‘High Potential’ Season 2 Episode 16 review: “Turn, Up the Heat”

Architecture finds its red herring in the latest episode of ABC’s High Potential. “Turn, Up the Heat” is an interesting case that blends two competing themes into one unsuspecting narrative. A story about feuding artists isn’t new to the world of High Potential; the conflict always leads to bloodshed and murder. However, the hidden motive beneath the surface is the key that ties everything together. “Turn, Up the Heat” establishes a mystery that is fun yet believable for Morgan and team to face.

Heated rivalry.

On the surface, the graffiti tagging war between Defunct and Psyclops would define the entirety of the story. In earlier High Potential episodes (like “Dancers in the Dark”), the feud or artistry would play into the case, giving a reason why a murder happens. However, High Potential Season 2 Episode 16 cleverly flips it on its head. Surprisingly, this mystery has nothing to do with graffiti. Everything about the tagging, the feud, and the scheme to lower the building’s value is simply a red herring.

Sometimes the plot’s hard pivot is jarring. Those types of cases make it too easy, or don’t create enough of a path to solve the case. Here, “Turn, Up the Heat” transitions the plotlines seamlessly together, not breaking up any of the pacing or momentum. This feeling stems from all of the pieces still playing an important part in the mystery. In this case, Defunct is in the wrong place at the wrong time, but High Potential still makes it known that the graffiti portion matters. “Turn, Up the Heat” doesn’t squander any of the buildup or plotline; the pivot matters because everything before is needed.

Cementing the solution.

The one issue about the killer’s reveal, however, is the missing climax. We join Morgan and team in finding the clues, but not being there when they capture the killer is a lackluster finish. Why couldn’t we see them discover the bomb shelter? Or break through the hidden door to find the architect? Hearing about it after the fact with Soto takes away the excitement of the “a-ha!” moment. The missing confrontation could have pushed this case over the top, but instead, it falls short at the end.

Comparatively, the clues about the warm building land affectively well! Morgan and Karadec drop tidbits throughout the episode that something is amiss. Sure, it could easily be throwaway lines, but it’s these types of pieces that pull us toward an even bigger moment. “Turn, Up the Heat” succeeds in this twist reveal because it delivers the reasoning for why the building is hot. And especially, the arson attempts with the explosion!

Explosive results.

Speaking of the explosion, what was Karadec thinking? There is literally a bag of gasoline hanging above a lit fire. Understandably, he wants to save the building and prevent an explosion. However, it’s extremely dangerous for anyone to attempt to stop that flame, even for a trained detective. Morgan and Lucia’s worries are right on the money; Karadec should’ve known better and cautioned himself.

Though, his error may have been the best thing to ever happen to his and Lucia’s relationship. They’re absolutely getting engaged soon, right? The tender moments at the hospital show a new closeness forming between them, one they’re establishing more than pre-series. “Turn, Up the Heat” feels like the first time where Lucia is unpacking the fears she felt in their first relationship. And in Karadec’s case, almost dying shows him that he needs to prioritize a happy life with Lucia. It’s great that they’re taking their relationship’s next steps more seriously this time.

A new suspect.

Now, let’s chat about the Roman case. Nick’s father being a part of Roman’s disappearance isn’t something any of us could have predicted. Willa Quinn providing services to Nick’s father? Absolutely! He’s in politics and could easily hire her to solve problems for him. This new layer is confusing because Roman is a street artist. Maybe he painted somewhere he shouldn’t have, or he saw something while painting? We could be getting closer to solving who hired Willa to kidnap Roman.

Hopefully, Morgan stays far away from the job offer. Nick is absolutely right – the offer is a tactic to serve someone else’s benefit. However, it could be a way for his father to keep an eye on Morgan, too. This is a dangerous chess game playing out in front of us, but Willa is still the scarier villain of the two. She is a survivor; she’ll do anything to protect her interests.

Overall.

“Turn, Up the Heat” is an easy and fun episode with changing paths. The graffiti storyline packs a few high-tension moments that keep Morgan and team on their toes. Pleasantly, the stakes get raised with an explosive twist. However, the climax will leave you with more of a flicker than a flame. However, that’s only for the killer reveal. The Roman storyline dishes out a cliffhanger with scorch marks.

High Potential airs new episodes on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.

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Images courtesy of ABC.