The first half of High Potential‘s two-part Season 2 premiere ended with multiple wild cliffhangers. Most importantly, the LAPD Major Crimes unit finally has a lead on Roman Sinquerra’s whereabouts, and, just as the Game Maker’s (David Giuntoli) plan is finally coming into fruition, he has checked himself into the station for questioning. Season 2, Episode 2, “Checkmate,” picks up immediately after the conclusion of the previous episode, with Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) trying to stop Derek Price (Shaun Sipos) from his plan to kill Jason Howard (Nick Wechsler), while Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) and Selena (Judy Reyes) prepare to question the Game Maker.
After Morgan and Selena tell Karadec that the Game Maker is at the station, though, he heads over to ask him some questions. The episode is a strong follow-up to last week’s, as the Major Crimes unit is now sure that Morgan was right about the Game Maker, but they struggle to take him down and prove his guilt. The episode also continues with the mystery of the search for Roman Sinquerra, after Daphne (Javicia Leslie) and Oz (Deniz Akdeniz) learn that the man (Mekhi Phifer) who checked into the motel as Roman has gone on the run again.
In ‘High Potential’ Season 2, Episode 2, Morgan and Her Team Play the Game Maker’s Most Dangerous Game Yet
Karadec asks the Game Maker some questions at the station, but the LAPD isn’t able to get any real information out of him, aside from a couple of very carefully-crafted clues. Morgan figures out that the Game Maker is telling them to perform a Pillsbury variation, in which they must release Jason Howard from custody in order to get more information about Maya Price’s (Kate Miner) whereabouts. The problem is, with Jason free to go, he is right where the Game Maker wants him: as an easy target for Derek, who still believes that Jason is the one who abducted Maya. When Morgan is the only one left on the other side of the interrogation room, the Game Maker leaves one more clue just for her, where he essentially tells her that he will free Maya if Morgan surrenders.
The Game Maker further fuels his plan to get Derek to kill Jason by releasing a hostage video of Maya that is loaded with clues. He also leaves a hint to remind Morgan that he’s watching her, and he then sends the Major Crimes unit on a wild goose chase. He takes them first to his apartment, and then to Jason Howard’s house, where he blows up one of their cars. It’s the perfect trick to get Jason to drop his guard, and this works so well that Derek almost kills him before Karadec steps in. Morgan goes to the Game Maker’s apartment and quits the game, telling the Game Maker that he has outsmarted her. The Game Maker then gives Morgan the hint she needs to find Maya, who is trapped in the basement but is still alive. Morgan and Karadec work together to prove to Derek that Maya is alive, so he backs down, resolving this storyline. The only problem is, they still don’t have enough evidence against the Game Maker.
In ‘High Potential’ Season 2, Episode 2, Morgan Takes Down the Game Maker… for Now
Most of Part 2 of High Potential‘s Season 2 premiere focuses on the Game Maker, but it also moves the Roman storyline further along. It turns out that the man whom Daphne and Oz believe is Roman isn’t actually Roman. This man, Arthur, later visits Morgan and reveals that he has been working with Roman and helping him hide. Roman is in danger from someone in law enforcement, though, so he and Arthur are concerned that Morgan is working with the police. Arthur tells Morgan to call him when she can explain why she’s working with people who could be involved in the threat against Roman, and then he leaves, extending the Roman mystery. In a fun subplot, Elliot (Matthew Lamb) and Ludo (Taran Killam) work together on a secret talent show routine that Elliot is planning to perform at school. Morgan is afraid that he is going to get made fun of, but she supports him, and the performance is ultimately a success for the most part.
Morgan finally figures out that the Game Maker stole Maya’s blood that she donated to make it look like Jason killed her, and she uses this to take him down. In an epic scene, Morgan confronts the Game Maker. She reveals the Game Maker’s underlying motivation, which is that when he was a kid, his mother was accused of a theft that she didn’t commit. Because of this, the Game Maker has been determined to take down wealthy people like the one who accused his mom of stealing, which led to her dying in jail. I would have liked to see the Game Maker have a deeper reason for targeting Jason specifically, like him being the one who accused her of stealing as a child. Instead, Jason is just a symbol to the Game Maker. Morgan’s take-down is epic, though, because she uses footage of the Game Maker stealing Maya’s blood to arrest him, and then she makes sure that he actually goes to jail.
This episode is a strong follow-up to the first part of the season premiere, and this is a strong end to the Game Maker’s arc, at least for now. Still, though, the episode is a little too rushed in wrapping up everything from this storyline. Morgan was so upset last week when her coworkers were hesitant to support her theory that this was all the Game Maker, but she never talks to them about it this week, and not even Karadec tries to apologize for it. Morgan also approaches the Game Maker’s backstory with a lack of nuance that is unusual for her character, but that could be attributed to the threat that he posed to her kids and Oz. That being said, this is ultimately still a powerful end to the Game Maker’s time on the show, although hopefully High Potential‘s best villain will make a return down the line.
New episodes of High Potential air Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M. on ABC.
