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Will we ever grow bored of the genius detective? I suspect not – the satisfaction of seeing a remarkably talented person solve absurdly complex cases remains among fiction’s surest draws. As ever, our screens teem with such characters: over the last twelve months we’ve been introduced to Ludwig, David Mitchell’s puzzle-setter turned brilliantly perceptive investigator; been reunited with Natasha Lyonne’s truth-divining Charlie Cale in Poker Face; and encountered once again with brainiac attorney Elsbeth.

A Unique Breed of Brilliant Investigator

Returning for more mental gymnastics is Morgan Gillory, the lead character of lighthearted crime series High Potential, which returns for a new season. With an IQ of 160 – giving her “exceptional mental ability” – Morgan’s ability to decode mind-bendingly complicated sequences of events is downright astonishing. Yet there’s something a little different about this particular clever-clogs crime-solver.

Since an antisocial drug addict named Sherlock Holmes established the genius detective tone, such characters have typically had a few issues. Ludwig is withdrawn, his talents tempered by intense awkwardness. Cale is a chaotic, non-committal outsider fond of a drink or two, while Elsbeth is a unfiltered weirdo who gives people the creeps.

Morgan – portrayed by Kaitlin Olson – has no such weaknesses. When we first meet her, she’s working as a cleaner in the offices of the police department. After accidentally knocking over a pile of investigation notes and noticing some critical mistakes, she provides a hint to point the officers in the right direction. Soon, she’s brought on to work alongside the police, where she promptly solves a series of extraordinarily labyrinthine crimes almost single-handedly.

A Well-Rounded Heroine

Morgan is not only exceptionally intelligent, she’s also a fearless, charismatic, elegant, gorgeous achiever with flawless instincts and off-the-charts emotional intelligence. She may be a little pushy at times, but now she’s in the business of saving lives and catching killers, some persistence isn’t entirely inappropriate.

While Morgan may be almost ideal in every way, the same can’t be said for her life – initially. A solo parent of three, she struggles to cover expenses, and mostly uses her mind palace to get the most out of her coupon-assisted supermarket shop. Motherhood can, naturally, hinder women’s professional lives, but Morgan’s willingness to accept the demands and pay of a low-paying job seems unrealistic.

Juggling Believability and Drama

Similarly hard to buy is the show’s primary subplot: underpinning all her varied cases is Morgan’s determination to track down the father of her eldest child, who disappeared without a trace a decade and a half back. In spite of her incredible powers of deduction, she remains clueless where he is.

But High Potential doesn't focus heavily with realism. Produced by ABC in the US, this is polished, easy-watching network TV. It’s popular and easy on the eye, the sort of thing typically found more with ITV than BBC Two. Morgan’s new colleagues are consistently pleasant, underdeveloped guys: suave detective Karadec, investigators Daphne and Oz, plus Lt Selena Soto, possibly the most fair and most approachable police chief in cop drama history. No antiheroes, no edge: the atmosphere is cosy and heartwarming and rather basic.

Tension and Excitement

Obviously, the crimes aren’t comforting or sentimental or basic. The season one finale saw Morgan provoked by a kidnapper who compelled her to solve extremely challenging puzzles to rescue the victims. He returns in the premiere episodes here, kidnapping a young mother on her way home from a night out – but his true objective is clearly Morgan, whom he sees as a worthy opponent in his actual match of chess.

Watching her get agonizingly near to outsmarting this man is tense and thrilling, but something this extreme requires a flawless ending. The question is: does the show prove as clever as its protagonist?

Conclusion

Simply put, no. The show is quite effective at keeping the tension going, but it fails to deliver the landing, and the storyline wraps up with a preposterous gotcha. Still, there’s always next time. Actually, Morgan’s subsequent case – while equally bizarre – is better thought through, ending with a neat and surprisingly moving climax. The quality of the plotting may be somewhat inconsistent, but similar to other predecessors and peers, this virtuoso citizen detective can always be counted on to save the day.