High Potential Season 1 Finale Explained: Roman Mystery Breakthrough, Season 2 Tease, and more

High Potential season 1 finale has aired, and it has left viewers with more questions than answers. In this article, we will break down the episode and discuss what cliffhangers remain as well as what viewers can expect in the next season. 

The Puzzles Lead to Spencer

The episode begins with the LAPD getting a tip- a photo shows a man being held hostage. It comes with a note saying, “Spencer Wallace wouldn’t play with me, will you?” The man in the photo holds up a sign that reads, “Two hours to make your move.”

They visit Spencer’s apartment and find that there’s a puzzle on the doorstep. Inside it there’s a note that reads, “let’s play.” Morgan solves the puzzle and finds that it’s a map of the Hollywood Hills area. But one piece is missing, which is probably their next clue. 

She and Karadec go to the place that’s in the missing piece and find that there’s more puzzles and choices waiting for them there. First they have to choose which of the two paths in front to take. Once they opt for the second path, they find two hopscotch patterns on the ground. 

Morgan decodes that these are coordinates and deciphers them to a location with a storage facility. They find Spencer there. 

The Dolls, Scrabble, and an Art Gallery Lead to Sierra

Morgan finds a stroller full of creepy baby dolls holding Scrabble blocks that say, “The fun has just begun.” This is found at the place where the police gala is going to be hosted. Oz tells everyone that he knows Spencer from a grief group he attends. 

He speculates that the kidnapper could be a part of this group. So, they interview the grief group and suspect that a man called David is behind all this. The group director also reveals that a woman called Sierra didn't show up for a session when she had never done that before. So, could she be another victim?

When they head to Sierra’s apartment, they find her place in chaos and her missing. Morgan figures out that there’s a hidden message on her wall which reads, “you can’t tell in the dark.” They piece together that since Sierra is an ASL interpreter so this clue plus the creepy dolls holding the scrabble message must mean something. The team heads to an old art gallery where they find Sierra. 

The Mystery of Oz

The saga of the puzzle pieces doesn’t end with Sierra. Oz becomes the latest victim and is attacked in the parking garage. Forrester finds an hourglass in the car with a note saying, “Marco!” on the driver’s seat. The team gathers to figure out what this means. 

Morgan deciphers that they are all pointing to a place in Encino. They go to a house there and find Oz chained to a pool’s bottom. He does get saved but David is still nowhere to be found. They find that the owner of the house where Oz was found is owned by a man who has a son who goes by David Peck.

Is this the guy they are after? Forrester discovers that David Peck has been in rehab for the last four months. Also, the game isn’t over yet. Morgan finds a card game in her grocery bag, probably placed there by the same man who helped her pick up an item in the supermarket. The box says “You’re the one, Morgan. We shall play again. Me and you.” So, who is behind this?

Roman is Found

Amid this puzzle solving, Gio gets a visit from Morgan, who was the last to see Roman alive. He informs her that a woman called Lila Flynn has a connection to Roman’s disappearance. Karadec finds that Lila Flynn was an undercover FBI agent before getting killed 15 years ago.

One of the last cases she was looking into was regarding Roman’s disappearance. Karadec then visits Gio and demands to know why he wants to meet Morgan alone. He only responds by saying that he has to give Morgan something.

But he doesn’t reveal why he’s helping her find Roman even though doing this puts a target on his back. The FBI gives Karadec a file and tells him to burn it after he is done reading it. He calls Morgan to let her know that he knows where Roman is and that he is alive. 

What Will Season 2 of High Potential Bring?

In an interview with The Wrap, showrunner Todd Harthan revealed what they are planning for season 2 of High Potential. He said, “I’m just excited about being able to slow down and have conversations with everybody … We didn’t have time to really nurture all the gold, and that was right in front of us … and now I think everything has an opportunity to be upgraded this season, just based on time, communication and just some of the tough lessons we learned.”

Kaitlin Olson, who plays Morgan, revealed that she wants to “play around with the Morgan vision.” She said, “every episode the Morgan visions are a little different, or wildly different, and people are really responding to that.”

High Potential season 1 is streaming now on Hulu. The show has been renewed for a season 2.