I love TV romances because it's entertaining to watch characters fall in love throughout sequential episodes or seasons. I can become invested fully either way, and support workplace romances on shows such as The Office and Abbott Elementary. How can I deny a cute love story like Gregory and Janine and Pam and Jim eventually dovetailing? However, I am not particularly fond of all coworker romances, especially in police procedurals. Therefore, it shocked me when I found myself really loving the potential workplace romance on High Potential.
High Potential is a hit new ABC series starring Kaitlin Olson, and is a compelling and entertaining series, especially for a police procedural dramedy. The entire cast is talented and enjoyable to watch, but I didn’t expect that joy to hit me in a way where I'd become so invested in a maybe-romance.
Strange as it may feel, High Potential’s Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) and Morgan (Olson) have awakened my shipper's heart. It’s changing my opinion on police procedural office romances.
Warning High Potential spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
I Feel Like High Potential Is Already Setting Them Up For A Future Pairing
I will admit that I don’t watch the vast majority of procedural police or medical dramas. Therefore, there's a possibility that I would really like office-ships in these types of shows with exhaustive viewing. However, the few I have watched, or am currently watching, have not convinced me that I want to see much more of it in this genre.
My main issue with many of them is that such workplace relationships usually happens after the fanbase take a liking to a specific partnership, whether organic or not, and then want them to become romantic. They often feels like forced pairings lacking the proper ascent in chemistry. That doesn’t seem like a problem in High Potential.
The ABC series may already be planning for a Karadec and Morgan romance, as It’s starting to give them moments that fans can later reference as vital seeds for their romantic blossoming. If these characters do start dating sooner or later, it already feels like the writers were always planning for this outcome with Season 1 breadcrumbs.
I admire a show that lays the groundwork for elements that pay off in the coming seasons, especially without knowing how successful a project will be.. This foresight and planning show the writers' cleverness and confidence in their series' long-term potential. And the High Potential writers might be right to be confident about the show’s future with such high ratings so far.
Karadec and Morgan haven’t had those big romantic moments yet, and he'd probably balk at the idea of it, but you can just feel them brewing, if not for this season then down the line. The writers are putting forethought into potential sparks flying, and even if they just become best friends and not lovers, the writers are excelling at making me invest in the evolution of their relationship.
Kaitlin Olson And Daniel Sunjata Already Have Great Chemistry
I am so used to Kaitlin Olson being desexualized and demoralized as Dee on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia that I didn’t even consider the possibility of her playing a traditional romantic lead well. She had great chemistry with Scott MacArthur on The Mick, but their relationship was mainly played for laughs. They had some moments that made you root for them, but we didn’t really get to watch their love story unfold.
On High Potential, we’re possibly seeing the start of a romance and it’s making me realize that Olson should have long been a lead in romantic comedies. She could have been a Hollywood force in the genre. Olson and Daniel Sunjata already have plenty of on-screen chemistry that hopefully the show doesn’t squander. Yes, it could remain just platonic but that’s not as fun to think about, since Morgan and Karadec scream future couple whenever they interact.
Their romance could become one of those great TV romances that people talk about long after the show has ended. They have only been working together shortly and you can already see his deep care for her. Right now Olson and Sunjata have amazing chemistry and they’re just co-workers. Now imagine how electric it'll be when it becomes a romance.
We Already Know Some Of Their Future Romanic Issues
The first episode of High Potential ends on a cliffhanger. We know that Morgan’s ex, the father of her daughter Ava (Amirah J) has disappeared. However, Morgan doesn’t think he just left her and their daughter, she thinks something happened to him. As of the seventh episode, the series hasn’t fully delved the mystery of his disappearance.
When High Potential returns in January, that may become the main focus of the final six episodes of Season 1. However, I don’t fully expect the mystery’s resolution until maybe next season or beyond, especially if the creative team had an inkling they might get renewed. Still, we expect this mystery to interfere with Morgan and Karadec’s potential romantic relationship.
Maybe Morgan will still have lingering feelings for her ex-boyfriend and not be ready to let Karadec into her heart, especially now that there is a possibility of finding him. Maybe her ex returns and she tries to make it work. There are many possibilities with the introduction of Ava’s father and how that can disrupt the potential Morgan and Karadec romance.
Additionally, Karadec takes his job seriously. He might stop any romance just to remain professional. The pair also have conflicting personality traits that could cause some problems. Many factors could create conflict that hinder this possible budding romance.
Morgan And Karadec Already Have A Unique Dynamic That Makes Them Not A Perfect Genre Representation
If I had to put them in a trope box, Morgan and Karadec sort of fall into the enemies-to-lovers category, but, unlike many classic enemies-to-lovers couples, they don’t quite fit. Despite some tension at the start of their partnership, they have gotten along quite well. Thankfully, neither has been horrible to the other.
Currently, they fall more into the workplace romance or friends-to-lovers tropes but those don’t work either. Morgan often states that she’s not really an employee, so not exactly a workplace romance. Morgan and Karadec are becoming friends but he keeps her at a respectable distance, so I wouldn’t call them friends yet. They are friendly but not quite friends yet, but that’s also developing.
High Potential not limiting itself when exploring the Karadec and Morgan relationship is one of the show’s strengths. I appreciate that if the coworkers become romantic, it won’t be cliche or fall into standard tropes. This makes them much more interesting as a potential couple.
I Am Already Invested And Committed To The Multi-Season Arc Of Their Romance
I really like High Potential, and though it hasn’t become a favorite yet, I could get there after some growing pains get worked out. However, I am committed enough to watch it every week, and one of the things keeping me watching is the likable cast and my need to see if Karadec and Morgan’s chemistry evolves into a full-blown romance.
I will gladly watch three to four seasons to wait for the first kiss. Then two more before they stop denying their feelings, and then the wedding in Season 10. I am here for the long haul.
High Potential returns to ABC in January. It’s also available to stream on Hulu.
