One of the brightest spots of 2024 Fall TV so far has been ABC’s detective dramedy High Potential, which has given Kaitlin Olson a chance to show off her dramatic talents on top of her beloved comedic talents honed by 16 seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Even though the series only dropped two episodes before its temporary hiatus, there’s no denying that Olson immediately won us over. So it’s kind of a bummer that she’s already celebrating production wrapping on Season 1.
It’d admittedly feel far more like a disappointment if the star hadn’t celebrated the pop culture milestone with a fantastic transition between her High Potential character and her dysfunctional+ fan-fave from It’s Always Sunny. Check out her Instagram post below, and after applauding the cast and crew of the ABC hit, be sure to flip it to the video in the second slide for a truly fabulous reveal.
Wahoo! For those who weren't able to watch, Olson is standing in front of her trailer behind the scenes, with a piece of tape saying "Morgan" on the door. And when she pulls that tape off, the name "Sweet Dee" is revealed to be underneath. While there aren't any fireworks and explosions in the video itself, they were present in my eyeballs while watching, and yet, it kind of burns when I blink.
And it probably isn't a stretch of the truth for the actress to indicate that she's keeping the same trailer from one project to the next. Olson revealed previously that her new show films on the same lot as It's Always Sunny, so she was already set for an easy transition.
Not that any of us are ready to say goodbye to Olson's brainiac mom on a mission Morgan just yet — I will humbly savor all eight of the remaining episodes — but as a fan of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia going back to its first season on FX, I welcome its return more strongly than most other feelings regarding television or life. If Charlie and Frank aren't around to compare my existence to, then how will I be truly sure I haven't hit rock bottom yet?
The Fun Sweet Dee Easter Egg In High Potential's Season 1 Finale
A few days before sharing that pic from the final day of Season 1's production, Kaitlin Olson revealed an easter egg for fans to look out for in the upcoming finale that totally nails it as a winking reference to Sweet Dee's nickname on Always Sunny.
I'll admit it might have been difficult peeping out that exact visual, given how wonderfully loud and busy Morgan's clothing patterns already are. It's already a consistent treat to check out each and every one of the character's wardrobe changes, and one has to wonder how she accumulated such varied fashion choices on a limited budget, but it's the kind of TV magic I have zero trouble accepting. And I'll also freely buy into the idea that she's an A+ nail painter on top of her other talents.
Will High Potential Get Renewed For Season 2?
Kaitlin Olson made it clear she's got her flamingo-adorned fingers crossed regarding the (high) potential for her ABC show to get renewed for a second season. And it's obviously very early in the season for anybody to try and make such predictions, but the early numbers indicate that the network will probably be champing at the bit to get a second season going.
The series premiere, which aired on September 17, brought in a respectable crowd around 3.6 million-strong to ABC itself, and that number essentially tripled after three days of delayed viewing stats. With DVR, Hulu and Disney+ numbers tallied, High Potential was watched by more than 11.5 million people, which is about as huge as broadcast dramedies get these days.
In terms of its ever-important 18-49 key demographics, the new series started off with the less-than-enviable 0.35 rating, but that number basically followed the same tripling as the viewership total. After the +3 delay, High Potential earned a 1.31 demo rating, which marked the network's biggest demo for a drama premiere since Big Sky in 2020.
So it seems to me like fans could be enjoying Morgan's amateur detective skills for years to come, assuming fans keep turning up to watch Kaitlin Olson in action. And as a fun tidbit, we'll likely see her in action on a different ABC series, Abbott Elementary, with a crossover episode being teased recently.
High Potential airs new episodes on ABC on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET.
