High Potential has offered up plenty of mysteries thus far for Kaitlin Olson’s Morgan to conquer (or help conquer) without needing more than a single episode’s length, but Season 2’s fall finale split its art heist investigation in half. Thankfully, after a months-long hiatus, ABC’s ratings juggernaut will return early in the 2026 TV schedule — on January 6 to be exact — and showrunner Todd Harthan shared an update about the other long-running enigma plaguing the Gilory family: Roman’s whereabouts.
CinemaBlend spoke with High Potential’s head honcho ahead of the midseason finale, and among other hot and heavy topics (i.e. Morgan and Rhys getting to first-and-a-half base), I asked Harthan if he was keeping up with fans’ mountainous eagerness to learn more about Roman, and how that creative process had been going, and he implied viewers will be getting some big answers as the rest of the season plays out. In his words:
It's going, and blanks are going to get filled. All kinds of things are going to bloom and happen in the back half.
"All kinds of things" can obviously mean just about anything under the sun, and doesn't necessarily confirm that we'll learn every single answer. But that's not ALL he said, as the showrunner also spoke to the fact that details about Roman's whereabouts have been relatively few and far between thus far, saying:
We've been slow-burning it, for sure, but as we ramp up in this last batch of episodes, we're really going to start to unpack some things that I think the audience has been waiting to hear, and that we can't push off any further.
At this point, it is kind of silly just how little we do know about what's happening with Roman, since Mekhi Phifer's Arthur hasn't exactly been very knowledgable himself about Roman's situation. Not that he even wants Morgan and Ava to keep contacting him and asking him questions. Especially now that he's being followed and threatened by mysterious men hiding in the backseat of his car. (Good luck with that, Arthur!)
Even if we don't get Roman making a physical appearance on the show, it will go a long way to learn some legitimate details about why he's been gone for so long, and how his situation still allows him to keep tabs on Morgan and contact Arthur, and whatever else he's been up to that isn't "being held captive in complete solitude."
One of the biggest potential storyline issues with bringing Roman back into Morgan's life is the impact it would have on Morgan's current love life. She hasn't exactly been suffering for potential suitors, including Mr. Possibly Guilty Man Rhys himself, though plenty of viewers are optimistic that she and Karadec will knock badges at some point. (I know she doesn't have a real badge, but I also don't want her and Karadec to get together at this point.)
Not that we know whether or not Morgan will be romantically invested in Roman if/when he pops up again. It's been long enough that she's had kids with a different man, among other relationships, so maybe it wouldn't be as big of an obstacle as I'm thinking. Plus, his return is more important for Ava's mental health anyway, although Morgan finally getting closure there would be huge as well.
So stay patient and vigilant, fellow High Potential fanatics, for answers are coming soon! Check out the preview below for the impending return.
High Potential Season 2 returns to ABC on Tuesday, January 6, at 9:00 p.m. ET, with new episodes available to stream the next day via Hulu subscription or Disney+ subscription.
