High Potential Season 2, Episode 14, “If You Come For the Queen” Spoilers Ahead
High Potential gives us one of the best episodes of the season by thoughtfully centering Daphne and continuing to make an engrossing statement about the friendships and loyalty on the show. More importantly, it’s a compelling reminder of the unfair injustices that Black women specifically face in this field, as well as in the world.
By centering the case around Daphne and bringing back Michael Hyatt’s Dottie from “Grounded,” High Potential allows the heart of the episode to be all about the women, showcasing how they continue to look out for each other as best as they can. This one’s also big for Ava, and the way that Daphne gets to step in to help out makes everything lovelier.
High Potential Season 2, Episode 14 Thoughtfully Centers Daphne
What we ultimately learn in “If You Come For the Queen” is that once upon a time, Daphne wanted to take the sergeant’s test, but passed on the opportunity because of everything that she’s witnessed in their field as a Black woman. It doesn’t help that Soto was later passed up for the same job, with Wagner coming in, ultimately proving to Daphne that she’d been right for her previous beliefs. Understandably, this caused a rift between Dottie, who was Daphne’s mentor, and the episode’s case surrounding Dottie’s near-death experience brings everything to the surface again.
Soto pairs up Daphne and Morgan, allowing Daphne to lead the investigation, where we also get countless moments between the women, where we see just how hard Daphne has worked and tried to make a name for herself. Javicia Leslie is exceptional throughout the episode, and pairing her with Kaitlin Olson is everything I could’ve wanted as a fan of both characters.
The show’s choice to allow the character to shine in ways that are tremendous for her character development is also what makes it so great as an ensemble series. This is how and why the show leaves ample room for us to get multiple great character moments throughout, and it’s especially heartening to see as a woman from a minority group.
Choosing a Life That’s Most True for You
Pairing Morgan and Daphne in a case is one plus to the episode, but another (and the biggest) is allowing Ava to have her chance to talk to Daphne, showing us exactly the type of found family that’s being strengthened on the show. When students at Ava’s school think the only reason she got into the art program is that she’s a Black woman, she confides in Daphne about what it is she thinks she should do when it feels like the entire system is designed for them to fail.
And she isn’t wrong because it is. We can talk at length about the changes in DEI and the general abhorrent injustices women of color face on a daily basis in every field, with people now wrongfully believing that they’re in the positions they’re in to check a diversity box. There’s also no denying the fact that women of color have to work ten times harder to prove their worth and value when white men are consistently rewarded for doing less than the bare minimum.
Women of color are judged in ways that are utterly vile, and the quality of their work is pitted against their white colleagues’ mediocre examples constantly. It’s a horrific place out there, but it’s lovely that a young girl like Ava can have someone like Daphne reminder of the fact that they have to do what feels right for them. It’s not so much about proving that they belong in the fields they’ve chosen (because they do), but it’s about doing the best they can for them and them alone, because people in the world have already made up their minds, and they aren’t going to be kind no matter what.
“What can I do? How can I help?”
Kudos to High Potential Season 2, Episode 14, “If You Come For the Queen,” for not making Morgan a white savior in this moment, because the truth is, while women do face injustices in all workplaces, Morgan will never be judged by the color of skin. In this regard, Morgan can’t relate to her daughter. The only thing she can do is say the words, “What can I do? How can I help?” She can sit beside her daughter and hold her if she’d like, and she can reminder that she’s incredible, but she can’t give advice here.
She can’t pretend to understand, and that’s a detail that’s so easy to appreciate about Morgan. Because she never oversteps or tries to overshadow someone else’s struggles, but she wants to make sure the people around her know she’s in their corner. She can step back in a moment like this and allow Daphne and Ava to bond over their similarities while she gives her support from a distance, and there’s a lot to appreciate there.
Ultimately, the ways in which “If You Come For the Queen” centers the women of color this week make the episode one of the strongest chapters in the show’s history thus far. I have a feeling we’re going to look back at this one more often than not, especially moving forward with various arcs, such as when Wagner eventually returns. Something’s got to change drastically, and it’s easy to trust that the writers on High Potential can do a fantastic job of it.
Stray Thoughts
- Mom!Morgan has my whole heart.
- Daphne, my fit queen!!!!
- “Every single pen is betraying me” is such a vibe.
- We don’t get much Morgan and Karadec in this episode but that itty bitty “Beat it” moment? They’re so married.
- Dottie’s fit!!!!
- Daphne: “I was channeling my inner Morgan.” The way Oz looked at her? LEAVE ME HERE TO CRY. My bbs!
- Hayworth is willing to talk? Willa Quinn? Who’s that????? (Imagine it’s Lucia?!)
- “You’re a bright light that I saw dimming.” What if I cry??? I love love love everything with Dottie and Daphne in this episode, and I really hope we get to see her return again soon.
- The steady progress from last week’s “In the Driver’s Seat” with Arthur, Hayworth, and everything Roman is so fascinating, and the fact that they’ll have to tell Morgan soon? Is it next week yet?
Now streaming on Hulu: What are your thoughts on the High Potential Season 2, Episode 14, “If You Come For the Queen?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: (Disney/Jessica Perez)