Warning - this article contains spoilers for High Potential's season one finale
High Potential, already hailed as one of the 'best shows of 2025', concluded its first season with a double cliffhanger that fans have dubbed 'bad manners'. The crime procedural has captivated audiences in the US since its release earlier this year, with the final episode drawing in over 13 million viewers. With Kaitlin Olson in the starring role, the show has also found success in the UK, where viewers have finally caught up with the finale. But what transpired in the season finale? How did fans respond? Is a second season in the works? Here's all you need to know, but be warned: spoilers lie ahead.
As previously mentioned, the 13th and final episode of High Potential ended with not one, but two cliffhangers. Both are tied to the ongoing narrative that has been woven throughout the series and this week's case culprit, reports Surrey Live. Olson's character, Morgan, who assists the LAPD in cracking complex crimes, was dealt two significant revelations back-to-back in the episode's closing moments. Firstly, she comes face-to-face with a menacing serial kidnapper who has been observing her and implies she is his next target. The tale took a dark twist when a pack of children's playing cards, cunningly slipped into her shopping bags, bore a sticker with the foreboding message that they would 'play again'.
Morgan immediately receives an unsettling call from Detective Karadec revealing that Roman, Morgan's eldest daughter's father who seemed to vanish years prior, is indeed alive and his location known. Facing Roman's mysterious past, Morgan consents to aid the police under the condition that they reopen the case into his disappearance.
Audiences were swift in expressing their shock at the show's season finale, with social media erupting in commentary. One fan exclaimed online: "Ending the season on not one, but two cliffhangers is just bad manners!" Another shared their enthusiasm, stating: "I just finished season one of High Potential and it would be criminal to just leave us on that cliffhanger! The characters I want more of, the story has me hooked, and the dynamic of the investigation has me guessing right along with the cast. I NEED a second season!" A third couldn't contain their excitement, imploring: "I need everyone to watch High Potential because that finale and the first season truly took me out."
Praise for 'High Potential' had already been flowing pre-finale, as seen by one viewer's high praise: "High Potential is easily the best show of 2025. The other new shows don't even come close. I'm beyond thrilled for Kaitlin Olson, who's finally been given a starring vehicle worthy of her talent."
Fans can sigh a breath of relief as the series is confirmed to return for a second season. However, the wait continues over a confirmed premiere date. The show's return timeline remains uncertain, largely dependent on star Kaitlin Olson's busy schedule with other projects like It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Hacks. However, fans remain optimistic about a potential comeback by next year.
The showrunner Todd Harthan has offered a sneak peek into the upcoming storyline, admitting that Roman's disappearance and its aftermath will be complex and unexpected. In an interview with Screen Rant, he revealed: "I think what you'll learn next year is that his (Roman's) disappearance and where he went and why he ended up there was really, really complicated. And it's not hopefully something that the audience will predict, but it's something we're going to map out." He confessed his own trepidations: "I will probably get in trouble for saying this, but sometimes I go, 'This is a really compelling, interesting way to end a season, and I'm backing myself into a really terrifying story corner that I have to fight my way out of with some other wonderful brains in the writer's room.'"
"And I love that challenge. I love that challenge. So, the short answer is I don't really know exactly where we're going to take it next season, and that's terrifying and exciting at the same time, but I would just want to get it right. I want to get it right."
High Potential is streaming on Disney+.
