Tuesday nights will be absent one exceptionally minded single mom after High Potential airs its finale next week. But fans of the ABC show starring Kaitlin Olson can expect a second season of eye-catching outfits, quick-witted comments and not-so-impenetrable mysteries.
High Potential follows Morgan, a cleaning lady who becomes a Los Angeles Police Department Major Crimes consultant, applying her smarts to a stack of unsolved crimes. From high-profile murders to family whodunits, no case has proved insurmountable for the mom of three with an IQ of 160 along with her by-the-book partner, Karadec.Â
The show also spends time with Morgan at home, where a key puzzle is tied to her personal life. Morgan agrees to assist the LAPD full-time in exchange for help finding Roman, the father of her oldest child, Ava, who’s played by Amirah J. Roman disappeared 15 years ago when the teen was just a baby.
Ahead of the season 1 finale, CNET chatted with Amirah J about her character, how she feels about the show’s success and if the finale reveals more about Roman. On the show, Ava is a rebellious, phone-obsessed kid who must navigate both her missing father and the differences between her and her mom and brother, who inherited Morgan’s abilities.Â
Amirah teased that the upcoming installment will deliver answers and cliff-hangers. When it comes to Ava’s dad, she’s yet to learn the whole story. “I really want to know what happened,” she said. “so I’m excited for that story to continue.”
High Potential is based on the French series Haut Potentiel Intellectuel. The season 1 finale premieres on ABC on Feb. 11 at 9 p.m. ET/9 p.m. PT/8 p.m. CT and streams on Hulu Feb. 12. The following interview has been edited for clarity.
Q: How much do you think the differences between Ava and her family impact her?
Amirah J: I think they’re very impactful for her. I feel like Ava has a hard time trying to fit into her own family. She kind of feels like she doesn’t necessarily belong, in a way, because her little brother has the abilities that her mom has, and then it’s her half-brother and her half-sister, and they have their dad, and she doesn’t have hers. And so she’s trying to navigate all these different things and find a way to fit into her own family, which is very challenging for her.
Has the role taught you anything surprising?
Ava has taught me a lot. Honestly, she’s very different from myself in the way that she’s grown up and her family life. So trying to figure out why she is the way that she is and why certain things affect her in a certain way has been super fun.
High Potential’s premiere episode achieved 20 million viewers over 35 days across platforms. It’s confirmed to be returning for season 2. How do you feel about the show’s success? What do you hope is ahead for Ava next season?
Honestly, it’s really crazy to see all of the success that the show’s getting. Obviously, filming the show, you kind of hope and wish that it is a success and that people love it, but then to actually see it happening is honestly overwhelming — seeing all the numbers and records that it’s breaking. But I’m extremely grateful for all the fans that are watching and everyone that’s streaming it on Hulu and supporting our show.
I just can’t wait to see Ava’s growth next season and hopefully learn more about her father’s disappearance and her childhood, like before her other siblings came along, kind of what her life was like when it was just her and Morgan. Figuring out that kind of dynamic, I think would be really awesome.
Why do you think people have connected with the show?Â
I feel like it’s not like a lot of other detective crime shows because it has that family home life that you don’t necessarily get to see all the time. And I think that each character is relatable in some sort of way that people can kind of pick, “Oh, I relate to this one. I relate to this one.” I think it’s really cool we have such a diverse cast and a cast that has their own [lives and storylines].
Audiences have slowly uncovered more about Roman’s disappearance. Will the finale provide more answers regarding this ongoing mystery, and if you can’t tell us, can you tease anything else about the finale for fans?
Yes, I don’t want to spoil too much, but I do think that the fans are going to be left with some cliff-hangers at the end of the season, which hopefully, they won’t be too upset about. But I think they will receive some answers. But we gotta leave you with cliff-hangers. We gotta make it interesting … I really want to know what happened, so I’m excited for that story to continue.