'High Potential' Season 2 Episode 8 Recap: ABC's Most-Watched Crime Comedy Returns With a New Major Cliffhanger

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for High Potential Season 2, Episode 8.

The first half of High Potential Season 2 ended with an intense mid-season finale that saw Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) and her team investigating the whereabouts of a stolen Rembrandt. While the case initially seemed to be unusually low-stakes, the episode ended with the discovery of the dead museum curator – and with Morgan hooking up with Rhys (Aiden Turner), only to realize that he is the number one suspect in this case.

All the while, Arthur (Mekhi Phifer) started to suspect that he was being targeted for Roman's backpack, while Selena (Judy Reyes) led an investigation into the backpack's contents. His storyline ended with a major suspect in Roman's case catching him alone in his car. High Potential's mid-Season 2 premiere picks up right where the mid-season finale left off, and it continues these storylines in a suspenseful and shocking episode.

In 'High Potential' Season 2, Episode 8, the Major Crimes Team Finds the Real Thieves

The episode starts with a rewind back to the moment where a young couple found the body of the murdered museum curator, Cyrus Carrow (Reggie De Leon). The Major Crimes team then investigates the murder, which complicates the case of the stolen Rembrandt. Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) finds it unlikely that Jean Baptiste was involved in Cyrus' death, and even suggests that Cyrus could have been the painting thief. Morgan leaves the crime scene to snoop around Rhys' hotel room, and a suspicious Karadec follows her, so she tells him her theory that Rhys is Jean Baptiste – and that she hooked up with Rhys, which is how she got all this information. Morgan finds a painting in the hotel room, but they have no way of connecting him to the Rembrandt, especially because he was with her when Cyrus was killed.

Morgan and Karadec have some compelling conflict this episode, because he feels like she's put him in the impossible position of having to choose between his loyalty to her and his duty to Captain Wagner (Steve Howey). Morgan is frustrated that Karadec is still concerned with following the rules, but she still apologizes and tries to see things from his perspective. Wagner tries to keep Morgan off the case for what feels like very petty reasons, but Karadec puts his own career on the line to continue working with her. At Cyrus' apartment, Morgan and Karadec find his boyfriend, Emilio (James Martinez), as well as reasons to believe that he was involved in the theft of the painting, but Emilio insists that he is being framed.

Morgan's attention to detail leads everyone to Emilio's office, where they find the missing Rembrandt – or so they think. Rhys leaves for another case and says goodbye to the Major Crimes team, and Morgan even brings the painting's rightful owner, Miriam Weisman (Rita Zohar), to the station so that she can see it one last time. Miriam realizes that the painting is a fake, though, and that the museum never even had the real one. Morgan follows Rhys to the elevator and confronts him, both accusing him of stealing the painting and ending her romance with him before it can ever properly start.

Rhys' papers lead Morgan to figure out that the Fosters, Linda (Tricia O'Kelley) and Greg (Joel de la Fuente), faked the theft of their own painting for the insurance money. They paid Cyrus to steal the painting, but he put it up for ransom to try to get more money, leading them to kill him. The Fosters try to escape on their boat with the painting, but Karadec and Wagner catch them, only to learn that the real painting has now been stolen from the Fosters. Morgan catches Rhys with the painting, confirming that he is Jean Baptiste. Rhys is no killer, though – his job is real, but sometimes, he plays Robin Hood to get certain paintings where they belong. Rhys secretly gets the painting back to Miriam, and then the Major Crimes team later celebrates over drinks, where Wagner shows up and shares a moment with Morgan while Karadec watches.

In 'High Potential' Season 2, Episode 8, Arthur Is Still In Danger Because of Roman's Backpack

Image via ABC

After getting tracked down and ambushed by a man (John Pyper-Ferguson) seemingly involved in Roman's disappearance last episode, Arthur calls Morgan this episode to tell her what happened. He made it out alive, but he is worried about Morgan and her family, and he warns her that there are people out there who are willing to kill for whatever was in Roman's backpack. Arthur is very opposed to working with the police when it was someone in law enforcement who sent Roman into hiding in the first place. He trusts Morgan, though, so he agrees to tell Selena what happened. Based on his description, she connects the dots that the same man's picture was in Roman's backpack.

Later, Arthur calls Selena and tells her that the man is following him in his car. Arthur then drives to the precinct to get away from him, but he never makes it to the station. Selena keeps calling him to try to get a hold of him, but it's no use. Arthur's phone is then shown to be on the ground next to his truck, from which he's been taken. Even worse, the man who's been going after Arthur has followed Morgan to her after-work drinks, and he watches her from across the room. The case of the stolen painting may have been resolved, but High Potential's main overarching storyline continues, and Morgan is now in more danger than ever.

High Potential airs Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M. EST on ABC.

Release Date September 17, 2024

Showrunner Todd Harthan

Pros & Cons

• 'High Potential's mid-Season 2 premiere is full of shocking twists and suspenseful moments.
• The episode sets up some compelling conflict for Morgan and Karadec moving forward.

• The Roman storyline continues to drag out longer than necessary, and Arthur ends the episode pretty much exactly where he started it.