Viewers have already picked up on the obvious chemistry between Karadec and Morgan on High Potential — but that doesn’t mean the show is in a rush to explore something more.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Daniel Sunjata explained why the hit ABC series is taking its time with Karadec and Morgan’s journey.
“I will definitely say that I actually don’t have the actual ultimate answer to where they’re going to go. In terms of the will-they-won’t-they between Karadec and Morgan, that is up to our writers’ room,” Sunjata, 52, told Us. “I think that they’re going to play the long game with that particular story line.”
Sunjata is also not ruling out Karadec and Morgan remaining platonic — for now or even for good.
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“Honestly if we ended up getting like five seasons, Karadec and Morgan could just stay really good friends with a mutual professional respect who deeply care for one another and maybe flirted with the idea of some kind of romantic interaction,” he noted. “But if that never happened, that would be a really cool way to take it also.”
Regardless of their destination, no one can deny Karadec and Morgan’s scene-stealing chemistry.
“I would say that there’s definitely some electricity between the two of them. There’s a reluctant mutual attraction that’s happening,” Sunjata added. “But I don’t think we should expect to see anything crazy about that happening anytime soon.”
High Potential, which premiered in September, follows a high-potential intellectual named Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) who teams up with the LAPD to help solve murders. She gets paired up with Karadec, who is initially skeptical about how Morgan can assist the Major Crimes unit but ultimately starts to rely on her.
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It didn’t take long for fans to point out how Karadec and Morgan’s dynamic reminded them of other fictional couples on procedural shows who took years to get together. Sunjata’s show of support for High Potential’s current arc for Karadec and Morgan doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be interested in them becoming a couple down the line.
“I definitely would be open to it. I totally would be open to it. Whatever direction they decide to take us,” he told Us. “As the actor, you’re there to serve the telling of the story. [Karadec and Morgan’s potential romance] would be a really cool idea. But I also think it would be a really cool to just continue to flirt with the idea and maybe it doesn’t end up tied up in a bow.”
He continued: “I can’t speak for Kaitlin but we are trying to play the truth of each scene, each moment and the truth of our characters to the best of our ability as actors. What I’m hearing from you is that it’s coming across and is actually landing. We’re not trying to be particularly subtle. We’re not trying to be particularly overt. We’re just really trying to play the truth of these two unlikely partners getting to know each other.”
Sunjata pointed out how well Karadec and Morgan match each other, saying, “Morgan’s irreverence for the rules combined with her incredible intellect and the fact that she always ends up being right, that starts to take down Karadec’s walls. That plays into this unexpected chemistry that two characters find with each other.”
After High Potential became ABC’s most-watched series in six years, Sunjata is just grateful to see the overwhelming interest. He credited Olson’s performance as the reason why so many people continue to tune into the show.
“The secret sauce is Kaitlin Olson. The reason why this is not your father’s procedural is because of that light comedic element that is sprinkled throughout every episode. Morgan and Kaitlin’s performance has so very much to do with it,” he gushed. “It’s a serious cop show and a serious procedural but there is this lightheartedness and quirkiness that Kaitlin brings to Morgan. That’s the thing that makes this show stand out from other procedurals that I’ve ever seen.”
High Potential airs on ABC Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET.
