High Potential showrunner gives a definitive answer on whether or not Morgan and Karadec will have a romance

High Potential just debuted on ABC with a compelling new mystery-solving sleuth, but could we get some romance as well? The showrunner has chimed in!

Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for the High Potential premiere

The pilot for the new ABC series spotlighted Morgan Guillory (Kaitlin Olson), a single mom working as the cleaning lady at an LAPD police station. To the shock of the cops, while messing around, Morgan rearranges a murder board to say the person they think is the killer of a rich man is likely a victim.

Brought in by Detective Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), Morgan expertly detailed what the cops were getting wrong with the case and how a supposed video of a suspect was altered. It turns out Morgan has a 160 IQ, which, on the one hand, allows her to see patterns others don’t and figure things out. The downside is that it makes it hard for her to keep a job or a boyfriend. 

Seeing her potential (pun intended), Lt. Selena Soto (Judy Reyes) has Morgan join Karadec on the case. She clashes with Karadec, a by-the-book cop who’s outraged at Morgan’s antics such as stealing evidence which becomes admissible because of her actions. At one point, he declares they’re done but, in the end, realizes Morgan is right, and they save a kidnapped victim from the killers. 

Selena offered Morgan a job as an official consultant, which she resisted at first. However, she agreed on the condition that she gets help trying to find her missing ex Roman, who vanished 15 years ago. While everyone (including their daughter Ava) thinks the guy just ran off, Morgan is convinced something happened to him and will work with the LAPD if it means finding out the truth.

The pilot was a breezy and fun affair, showing Morgan off and her fun banter with Karadec. So is it possible we get some romance for the series?

Is there going to be a Morgan-Karadec romance on High Potential?

ABC mystery shows do love a “will they or won’t they” dynamic between the leads, as evidenced by Castle. So it’s all too obvious to wonder if the writers are already setting up Morgan and Karadec as a couple. Speaking to TVLine, showrunner Todd Harthan chimed in on that.

"I am notorious for playing these things slowly. [[We’ll start to see]] a growing respect and friendship between them, and that’s what you’ll fall in love with [as a viewer] before the characters ever fall in love with each other. Of course we’re going to have those moments, those looks, and fan those flames. But to me, it’s got to be a slow burn. We’ve got to do it right and earn it."

It is only the first episode so we need more time to see the Morgan-Karadec chemistry build. The pilot does have them clashing with Karadec not happy about Morgan’s unorthodox approach and even breaking the rules to solve the case. There’s also how Morgan is able to see through Karadec’s flaws, like his obsessive-compulsive need to sanitize his hands. He does come to respect her, but that's a long way from a romance.

A complication is that, by her own admission, Morgan is terrible at relationships, mostly because her quirky mind is so obsessed with minute facts and details that she can’t connect with people. It appears the show will have her more on the ball when working a case and she and Karadec get along there but may not be able to bond outside the mysteries.

For now, viewers can enjoy Olson’s wonderfully wild performance and the overall mystery that makes High Potential another winner for ABC’s crime lineup.

High Potential airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.