Spoilers below for the latest episode of High Potential for anyone who hasn’t yet watched on ABC, via YouTube TV subscription or via Hulu subscription.
High Potential waded into some near-cringe waters with its latest episode ”Content Warning,” which was partially set at a social media content house, which was filled with young influencers and a bazillion cameras. But as it usually goes, the big murder case of the week wasn’t all that pivotal to the serialized story playing out for Kaitlin Olson’s Morgan & Co, although it was admittedly fun to see that car get destroyed via accidental chemical expansion.
The installment did indeed take the characters a step further down the path to getting answers about the missing patriarch Roman, while also digging even deeper into Steve Howey’s unpredictable new captain. So let’s dive into the big questions I have regarding those two topics.
Will Roman's Backpack Actually Be Helpful For Morgan (And Ava)?
Given the Game Master villain outed himself already — not that I’m fooled for a second into thinking he’s actually gone forever — the core mystery spread across the entirety of Season 2 thus far ties into Mekhi Phifer’s new character Arthur, who showed up out of nowhere with a backpack and confirmation that Roman specifically tasked him with checking on the Guillory household. By the end of “Content Warning,” Ava going against her mother’s will seemingly helped tip the scales to convince Arthur to give Morgan the backpack, implying there’s something extremely important inside.
But what could it be, and will it actually be helpful Let’s try out a few guesses:
- The Diapers That Roman Went Out For
Perhaps the most emotionally gratifying outcome of anything possible, Morgan would no doubt sob herself into oblivious if she unzips that backpack to find the pack of diapers that Roman left home for 15 years prior and never returned with. It'd be a pretty precise way to prove himself to be the real deal without having to offer up any other information about his current situation. Plus, from the way Morgan and Arthur handle the bag, it doesn't seem to hold anything overtly weighty.
But that would mean Roman's captors (or whoever) would have allowed him to keep a pack of diapers for 15 years, and that he did it without anything happening to them. Still falls under "perfectly fine TV logic" though.
- A Map And/Or Other Information About Roman's Whereabouts
Considering we don't know where Roman is living, or what kind of people are in his vicinity, it's hard to know whether or not someone of note would have made sure that backpack was free from any location-identifying details. But if he was able to send her any kind of indication of where he is and how to find him, I have to think (or hope) that he would, even if it was extremely cryptic to anyone but Morgan.
On the flip side, it would seem silly to have had such a straightforward reveal right there under everyone's noses for multiple episodes without anyone doing anything with it. So maybe I'm on Team Diapers here. (And only here.)
- A Bunch Of Money
I don't really have any other info to bring into this guess. It just seems like a big bag of money is always a possibility in a situation like this, and who doesn't want a big bag of money? Probably someone working with the cops.
What Is Cpt. Nick Wagner's Deal, Though, For Real?
From the very second he appeared on-screen as the precinct's new Captain Nick Wagner, Steve Howey has been the personification of an ulterior motive, oozing an untenable vibe that isnt quite cocky, isn't quite suave, and isn't quite trustworthy, but also isn't the opposite of any of those qualities. He keeps trying to get Morgan alone, though, which is the only alarm bell I need to hear.
However, Wagner's a high-ranking officer within one of the largest police forces in the country, and comes from a blue-blooded family of cops. So even if his legacy could get him out of a spot of legal trouble, I can't imagine that he would just waltz into a new job in 2025 with the intent of being seen as extremely leery and possibly ageist. So what gives?
- Wagner Is A Plant Put Into Play By The Game Master
The whole family legacy thing does make this one seem less likely, although if one assumes the Game Master's bravado comes from having a bunch of cop relatives out in the world, then who better to take control of this corner of the LAPD than someone with the villain's interests in mind?
- This Isn't The Real Nick Wagner At All
What if this isn't actually the person that everyone thinks is Nick Wagner, and he's actually a plant put into pla...wait, I kind of already guessed this, with slightly different details. Maybe he's an alien. There, that's a new guess.
- He's Not Actually Menacing, And Is Just Awkwardly Crushing On Morgan
Another possibility is that Wagner's nature isn't malicious, but is just him being extremely awkward around others when he's attracted to someone. I'm still not completely sure if the showrunner's love triangle quotes were truly meant to make viewers think that Morgan would be fighting between Karadec and Wagner, but it's a thread that my brain keeps pulling at, even if the new captain is far more skeezy than flirty at this point.
Plus, him having the hots for Morgan wouldn't directly explain why he appears to favor others over Soto and Karadec, so even if he is attracted to her, I still think there's something else lurking beneath the surface. I mean, who wouldn't feel the allure of someone who wears the outfits that Morgan does?
With only two weeks left to go until the midseason hiatus stretches across the rest of the 2025 TV schedule, I have to assume that fans will learn what's in Roman's backpack wa-a-a-ay earlier than we'll learn why Wagner is such an odd duck. We aren't even guaranteed to learn anything big on the second part, but it's going to drive me bananas if the backpack remains closed beyond Episode 6's first ten minutes.
High Potential airs new episodes Tuesday nights on ABC at 10:00 p.m., and streams the next day on Hulu.
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