Warning: SPOILERS for Excessive Potential season 2, episode 1, “Pawns.”
The Recreation Maker makes an intense return to High Potential within the hit sequence’ second season, however Morgan’s deadliest foe might threaten a key element of the present’s identification. It seems by the tip of the High Potential season 2 premiere that Morgan’s nemesis has huge plans for the LAPD, and the way his scheme unfolds might have an effect on the complete sequence.
ABC’s extremely lauded procedural opens its sophomore season only a week after the High Potential season 1 finale, which means the Recreation Maker’s threats towards Morgan and his assault on Oz are nonetheless latest occasions for the workforce. Unsurprisingly, selecting to start the motion so near the place issues left off has a major impression on High Potential season 2’s story.
Excessive Potential Season 2, Episode 1 Establishes A Greater Recreation Maker Arc Than Anticipated
Procedural Villains Don’t All the time Get This A lot Highlight So Early On
Anybody who forgot about Recreation Maker’s ominous message to Morgan on the finish of the Excessive Potential season 1 finale could be hard-pressed to neglect about it after the season 2 premiere, as Morgan flashes again to it a number of instances. It’s clear Morgan is unraveling because of the villain’s video games, and her nerves are constantly getting worse.
It was at all times clear that Recreation Maker could be a significant participant in season 2’s overarching story, nevertheless it wasn’t essentially apparent the sequence would pit Kaitlin Olson’s sometimes high-spirited character immediately towards her most intellectually comparable adversary this early within the fall. Nonetheless, Recreation Maker can have appeared in three episodes in a row after season 2, episode 2.
Which means that, exterior of the background thriller of Roman’s disappearance, Recreation Maker’s villain plot is the longest-running story of the sequence up to now. Some procedural villains are fortunate to look in particular person thrice whole, not to mention consecutively, as evidenced by The Rookie’s Monica Stevens showing solely twice in season 7 regardless of being the linchpin of a significant plotline.
In fact, the problem with High Potential’s Game Maker plot gaining velocity so shortly is that the sequence’ most fascinating storyline to this point might be over inside the season’s first two episodes. But there’s additionally a flipside to that risk, an issue of a seemingly polar reverse nature that’s equally as problematic for its personal quite particular set of causes.
Excessive Potential Season 2’s Recreation Maker Plot May Lower Down On Standalone Episodes
Morgan’s Consideration Is Laser-Centered On Recreation Maker Proper Now
After ready all summer season for Game Maker’s plan in High Potential to lastly be revealed, it will be disappointing for followers to observe that arc concluded early on. Nonetheless, prolonging Recreation Grasp’s arc for too lengthy might additionally stand in the best way of “case-of-the-week” mysteries. And, like many procedural dramas, Olson’s present wouldn’t be the identical with out the occasional standalone.
As fascinating as an overarching story like Recreation Grasp’s scheme or Roman’s disappearance might be, case-of-the-week episodes are the place a few of High Potential season 2’s best possible storylines would thrive. Subplots involving supporting characters like Ludo or a attainable romance between Morgan and Karadec are B-plot materials of a nature that works greatest when the A-story doesn’t demand extraordinary urgency.
On the intense aspect, it’s already recognized that Recreation Grasp received’t usurp the complete season. Episode 3’s title, “Eleven Minutes,” breaks the chess theme of the season’s first two episode titles, “Pawns” and “Checkmate.” This means that, even when he isn’t caught, viewers will obtain at the very least a brief reprieve from Recreation Grasp after his second look of the season.
It’s merely a matter of how lengthy that break will final. Even with its expanded 18-episode order, Excessive Potential can’t hand over too many episodes to Recreation Grasp with out short-changing its smaller storylines. And season 1 already demonstrated that the sequence’ episodic mysteries and their B-plots are essential to the present’s identification for greater than merely creating the characters’ relationships.
Why Excessive Potential Season 2 Wants Standalone Instances To Keep Its Id
The Present’s B-Plots Are At The Coronary heart Of Its Most Essential Themes
One factor that could be apparent to followers of the primary season that wouldn’t be so clear to newcomers is that Excessive Potential’s season 2 premiere undercuts the final humor of the sequence. As a result of Morgan is unraveling on the thought her household has been threatened, there isn’t a lot room for the levity that helped forge the ABC procedural’s core persona.
However that was predictable in season 1, after High Potential episode 11. That was one other occasion of an episode that forgot to incorporate a B-story as a result of the A-plot was too heavy, and the consequence was that Morgan spends a lot of the episode confused by a tough thriller that she loses focus. When Excessive Potential goes full-A-plot, the present flounders.
Episode 11 is the mansion thriller during which Morgan solves a case involving a lot household drama that she wants it defined at the very least thrice earlier than she and the viewers can parse something collectively.
This alone may not result in High Potential’s downfall, nevertheless it’s worrisome. The sequence didn’t simply succeed as a result of it’s an excellent procedural or as a result of Morgan and Karadec have attractive chemistry. The sequence works due to how its separate genres mix, and there isn’t a lot room for that if the present can’t lead into new storylines with out referencing the Recreation Grasp.
As an illustration, Morgan’s children in High Potential had been her main motivation for taking the marketing consultant job. If we keep on Recreation Grasp too lengthy, Ava’s very important contributions to Roman’s plotline might turn out to be buried by a more recent story. They received’t be focal factors anymore, which hurts the sequence’ true overarching thriller. By extension, it additionally hurts the sequence’ themes about household.
Morgan taking this job for the sake of her kids was at all times the sequence’ strongest hook. Loads of different reveals revolve round superhumanly gifted consultants (suppose Monk), however Excessive Potential actually introduced the relations themselves into the story. If Recreation Grasp cuts into B-plots in a method that sacrifices that, maybe he isn’t the A-plus villain we’d hoped.
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