It’s fascinating how some actors become so tied to a particular role that it’s hard to picture them as anything else — like Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt or even Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Kaitlin Olson? She spent years perfecting the art of unhinged comedy as Dee Reynolds in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and now she’s taking that same energy in a whole new direction. High Potential swaps out Dee’s self-inflicted disasters for a high-potential intellectual. Here, Olson plays a single mom with a mind built for solving crimes. It’s different, but if you’ve been paying attention to her career, you know she’s got the range to pull it off.
There’s something oddly satisfying about seeing an actor you love break out of their usual lane and absolutely own it. Olson’s comedic timing is still there, but High Potential leans into her ability to play a more intense role. If you’re an Always Sunny fan who’s been waiting to see Olson take the lead in something fresh, check out High Potential.
‘High Potential’ Challenges the Stereotypes of Who Can Lead a Crime Drama
It’s no secret that crime dramas aren’t for everyone. Some find them repetitive, others find them boring while some don’t see what’s so entertaining about watching detectives solve murders. On the other hand, fans of the genre would say otherwise. They love the usual blueprint crime dramas follow, which is basically the story of a hardened detective who always seems one step ahead. However, when High Potential was released it shook things up by putting someone entirely different at the centre. Kaitlin Olson stars as Morgan Gillory, a former cleaning lady and a single mother of three, who finds herself working as a consultant for the LAPD after solving a pending case. This is mostly a result of the fact that she’s a high-potential intellectual, with an IQ of 160. Throughout the series, she uses her sharp intellect and unconventional thinking to crack cases in ways that leave the seasoned detectives wondering how.
It’s not something even the detectives in the show are familiar with and that’s the beauty of High Potential, how it challenges the stereotype of who gets to lead a crime drama. Morgan doesn’t have a badge, formal training, or even a stable routine. What she does have is a mind that works in ways the LAPD isn’t used to. She approaches cases with her intuition and creative problem-solving. A perfect example is when she finds evidence suggesting a murder cover-up. Thanks to her background as a cleaner she notices streaks on the floor, a poorly folded towel, and a cleanly wiped whiskey glass, which suggests the victim had been drugged. Unlike the typical brooding investigator weighed down by personal demons, Morgan’s struggles of being a single mother, and navigating a system that doesn’t always take her seriously feel more relatable.
Kaitlin Olson Carries Her Lovable Energy From ‘It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’ To ‘High Potential’
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Olson’s shift from bar girl to LAPD consultant is not as drastic as it might seem. Sure, Dee Reynolds spends most of her time scheming, failing, and insulting everyone in sight, while Morgan Gillory uses her IQ of 160 and a wide range of knowledge to crack cases. However, both characters have one thing in common and that’s Olson’s lovable energy. Dee thrives on chaos — her loud personality and desperate attempts to be taken seriously by the gang often lead to some of the show’s funniest moments. But underneath all the ridiculousness, Olson makes Dee oddly endearing. No matter how many times she fails, she bounces back with the same overconfidence.
That same energy fuels Morgan in High Potential, though in a way that feels more refined. Morgan Gillory’s life is also kind of chaotic, she’s juggling three kids, and working as a cleaner in one of the busiest police departments in the world (until Selena offers her a consultant position), but there’s a method to her ‘chaos’. Unlike Dee, Morgan’s instincts actually get results. She might not have a badge, but she can outthink every detective in the room simply because she sees the world differently. On that same note, much like Dee, she’s constantly underestimated, but she turns that into an advantage. Despite not conforming to the typical crime drama lead, Morgan gets results in a way only she can.
Watch Morgan shake up the world of crime-solving, High Potential is available to stream on ABC.
