Detective Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) is in hot pursuit of Derek as ABC’s High Potential season two episode two opens. The action takes place just minutes after the season premiere episode ended, with Lt Selena Soto (Judy Reyes) and Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) at the station with the Game Maker.
(The following is a recap of episode two and there are spoilers. You’ve been warned!)
Adam calls in with bad news that he lost Derek, and Morgan suggests he get back to the station ASAP. The Game Maker (David Giuntoli) showed up and is currently seated just 20 feet or so away, looking perfectly calm.
The Game Maker’s name is Matthew Clark and he works odd jobs for cash. He claims he saw his face on the news and wants to know why. Morgan stares at Matthew seated in the interrogation room while Selena confirms he doesn’t have a criminal record. Adam won’t let Morgan interrogate him, since that’s obviously what Matthew wants.
Adam places photos of the Game Maker’s victims in front of Matthew and he insists he doesn’t recognize them. Morgan’s frustrated that Adam doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere, but Adam’s taking his time on purpose. If he pushes too hard, Matthew could just leave.
Morgan can’t just stand by and starts interrupting the interrogation with a series of texts. Matthew taunts Adam, teasing him about the texts and “side pieces.” Adam steps out to talk to Morgan, and Morgan reminds them Matthew said “she” when he mentioned a coworker and specifically asked for Pillsbury cookies. Morgan explains that it’s a variation in chess designed to secure your defense. Their next move should be to release Jason Howard.
Selena and Adam speak with Jason (Nick Wechsler) and his attorney, informing him he’s no longer a suspect in Maya’s disappearance. However, Maya’s exe Derek doesn’t know that and is out to kill him. Jason doesn’t recognize Matthew’s photo and doesn’t understand why this stranger would set this whole thing up with the goal of Derek killing him. They offer Jason police protection and he accepts.
Jason asks about Maya and Selena confirms they believe she’s alive and being used as a pawn in the plan for Derek to kill him.
Matthew speaks to himself, saying he now understands why people confess to things they didn’t do. He looks through the two-way glass and seems to speak directly to Morgan, warning her not to blink.
A bomb threat on a bus, presumably called in by Matthew, pulls Morgan and Adam out of the station and into the field. Someone heard ticking on the bus, and Morgan and Adam examine a clock counting down two hours. There’s a thumb drive that shows a video of Maya (Kate Miner) singing “Bizarre Love Triangle,” and Matthew had teased Adam about being in a love triangle during the interrogation.
There’s no way to tell when the video was made so it doesn’t prove Maya’s still alive. The bomb squad found ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in bombmaking. The items were in a bag from Helen of Monago; Morgan doesn’t recognize the brand. There’s a loose thread and Morgan is sure it means something. She pulls it and Helen of Monago transforms into Hello Morgan.
Adam and Morgan realize that Matthew now has a solid alibi if the bus started its route after he showed up at the station.
Over in Nevada, no one answered Roman’s motel room door, but Daphne (Javicia Leslie) and Oz (Deniz Akdeniz) were able to confirm he checked in last week. They’re still parked outside the room when the door opens. They don’t recognize the man (Mekhi Phifer) who looks around outside.
They introduce themselves but the man doesn’t provide his name. He walks off, claiming he’s busy.
Morgan and Adam return to the station and Daphne calls saying they found Roman, but he wouldn’t talk. They send a photo and obviously it’s not Roman. Morgan’s never seen this man before. (Why didn’t they already have a photo of Roman?) Oz and Daphne confirm they’ll try to find out why he’s using Roman’s name.
While Adam was out, Selena took over Matthew’s interrogation. He proclaims his innocence and even says they can search his apartment and bank account. Morgan’s certain there’s something in his apartment he wants them to find.
Their search doesn’t undercover anything until Morgan spots a book about Stanislav Petrov (the man who saved the world) that’s upside down. Adam thinks they’ll have to let Matthew go because they don’t have any reason to hold him. Morgan’s certain Matthew’s escalated things and that he’s declared war. Adam says the word “blinks” and Morgan suddenly asks to see Maya’s video again.
Maya blinks out the numbers 2 4 9 2, and Morgan realizes it’s Jason’s address. However, they’ve already swept Jason’s house. Morgan thinks Matthew made Maya blink the numbers, and Adam believes Matthew left something the night of the party after they’d done the sweep.
Matthew’s in the hallway when Adam and Morgan leave his apartment. He calmly says, “I hope you found what you’re looking for.” He smiles as the elevator doors close.
There’s less than a minute left when Adam and Morgan arrive at Jason’s house. Jason’s confused when they can’t say what they’re looking for. Time runs out and a bomb goes off in Adam’s car. Thankfully, no one was injured.
Jason’s brought to the station for his own safety but refuses to stay since they can’t seem to even protect themselves. He’s hired a private security firm instead. Morgan thinks Matthew planted the bomb during the party at Jason’s house. And Matthew did it so that Jason wouldn’t trust the cops to protect him. Plus, Derek’s still missing.
And speak of the devil, Derek (Shaun Sipos) follows Jason’s security team when they leave the station.
Over in Nevada, Oz and Daphne tell the stranger they know he isn’t Roman. They mention they were sent by Morgan, and he briefly pauses, but then says he doesn’t know “him.”
Selena sends Morgan home to check on her family. Ludo (Taran Killiam) is with Elliot (Matthew Lamb) in his room practicing for tomorrow night’s talent show. Morgan’s desperate to know what he’s performing but Ava (Amirah J) doesn’t know. Only Ludo is in on the secret.
Morgan has a heart-to-heart with Elliot, and he confirms he might do something super nerdy. He’s okay with that because sometimes you need to lose the battle to win the war. Morgan has an epiphany; maybe she’s supposed to lose to the Game Maker to win.
Morgan shows up alone at Matthew’s apartment and Matthew believes she likes this game as much as he does. Morgan says he’s wrong. She’s quitting the game because he’s smarter and she’s done putting her kids in danger. Morgan tells him he wins and asks where Maya is. Matthew claims not to know, but he hopes they find her.
As she’s leaving, he suggests that she take the stairs.
Selena sends Adam off to track down Derek after Derek’s credit card was used at a hotel. Derek sees Jason and his security check in and then waits in a room. Jason and his team walk down the hall and Derek prepares to follow them.
Adam calls Morgan with an update on Derek, and Morgan confesses she’s in Matthew’s apartment building and hears “Bizarre Love Triangle” playing. She follows it and pounds on a door, screaming for Maya. Morgan tries to break down the door as neighbors watch.
Derek spots Jason sitting outside and somehow makes it past his security, placing a gun to the back of Jason’s head. Adam screams at him not to shoot as the security team also draw their weapons. Adam orders the others to put down their guns, but Derek keeps his against the back of Jason’s head.
Morgan makes it into the apartment and while on a speaker phone with Adam, she tells Maya to convince Derek she’s alive. Maya does her best to describe elements of their marriage no one would know. Fortunately, it works. Derek puts the gun down and Adam places him under arrest.
Later, Selena reveals the DA doesn’t think they’ve got enough evidence to prosecute Matthew. Maya didn’t see her abductor and there’s no concrete evidence tying the apartment to Matthew. Morgan’s convinced they won’t take Matthew alive. He had a picture of a monkey that mutilates itself rather than being placed in captivity.
Oz and Daphne return from their unsuccessful Nevada trip just as Adam receives Maya’s medical records. She didn’t have any bruising or any drugs in her system. So, where did Maya’s blood come from that they found in her car’s trunk?
Morgan returns to Matthew’s apartment and reveals that Maya didn’t have any cuts on her, yet her blood was in her trunk. She remembered that they found items in his place indicating he volunteers at a hospital – the same hospital where Maya donated blood. Footage from the hospital shows him stealing Maya’s blood.
Morgan wanted to beat the officers there to let him know he’ll end up in a cage. Matthew says, “Well played,” and disagrees when Morgan says he hurt people. He believes the rich are all the same. Those who aren’t rich are just pawns to the wealthy and considered disposable, like his mom who went to jail accused of stealing. Matthew insists she didn’t do it and was set up as part of an insurance scam. His mom’s life was destroyed, and the police helped make it happen.
Morgan believes him but doesn’t care. Matthew steps over his balcony’s railing as a montage of his crimes plays. He says he won’t die in prison like his mother did. Matthew lets go of the railing and falls backwards from his upper floor apartment. He didn’t bother to look before he jumped and is shocked to discover he fell straight onto an airbag.
Oz is given the honor of listing his crimes while placing him under arrest.
Ava slinks down in her seat in the auditorium as Elliot takes the stage at the talent show. He’s greeted by a shout of “nerd,” but then actually silences his peers with a rap song acknowledging all the labels he’s been called. He finishes with a mic drop and his family stands and applauds. Most of the audience remains silent.
Morgan pulls Elliot in for a hug after the show but gets distracted when the man from Nevada shows up. He introduces himself as Arthur and says Roman told him last week that she’s the only person he can trust. But he also said they can’t trust the cops, so why is she hanging out with LAPD? Morgan asks about the backpack he had in the photo Oz sent from Nevada. She’s certain it was Roman’s, but he doesn’t confirm what was in it. He says he’s only there at Roman’s request to make sure she and Ava are okay.
Arthur hands Morgan a card for Arthur Ellis Landscaping and leaves. Ava wonders who the guy was and Morgan replies, “I don’t know yet.”
- High Potential Season 2 Episode 1 “Pawns” Recap
- High Potential Season 2 Episode 3 “Eleven Minutes” Recap
- High Potential Season 2 Episode 4 “Behind the Music” Recap
- High Potential Season 2 Episode 5 “Content Warning” Recap
- High Potential Season 2 Episode 7 “The One That Got Away” Recap
- High Potential Season 2 Episode 8 “The One That Got Away Part 2” Recap
- High Potential Season 2 Episode 9 “Under the Rug” Recap
- High Potential Season 2 Episode 10 “Grounded” Recap
