High Potential Season 1 Episode 3 Review: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Many shows only need room to breathe and develop to reach their full potential. High Potential Season 1 Episode 3, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrel,” proves this show just needs time. It’s the strongest of the first three episodes and highlights the series’s strengths.
This includes focusing on Morgan’s humanity more than her professionalism.
Morgan is good at her job, but that’s not why we enjoy watching her. The personal touches make her such a complex and compelling character. Morgan’s home life remains the strongest part of every recent High Potential episode.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrel” deals with Morgan’s daughter Ava hanging out with a boy at her house. In typical overprotective mom fashion, Morgan begins to worry. This conflict leads to a bigger issue of Morgan’s ex Ludo reacting too relaxed about the situation.
This presents a conflict of who should make these decisions.
The biological versus adoptive parent debate begins. It’s a moment you expect out of a family drama more than a police procedural. High Potential thrives because it walks that line and does it well.
Morgan’s family life adds an essential piece to the story just as crime-solving does for this tale. Those signs of motherhood make her more than just a quirky crime fighter. Olson is a mother but fans of the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star have only seen her in anti-mother roles.
Even in The Mick, it’s about her unwillingly becoming a mother. High Potential shows how naturally the mother role fits Olson. Even the small scene with the victim’s daughter shows her warmth and openness with children.
In High Potential, Olson shows that she’s not an actress to neatly fit in a box. Her brand is hot mess characters but they have range. Additionally, the more we get to know Morgan, the more we see that she’s not exactly a mess.
Her complexities shine more than her flaws.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrel” emphasizes the importance of her motherly instincts to her character. This one also improves how High Potential approaches the cases of the week.
The cases consistently have multiple layers. Some of the first cases of the week had one too many turns and additional details for a one-episode crime, but this one blends them well. The reveals also feel more intriguing.
A son and widow’s revenge has more flavor than someone killing a friend to cover up another crime, as we saw on High Potential Season 1 Episode 2, “Dancers in the Dark.” You care a little more about the results of this case.
A little sentimentality is a pattern that’s emerging with each new case. They all have ended in at least a little heartbreak for the victims or the criminals.
While some crime shows act fast and loose with police protocols, High Potential does that but as part of Morgan’s character.
She barely follows the rules because she doesn’t know them. That’s a smart way to have the police break protocols but blame it on the character. Additionally, Morgan’s apartment has become a main part of the show.
On police procedurals, we don’t often know the layout of one of the specialist’s apartments more than we know the police headquarters. It’s fun seeing them cater to Morgan’s life more than they cater to the rules.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrel” improves on the previous two episodes. If more episodes follow this pattern, hopefully, High Potential stays around for a while.
Stray Thoughts
- We’re starting to see more of the preexisting dynamics, like Selena and Melon
- Karadec and Morgan are about to be one of the best slow burns we’ve seen in a while
- Morgan’s outfits are amazing. Loving her fashion.
What did you think of this episode of High Potential? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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High Potential airs Tuesdays at 9/8 C on ABC.
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