Why a Morgan and Karadec Romance in ‘High Potential’ Wouldn’t Work

The ABC crime drama High Potential has been getting rave reviews since it premiered in September 2024. Fans have loved getting to see Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) and Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) investigating cases and solving crimes. But that’s really all some fans want to see.

Romantic storylines are not off the table for shows like this. They have occurred in many others, from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation to The X-Files. Sometimes, it works. It’s usually when there’s this unspoken chemistry between the two leads and fans cheer when the “will they, won’t they” question is resolved and they finally share a kiss or express their feelings. But High Potential shouldn’t go down this route if it wants to continue being as beloved as it is.

Morgan and Karadec’s History

As a single mother, Morgan in High Potential, poised to become one of the best TV cop shows, works as a cleaner at a police station, but gets the offer of a lifetime. Using her incredible IQ and perceptive qualities, she marks up a police board overnight, providing evidence that the officers are looking at the wrong suspect. While Karadec, the strait-laced detective, is annoyed by this and believes she should be punished, Captain Selena (Judy Reyes) recognizes something in Morgan. She offers her a job as a consultant to work on cases alongside Karadec. Selena believes Morgan can be a valuable asset. And she’s right.

Karadec’s initial hesitancy, even anger, softens when he realizes that despite her unconventional style and complete disregard for protocols, Morgan has a keen sense. She is actually helping him see things he misses, and that in fact most people would miss. Their solve rate goes through the roof, and Karadec and Morgan start to work better together.

There are inklings of a friendship brewing, such as when Morgan tries to give Karadec dating and fashion advice. As they bond over a case one night, he opens up to her about the woman he once proposed to. He even calls in a favor to help her find her missing first husband. In one of the sweetest moments in the season, Morgan brings a fake police badge she bought at the dollar store and Karadec shakes his head and tucks it away in his drawer. After Morgan solves a huge case for them, she finds the badge pinned to her jacket. He says nothing, but it’s a subtle yet meaningful small act of respect. And a platonic one. Some fans hope it stays that way.

For Now, the Relationship Seems Purely Platonic

As noted, there are iconic police duos in television history that have finally gotten together, and fans were delighted. However, what makes High Potential — one of the most addictive detective series — work so well is the fact that there’s no evident sexual tension between Morgan and Karadec. They both share the same high-strung personality and obsessive traits. But while she is carefree and fun, he’s rigid and downright boring, by her standards. They work well professionally in spite of this, not because of it.

The way Morgan’s mind works, she’ll stay up all hours of the night trying to solve a case. Since Karadec is so devoted to his job and to upholding the law, he does the same. This was shown when she showed up on his doorstep in the middle of the night, knowing he would be in the same headspace. They spent an evening eating Chinese takeout and going through evidence and stories to piece together what happened in the murder. It was like two best friends hanging out and working on a project, totally innocent.

But Karadec is also deeply annoyed by Morgan at times. She breaks rules and does things her way. He, meanwhile, could have written the rule book that she consistently tears up and throws out, or rather has no interest in even looking at. Sometimes, opposites attract and they both have a positive effect on the other in different ways. But there’s something endearing about his evident frustration with her and her desire to help him find love, not be the one he loves.

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A Romance Would Complicate Things

A big reason some fans don’t want them to get together is because the storyline about her first husband, Roman, has been dangled since the beginning. He vanished without a trace, but Morgan felt it in her gut that he would not just pick up and leave her and his baby daughter. Based on evidence Selena has been unearthing, she might be right.

With this overarching story continuing through every new episode, it’s likely there will be some resolution eventually. This could mean that Roman comes back into Morgan’s life at best, or is revealed to not be able to, which would mean she’s in no position to consider romance as she deals with this truth. In fact, Karadec has even joined the investigation to help her discover what happened, and based on previews from what’s to come, he has confirmed that Roman is still alive.

The fact that Tom (JD Pardo), the one potential romantic partner for Morgan thus far, was written out as leaving to pursue a new job suggests the show wants to keep Morgan single and focused on her work. It may also have been to stir up subconscious jealousy with Karadec. “If Karadec is jealous,” Sunjata tells TV Insider, “I don’t think he’s aware of it.” When Tom returns for a police banquet event, invited by Morgan, Karadec seems happy to see Morgan happy. But his face when she walks in with an elegant dress and as they slow dance together suggests that his feelings might no longer be just platonic.

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Some Fans Really Want a “Will They, Won’t They” Arc

It’s possible the show might be exploring a way to bring them together romantically, which would indeed please the group of fans who are “shipping” them as a couple. While everyone sees Morgan’s talents as a gift, she sees them as something that has impacted every personal relationship she has had, which makes finding love challenging. Her brain is always going a mile a minute. She’s always processing things.

Some believe Karadec could be that one person who truly understands and accepts her. He is clearly patient, albeit easily flustered. He has the same obsessive personality as she does when it comes to work, so her overactive brain wouldn’t phase him. And they both feel a moral obligation to always do what’s right. But they simply don’t fit that way. The fact that they work on the same cases together would also make it challenging for them to separate their obsession with cases and personal lives, especially when spending time with the person who knows exactly what’s distracting them.

With that said, sometimes when shows have held out, it has worked in their favor. The best example is Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) and Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) on Law & Order: SVU. Their chemistry was teased for many (many) seasons and there was even the tease of a kiss for the 24th season that never happened. The “will they, won’t they” tension between the two is something fans love, and maybe that’s what writers of High Potential plan to emulate.

There’s no telling what will happen should High Potential continue airing for many more seasons to come. For now, and the foreseeable future, certainly through to the end of season one, Morgan and Karadec’s banter as work partners is all that fans want to see. The “police partners getting together” trope has been overdone. Admittedly, sometimes it works. But in this case, anything beyond mutual admiration and respect between these two would just get in the way. It simply wouldn’t feel right.

Stream High Potential on Hulu.