A high-stakes threat leads to one of High Potential’s best cases yet. “Second Sunday” amps up the tension on the ABC comedy, driving the investigation into a city-wide concern. This case is one of the rare instances where Morgan and team race against the clock before the criminals strike again. All hands are on deck! “Second Sunday” is a well-written investigation that pulls everything together effortlessly from start to finish.
Beneath the surface.
One of the greatest strengths of High Potential is that it knows how to utilize its city effectively. Think of series like Charlie’s Angels, Sex and the City, or Gossip Girl, where locations and the setting are integral to their tone. High Potential is set in Los Angeles – every case explores or introduces a visually stunning part of the city. From high-rise buildings to old money mansions, they each play their part.
“Second Sunday” does a great job of blending L.A.’s history and infrastructure. What starts as a simple bank robbery case turns into a high-tech scheme of sabotage, mapping, and monetary theft. Morgan deserves plenty of kudos for pinpointing the tunnel map operation! Her record for problem-solving is now seconds; she cracks the black box’s codes with ease. While it’s a tad far-fetched based on its quickness, it’s still a wonder whenever she pulls out the answer.
If it wasn’t for her, the mayor would’ve kept Major Crimes out of everything. By now, everyone – from the police department to the city council – just needs to back away. Morgan, Karadec, Soto, and the entire team know how to do their jobs amazingly well!
A plan of action.
Lieutenant Soto is right on the money when she calls out the strangeness of the theft. The robbers could’ve easily walked away from the first bank theft with tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sure, the stolen money from the tubes is all cash, but the higher ticketed items would’ve come from that stolen vault. “Second Sunday” seems to be a crime that prioritizes untraceable, easy access instead of a higher payday. As a pleasant result, High Potential raises the stakes, making these criminals feel smarter and deadlier.
Between the city mapping in the warehouse and the use of the pneumatic tubes, these criminals plan everything. Though, their bad blunders leave us scratching our heads. How did they not plan out their escape plan? Why didn’t they check if the exit door could open? And why didn’t they lock or barricade the entrance? It’s these small errors that, thankfully, leave a wide-open door for Major Crimes to save the day.
Still, “Second Sunday” feels like a case where anything bad could happen. The bank robbers murdered Nick’s fiancée pre-series, so they have it within them to affect the main cast. While it feels unlikely Morgan would’ve been shot, her surprise confrontation in the hallway with a robber raises the tension. She is untrained, unprepped, and unarmed – Morgan can do a lot of things, but she can’t attack back. Still, moments like these effectively pull on our nerves, keeping us on our toes for something bad that could happen.
Elevator kiss.
Speaking of Nick, do you think his romance with Morgan will sizzle … or fizzle? Let’s be honest here: the elevator kiss is a long time coming! We all noticed the signs, even those of you who have been shipping Morgan and Karadec together. Their power-struggle banter ignites sparks; their chemistry either would lead to a romance or a feud. “Second Sunday” makes it a romance subplot now.
Still, we should cautiously walk when it comes to Nick. High Potential Season 2 is a season of Nick keeping many things close to his chest, like his dead fiancée. He’s done a better job of letting Major Crimes in, but even now, it takes Morgan some poking and prodding to push him to share his past. It’s unlikely (but questionable) that he’s working with his father and Willa Quinn, especially in Roman’s kidnapping. However, his tendency to go solo is too much of a red flag for him to connect with Morgan.
A crack in the case.
Hayworth’s death might be the smoking gun that Soto and Karadec need. Why would someone kill a witness if he wasn’t the witness to a big crime? If he were alive, there was some room for doubt. However, the murder gives it away that his witness statement would’ve been damning.
Either Willa got too overconfident, or Nick Sr. got too scared to keep him alive. This small opening could be Soto’s way to force an interrogation or get the answers she needs. We’re getting closer to High Potential’s biggest mystery being solved. This death feels less of a hurdle and more of a possible opportunity.
Overall.
“Second Sunday” is an action-packed investigation full of high stakes and high value. We learn more of Nick’s past, opening up the character in many positive ways. The Major Crimes team works brilliantly together to take down a dangerous bank-robbing team. And just as importantly, the investigation adds new layers to Roman’s case and the team at large. A great, well-balanced episode on all parts.
High Potential airs new episodes on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.
Images courtesy of ABC.
REVIEW RATING
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High Potential Season 2 Episode 17 - 9/10
9/10
Justin is a fun-loving geek living in downtown Toronto, Canada. He’s an avid TV buff, movie fan, and gamer. He’s written for publications like Entertainment Weekly’s The Community, Virgin, TV Fanatic, FANDOM, The Young Folks, and his blog, City Boy Geekiness.
