Note: This story contains spoilers from the “High Potential” premiere.
After making a name for herself as one of the four ne’er-do-wells of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (and more recently, “Hacks”), Kaitlin Olson is entering the world of network procedurals in ABC’s “High Potential” in a move that even surprised herself.
“My agent brought this idea to me and gave me a summary, and I was like, ‘Wow, that sounds like not at all what I was thinking that I would do next,’” Olson told TheWrap, adding that her mind was quickly changed after reading series creator Drew Goddard’s script. “It’s so hard to balance a character and heart and soul with a dramatic procedural — it just needs a certain intelligence, talent and creativity to be able to do that, and I just thought he did it so seamlessly.”
In “High Potential,” which is based on French series “Haut Potentiel Intellectuel (HPI),” Olson stars as Morgan, a single mom whose exceptional mind and unconventional knack for solving crimes leads to a partnership with the local police force.
For Olson, “High Potential” ticked a number of her boxes as a fan of procedurals, true crime and character-driven projects. But, most notably, the ABC drama series is vastly different from her past comedic roles.
“I’m always looking to do something different — I’ve got the sweet D’s covered,” Olson said, referencing Dee in “Always Sunny” and DJ in “Hacks,” for which she was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 76th Emmys. “I wanted to do a completely different character, and this was just so well-rounded, I couldn’t say no.”
“High Potential” underwent a showrunner change earlier this summer, with “The Resident” showrunner Todd Harthan taking the reins from former boss Rob Thomas. As Harthan and Olson solidified their vision of “High Potential” as a “very grounded, very intense crime procedural,” Olson said the shift helped refine the tone of the freshman show as it towed the line between comedy and drama.
“My character comes in, and she’s weird and interesting and fun and funny, but also a grounded, real person. There are plenty of people in the world who are in serious situations, and they deal with it with humor,” Olson said. “You can combine those two things, but the world itself has to be believable.”
While a high IQ and special cognitive skills might feel like the dream to outsiders, it’s actually quite tiresome and at times “torturous” for Morgan, with Olson saying, “There’s a lot going on in her brain — everyone else is wrong. It’s exhausting being right all the time and trying to explain yourself.”
“I like the humanness of that — I didn’t want to lean into like, ‘She’s so smart and that’s so cool.’ Like, she doesn’t broadcast it at all,” Olson said. “She’s just a person and a mom, and she’s scrappy, and she’s had a ton of jobs and a ton of failed relationships, but she keeps going for her kids. I imagine she’s had kind of a challenging life, and I find that so much more interesting.”
Despite moving onto a very different project than her previous comedies, Olson admits she has brought some of her past characters’ sass into “High Potential,” especially when Morgan is speaking with someone who doubts her. “It’s hard to not bring some of that in; there’s little pepperings of that,” Olson said. “I like a character who stands up for herself and is loud.”
By the time viewers meet Morgan in “High Potential,” the protagonist has three kids from two different dads, one of whom Morgan believes is missing, leading to a rather busy life that leaves her feeling alone. ” I think she feels very alone and that she has to take care of everything herself, because either people aren’t capable or they don’t believe her,” Olson said. “She might not know exactly what the details are, but she knows she’s right, because she probably always is right in some capacity.”
After Morgan steps out of bounds of her janitorial job to correct an evidence board she believes is pointing to the wrong victim, she gets the attention of the local police force, headed up by seasoned detective Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) as well as Selena Soto (Judy Reyes). While the rules of law enforcement don’t quite gel with Morgan’s “pick and choose” mentality, Olson sees Morgan’s partnership with the police as the “first time she’s able to use her brain in a way that’s productive and that challenges her.”
The premiere episode sees Morgan get offered a consultant position with the police, which she initially turns down, before turning back and agreeing to take the gig with several caveats: a raise, childcare and an investigation into her missing ex and her daughter’s father, Roman.
Olson attributes Morgan’s desire to continue on to both her trust in Soto, whom Morgan identifies as “authentic and honest,” as well as her connection with her daughter, Ava (Amirah J).
“A giant reason that Morgan wants to find Roman is because she doesn’t want Ava to feel that she was not worthy of a parent staying,” Olson said. “It’s all about her connection with her daughter and making sure Ava feels … valued and loved and perfect, just the way that she is, and not somebody that a father would walk away from.”
While Ava encourages Morgan to make her peace with the fact that Roman left their family, Morgan trusts her own instincts that he was happy.
“There was nothing wrong. They had a wonderful relationship. They had a baby together, and to her, he disappeared, he didn’t leave,” Olson said. “She’s just sticking with that. I don’t believe that at this point she’s lying to herself. I think she truly believes that he wouldn’t have left.”
“High Potential” airs Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
