When is ‘High Potential’ season 2 coming out? All about the series’ return

Anticipation is high for season 2 of High Potential, which emerged last year as a runaway hit for ABC.

Created by Buffy alum and Cabin in the Woods director Drew Goddard, ABC’s crime drama stars Kaitlin Olson as an eccentric (and fashionable) janitor with a genius-level IQ who stumbles into a consulting role with the Los Angeles Police Department. (This premise was something of a surprise to us — the title had us thinking it was about a pot dealer.)

High Potential premiered in September 2024, slowly cultivating a bigger and bigger audience before wrapping up its 13-episode debut season in February 2025. The finale left audiences with several cliffhangers, prompting the masses to ask when High Potential is coming back.

Will there be a High Potential season 2? And what have the cast and showrunners said about its return? Read on for everything we know about a second season of High Potential, including its release date, cast, and possible storylines.

What is High Potential about?

High Potential centers on Morgan Gillory, a single mother of three who, like Will Hunting before her, works as a janitor while wielding a sky-high IQ of 160 (for context, 90 to 110 is considered average). While mopping floors at the LAPD, she flexes her formidable intellect to help solve a case and secures a consultant role in the major crimes division.

Morgan is paired with Detective Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) — cue the romantic tension — and utilizes her photographic memory and life experience to bring an unconventional perspective to his caseload. Morgan’s work also allows her to pursue a personal agenda, and she uses the new resources at her disposal to try and track down her first husband (and father of her first daughter), Roman.

“In the beginning it’s money to take care of her kids,” Olson told EW about her character’s motivations. “But she’s also looking for the father of her first-born daughter who disappeared 15 years ago.”

Will there be a High Potential season 2?

Yes. After becoming a massive ratings success, High Potential was renewed for a second season in January 2025.

According to ABC, High Potential was the No. 1 drama among adults in that coveted 18-49 range. Factoring in viewing stats from ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+, and digital, it emerged as the network’s most-watched new series in seven years. The pilot episode has netted more than 30 million total viewers across its multiple platforms. Dang.

If High Potential can keep this up, the series will likely stick around for a long time.

When is High Potential season 2’s release date?

High Potential season 2 premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 16 on ABC, with new episodes dropping weekly. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.

The season’s first episode is titled “Pawns.” The logline reads, “While working tirelessly to shield her family from the Game Maker’s threats, another crime drags Morgan back into his game and the LAPD must decide whether to trust her instincts before the next move turns fatal.”

What happened at the end of High Potential season 1?

High Potential season 1 ended on a few notable cliffhangers.

Perhaps the most important is Morgan’s revelation that Roman is still alive and that Karadec knows where he is. Morgan has long been puzzled by Roman’s abandonment, and the finale’s reveal that he used to be an FBI informant speaks to a potential motivation for his absence.

“Now that we have some time to really sit down and really put the thought and attention into the serialized threads, I think the Roman story is going to bloom in season 2,” Harthan told TV Guide.

Compelling as that is, the mystery of Roman’s whereabouts is nearly overshadowed by the arrival of a serial killer that’s equal parts Jigsaw and the Riddler. The guy loves playing games and has been targeting people from a grief support group. By the episode’s end, however, he’s set his sights on Morgan, having surreptitiously slipped a note into her grocery bag. “You’re the one, Morgan. We shall play again. Me and you,” it reads.

Who is the killer? It sure seems to be the unnamed man who kindly helped Morgan in the grocery store parking lot. That he’s played by actor David Giuntoli also points toward him being a key character going forward.

“I love a good serialized villain,” Harthan told TVLine, acknowledging that the character “definitely has the potential” to become a major villain. “I also love going into a season 2 where there might be another surprise or two, so it’s a bit of an open box.”

In a more lighthearted turn of events, the finale also set up a potential love triangle between Morgan, Karadec, and Tom, the janitor played by JD Pardo.

Speaking with TVLine, though, Harthan advised against getting too invested in the romantic angles. “Of course there’s an attraction, but there’s also this mutual respect that they have for each other, and it all just kind of came together in that moment,” he said. “If you really look at it, it could be considered a manipulation. Karadec could be thinking, ‘Let me get her on this dance floor. Let me say all these wonderful things, and then let me turn the tables and go, I’m taking over [the Roman case].’ I like to confuse the audience, hopefully in a good way.”

What do we know about High Potential season 2?

Showrunner Harthan and Olson have both shared some insights into their season 2 approach. “We have a pretty healthy plan for how we’re going to kick off the season,” Harthan told TheWrap. “I think one of the big mistakes that shows make is [saying] ‘Oh, let’s put a pin in both those cliffhangers, and we’ll get to them later,’ … you should probably satisfy one or the other so the audience doesn’t get pissed.”

He added, “The promise in season 2 is to answer some other big questions, but also deepen the mystery before we really unpack too much or introduce somebody too soon.”

If the season is given a larger episode count, Harthan hopes to “slow down” and further explore the world and its supporting characters. “We didn’t have time to really nurture all the gold [in season 1], 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,” he said.

Olson agreed, saying she’s excited to explore “the relationships between characters more.”

She continued, “A first season, you really have to give the main character most of the heavy lifting, because that’s the person that you’re interested in. I know that people are excited to dig into all of our other wonderful actors and their characters’ background, so I think that that’ll be really fun to do.”

One character they want to dig into more is Taran Killam’s Ludo, Morgan’s ex and the father of her two younger children. “I think the audience has a real appetite to find out what really happened [between them],” Harthan told TVLine. “What was it like the day they sat down and had a conversation about what wasn’t working? How did they decide how they should co-parent? What caused that? So now it’s our job to come up with a story.”

Who’s in the High Potential cast?

High Potential is led by Olson, whose rubbery, energetic physicality has served her well on 16 seasons of FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She’s also received two Emmy nominations for her work on HBO’s Hacks.

The supporting cast is rounded out by Daniel Sunjata (Rescue Me, Power Book II: Ghost), Javicia Leslie (Batwoman, The Flash), Deniz Akdeniz (Once Upon a Time, The Flight Attendant), Judy Reyes (Scrubs, Claws), and JD Pardo (Mayans M.C., The Terminal List).

As for David Giuntoli, who may be the serial killer introduced in the season 1 finale, you’ve likely seen him on NBC’s Grimm (2011–2017) and ABC’s A Million Little Things (2018–2023).

Who’s joining the High Potential season 2 cast?

Season 2 will also see the addition of new characters by Steve Howey (Shameless) and Mekhi Phifer (ER, House of Lies).

Howey, who will be a series regular in season 2, plays Nick Wagner, the precinct’s new captain. He’s described as a “savvy political animal” who “has a way of putting himself right in the middle of the action… whether he’s wanted there or not.”

Less is known about Phifer’s character, aside from the actor guest starring as someone who becomes involved with the major crimes team.

Where can I watch High Potential?

High Potential season 1 is currently streaming on Hulu.

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