High Potential Season 2, Episode 6, “Chasing Ghosts” Spoilers Ahead
The best part of any procedural will always be the holiday episodes, and High Potential nails this season’s Halloween special. “Chasing Ghosts” does an excellent job of not only delivering a ridiculously fun case with spooky hijinks, but it also delivers on the emotional front with moments that give us the character development necessary to continue making the show special.
Since last week’s “Content Warning,” mother and daughter are still at odds with one another, and we don’t exactly get Captain Wagner’s motives. We’ll also always take any and all Morgadec crumbs, but more than that, this episode gives us another case that brings the whole team together in a memorable way.
Ava and Morgan Open Up the Backpack
I’m glad High Potential Season 2, Episode 5, “Chasing Ghosts,” doesn’t waste too much time showing us what’s inside the backpack because everything we get thickens the plot in a way that works. It’s also easy to appreciate the fact that Morgan didn’t open it on her own but waited until she and Ava talked in order to do it together. With that in mind, it’s also easy to appreciate that the conversation between mother and daughter is one of maturity.
Because really, Ava is right. She is Morgan’s daughter in every sense of the word, and telling her not to do something isn’t the way to convince her to trust the process. At the same time, it’s understandable that Morgan wouldn’t want to put her daughter in harm’s way, which means she could’ve definitely approached the situation with more transparency from the start. Yes, she wants her involved because Roman was her dad, but it can all still be so terrifying when things are so unclear.
Still, the realization the women make that Roman was at one of her recitals is also fascinating because if he can risk being spotted, why is he waiting so long? Why won’t he at least let his family know he cares for them, even from a distance? How bad or strange is the situation that he continues to be so secretive? Regardless, I continue to appreciate everything about the performances we get every time Kaitlin Olson and Amirah J share a scene. There aren’t too many parent/teenage relationships that feel authentic, yet everything in High Potential continues to hit me hard.
High Potential Season 2, Episode 5 Delivers Team Haunted House Hunting
So much of the reason why High Potential Season 2, Episode 5, “Chasing Ghosts,” is such a blast is entirely because of the case and the amount of teamwork we get throughout. Morgan carrying an entire bag of candy and offering it to Karadec? Daphne being so excited about all the ghost lore at the mansion? Oz being both so done and completely infatuated? Literally everything about it makes for the kind of Halloween episode that has all the beats to become a yearly must-watch.
It’s not every case on a procedural that’ll be remembered seasons from now, but this is already one that I can’t stop thinking about, and it’s entirely because of how well they work together. It makes every moment feel lighter and more exciting. It makes the show feel cozier because the found family vibes continue to add the depth necessary to make it stand out. More than that, it’s straight-up entertaining in a way that we could always use.
Wagner and Morgan Get Personal?
Wagner’s role in this season and his motives are still very much unclear, but there are moments where it feels like his sincerity is real. Brief instances where it feels like Steve Howey is giving us extra hints beyond the words spoken aloud. The conversation with Morgan about marriage and his former partner, who passed, is one of those moments. It’s the most honest and sincere we’ve seen him, so it makes it easy to care just a little bit more. Simultaneously, it brings up a lot of questions.
Does he actually want the captain’s job, or is there a bigger pain that he’s running from? Has he truly allowed himself to grieve, and is he doing all of this because he loves it or because he’s trying to prove himself to his family? There’s a lot to appreciate about the fact that he brings out honest conversations from Morgan, too, and that’s always something I’ll take when it comes to learning more about our main characters.
There’s also something about the words, “The permanence kills the romance,” coming from Morgan, and knowing that at some point, surely the season will deliver on the romance. Maybe not in the traditional sense of a marriage, but in a relationship where she’ll have the certainty that it can last. Specifically with Karadec, because isn’t that why we’re all here? They’re basically work spouses at this point, and I imagine that the show will continue playing on this idea throughout its run. We can also look at how maybe this isn’t a conversation a captain and a consultant should be having? But that feels like something that may need more analysis based on where it all goes in later episodes.
Stray Thoughts
- We have officially reached that point where I actually can’t contain myself with any and all Morgadec interactions. They stand in the same vicinity? I’m losing it. An eye roll? Multiple? This is what dreams are made of.
- Elliot talking between Ava and Morgan back and forth was so little-sibling-coded, I adored every minute of it.
- The small glimpses Oz steals from Daphne!?? Hello!??? So precious.
- Okay, but this estate??? Gorgeous. I need to go there.
- Morgan asking if she can try on some of the clothes before they turn them in took me out.
- Truly Daphne’s excitement over all this lore!? More of Morgan and Daphne on cases together, please.
Now streaming on Hulu: What are your thoughts on the High Potential Season 2, Episode 6, “Chasing Ghosts?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: (Disney/Christine Bartolucci)