High Potential Boss Breaks Down Finale’s Roman Reveal, Offers Early Intel on David Giuntoli’s Mystery Role
A series of life-and-death challenges, a glamorous (dare we say romantic) police gala, and the introduction of a possible Big Bad for next season? Oh yes, High Potential gives good finale.
The ABC procedural wrapped its first season on Tuesday by pitting the LAPD against a sadistic strategist, one whose deadly games tested Morgan’s team like never before. Poor Oz almost died at the bottom of a pool, ultimately saved by Morgan’s quick thinking and Karadec’s even-quicker swimming.
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Just when the LAPD thought they figured out who was behind all of it, a twist! The game master isn’t some scorned rich kid, as they were led to believe, but rather an extremely handsome stranger played by none other than David Giuntoli. The episode ended with him “bumping into” Morgan at the grocery store, where he planted a frightening invitation in her shopping cart: “You’re the one, Morgan. We shall play again. Me and you.”
So, who is this guy? If you were a fan of ABC’s A Million Little Things, NBC’s Grimm or even that one season of MTV’s Road Rules set in the South Pacific, then you know darn well who Giuntoli is. What you don’t know, however, is who he’s playing on this show — and that’s exactly how showrunner Todd Harthan wants to keep it for now.
“I love a good serialized villain,” Harthan tells TVLine. “I also love going into a Season 2 where there might be another surprise or two, so it’s a bit of an open box.” Giuntoli’s unnamed character “definitely has the potential” to become a Big Bad, coming in and out of Morgan’s life when she least expects it.
“It’s just one of those tricky things that I thought Elementary did really well,” Harthan says. “A lot of shows have done it really well, where you find those pockets where [that storyline] flares up again, right? You let the audience almost forget about it, and then they start talking online. And then you make them wait just until they get mad at you, and then you give it to them.”
As for the story behind Giuntoli’s casting, Harthan calls it a “six degrees of Kevin Bacon” situation. “My best friend and co-collaborator for 25 years has been [finale director] James Roday Rodriguez, dating all the way back to high school, and he was on A Million Little Things [with Giuntoli]. James and I thought, ‘Who do we know that we can sprinkle in here that’ll really get people’s attention in a fun way?’ So Giuntoli came out of just prior relationships. He’s also a friend of the studio and the network too, so he was lovely.”
Speaking of men who flow in and out of Morgan’s life when she least expects them, let’s address the finale’s other major bombshell: not only do we know that Roman is alive, but Karadec (via some intel from his former partner) knows where he is! While a reunion between Morgan and her estranged ex isn’t necessarily imminent, Harthan confirms that the Roman storyline will get more screen time moving forward.
“I think it has to kick up a notch,” he says. “If I keep it at the same level, just dipping our toe in the water instead of jumping into the pool, that’s the kind of thing that might frustrate the audience. So I think we have to find meaningful upgrades and give them bigger bites of story, if you will, in Season 2. It’ll be a little bit of a deeper dive.”
The finale also had its lighter moments, like when Tom accepted Morgan’s invitation to the police gala, interrupting her slow dance with Karadec to steal one of his own. “Having not really mapped it out,” Harthan is pretty confident we’ll see Tom again in Season 2. “I love the guy, and I love the character,” he says. “There’s a lot of affection, and nobody did anything bad to each other. There’s a lovely thing there, so who knows?”
And if you’re wondering why Tom suddenly disappeared in the first place, there’s a method to his relocation: “In Season 1, we didn’t want to lose too much focus on the core dynamic of Morgan’s work family, her real family with the kids, and the cases that were solved,” Harthan explains. “We didn’t really buy that Morgan, with all these plates already spinning, would also start dating somebody full-force. But she does really like the guy, and that’s why we only sent him to San Diego. It’s a hop, skip and a jump, right?”
Lastly, we must discuss Karadec and Morgan’s aforementioned slow dance at the gala. Before you start ‘shipping these two (as if you aren’t already), Harthan suggests that the situation may not be so cut and dry.
“Of course there’s an attraction, but there’s also this mutual respect that they have for each other, and it all just kind of came together in that moment,” he says. “If you really look at it, it could be considered a manipulation. Karadec could be thinking, ‘Let me get her on this dance floor. Let me say all these wonderful things, and then let me turn the tables and go, I’m taking over [the Roman case].’ I like to confuse the audience, hopefully in a good way.”
OK, let’s talk: What are your theories about Giuntoli’s mysterious character? How long do you think we’ll have to wait until Roman finally shows up, and who should play him? And what are your hopes for the Tom/Morgan/Karadec triangle that appears to be forming before our very eyes? Grade the finale and season in our polls below, then drop a comment with your thoughts on all things High Potential.
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