of the High Potential season 1 finale, after she has discovered the game from the suspect. He tells her that he has found Roman, who is very much alive. The episode fades to black before the audience (or Morgan) can receive any more information. Elsewhere in the hour, High Potential continues teasing Morgan and Karadec's slow-burn romance, especially during their dance at the gala. Ultimately, season 2 has many cliffhangers to resolve.

ABC Must Have Known That High Potential Would Have Been Renewed For Season 2

The Network Greenlit The Obscure Season 1 Finale

Given the amount of cliffhangers in the High Potential season 1 finale, it's clear that ABC has a lot of faith in the series. If the writers were unsure whether the show would be renewed, they likely wouldn't have ended its first season with many unanswered questions. Instead, they were seemingly confident that ABC would renew High Potential for season 2.

High Potential Cast	Role
Kaitlin Olson	Morgan Gillory
Daniel Sunjata	Adam Karadec
Javicia Leslie	Daphne Forrester
Deniz Akdeniz	Lev "Oz" Ozdil
Amirah J	Ava Sinquerra
Matthew Lamb	Elliot Radovic
Judy Reyes	Selena Soto
Taran Killam	Ludo Radovic
JD Pardo	Tom
Garret Dillahunt	Lieutenant Melon

ABC executives probably expressed their belief that High Potential would succeed. As a result, the show's producers and writers knew they could end season 1 on their own terms, knowing season 2 was almost a guarantee. Thankfully, everyone was right, and High Potential season 2 is on its way.

What To Expect From High Potential Season 2

High Potential Will Likely Premiere In Fall 2025

While it's great that ABC renewed High Potential, the bad news is that viewers must wait at least seven months for season 2. It's slated for the 2025–2026 season, meaning its premiere will probably air in the fall of 2025. When the police procedural series returns, though, fans should expect answers to the season 1 finale's cliffhangers. Morgan and the team will continue investigating David Giuntoli's villainous character. Meanwhile, Morgan should reunite with Roman. However, High Potential season 2's story will also include new mysteries as the characters continue working together to solve cases.