High Potential Season 2, Episode 2, “Checkmate” Spoilers Ahead
High Potential’s “Checkmate” marks the end of the game maker’s schemes, and simultaneously nudges us closer to finding Roman. It’s another thrilling, well-written episode that focuses on the characters, but it works best because of the small moments that give us substantial beats of vulnerability to hold onto.
More than anything, the ongoing status of this case has made the last few episodes that much more exciting, so it’s going to be fascinating to see how the show will keep up the momentum. I trust them, for sure. But oof, we’ve been on a terrifying ride. (Complimentary.)
The Small Morgan and Karadec Moments
We don’t get content as overt as we did in the season premiere, “Pawns,” but the small moments between Morgan and Karadec in High Potential Season 2, Episode 2, “Checkmate,” are still worthwhile. To start, there’s the game maker’s comment about whether Adam’s wife is the one blowing up his phone, mentions of tricky love triangles, and the obvious foreshadowing that’ll be so fun to reference back to seasons from now when the two are canon. We know this ship is a slow, slow burn, and it’s a delicious one at that, made better with teasers like this.
But that’s not all, there’s also something worth noticing in Karadec’s expression as he’s listening in on the conversation that Morgan has with Daphne and Oz. The way his face briefly falls when she says that the man they’ve found isn’t Roman. The way he asks if she’s okay. He’s already made it clear that because this situation is important to Morgan, it’s important to him as well. He’s made it clear that he cares deeply about her well-being, and checking in on her as much as he can is quickly becoming a detail in their relationship that’s compelling to pinpoint.
Daniel Sunjata is too good at allowing small expressions to say plenty, and he does it so well in this specific scene. Pair this juncture with the concern vaulting out of his voice while they’re on the phone toward the end, and we’ve got a small bit of gold in this episode.
Oz Arrests the Game Maker
There are very few things as satisfying as a deserving character getting justice and a moment he deserves. Having Morgan best the game maker with the final play and Oz take him into custody after almost dying is a deeply satisfying means of revealing that each of these characters matters in this show.
Morgan, Adam, Selena, Oz, and Daphne are each of equal importance on High Potential, and giving Oz a moment like this especially matters when he’s spent two episodes searching for Roman. There’s a lovely parallelism here that reveals just how much they care about each other and how their wins and losses matter, not only for the person experiencing it, but for the others as well. Because that’s what happens when you care about people—you want them to have peace and closure and understanding in every area.
Elliot’s Mic Drop
The kid inside of me who was bullied heals every time another kid has a win in front of their bullies. Elliot’s dorkiness might not be something young people can grasp while they’re actually kids, but we all know that these very nerds grow up to become some of the best people. He’s a little Ben Wyatt in the making, and I, for one, love everything about that. Still, it’s also easy to understand why Morgan would be concerned about what he’d want to do at the talent show because she knows that kids are cruel. And yet, the nerdy kid delivered.
High Potential Season 2, Episode 2, “Checkmate,” also goes out of its way to emphasize that Roman is hiding from the cops. He doesn’t trust them, and he clearly wants nothing to do with them, while he’s also unaware of Morgan’s ties to them. It’s going to be so interesting to see how finding him will change things, what it’ll unravel, and the relationships it’ll test. The detectives Morgan works with undoubtedly care for her, so all of this has me a tiny bit stressed.
Now streaming on Hulu: What are your thoughts on the High Potential Season 2, Episode 2, “Checkmate?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: (Disney/Jessica Perez)