High Potential season 2 slammed on the brakes with Episode 7, “The One That Got Away,” and then disappeared for roughly 10 weeks. ABC’s crime dramedy returns on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, in a new slot at 9/8c, but the midseason finale left Morgan Gillory facing a potential killer, Karadec and Wagner at odds, and a bearded stranger dropping into Arthur’s back seat. Showrunner Todd Harthan promises “surprises,” “tricks,” and a premiere that I don’t love direct pickups
—so don’t expect the very next scene to resume in that hotel room.
The hour centered on a stolen $20 million painting and introduced art recovery specialist Rhys Eastman (guest star Aiden Turner). After Morgan followed a hunch and an ill-timed flirtation, she spotted a shoulder scar on Rhys that matched the gunshot wound of the suspected thief—seconds before the episode cut to black. Meanwhile, Captain Nick Wagner publicly scorched Morgan, Karadec bristled, and the Roman investigation turned up a new bearded figure who later surprised Arthur in his car.
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Return date, time change, and why the long break
ABC resumes High Potential on January 6, 2026—at a new time (9/8c). Harthan says the midseason premiere begins with a “clever little device,” not an immediate “direct pickup,” to backfill what happened between the cliffhanger and the next crime scene. Karadec has some questions for her, so we start with a really fun, juicy scene at the top of the next one,
he teases. The roughly 10-week pause stems from scheduling/holiday hiatus timing, with the show sliding into January.
Inside Episode 7: every twist that matters
- The case: A $20 million painting vanishes; Morgan and Rhys re-enter the crime scene without clearance and get chewed out by Wagner for being “reckless and insubordinate.” Morgan fires back,
Do you practice that in a mirror?
Karadec urges her to dial it down, and she snaps,Do not tell me to calm down!
- Rhys’ scar: The shoulder scar sends Morgan—and viewers—toward a damning conclusion. Harthan warns against tunnel vision:
Just because he has a scar, that doesn’t mean he’s the guy, you don’t know!
He promisespretty interesting twists and turns
in the back half. - The bearded man: A photo from Roman’s backpack leads to a mysterious bearded figure who later sneaks into Arthur’s car. Harthan hints this person
knows a lot about the who, the when and the what of what happened all those years ago
and will be “very challenging” to extract answers from. - Wagner’s outburst: The captain’s behavior felt off—and that’s by design. Harthan says there’s
a lot going on with that guy
that the show will unpack, includingwhat his secret is.
- Roman probe dynamics: Wagner knows his team is running an off-the-books investigation. The struggle ahead will be “
tricky
”: hide the pursuit, or bring Wagner in and hope he’s an ally?
How the back half picks up (without a “direct pickup”)
Harthan makes two things clear about the January return. First, it won’t cut back to Morgan in that hotel room. Second, the team crafted a surprising kickoff that reframes the night’s events before thrusting them into a new case. We came up with this clever little device that kicks off the episode in a way that I think is surprising and interesting,
he says. I don’t love direct pickups.
Karadec vs. Wagner: drawn lines and blurred loyalties
In the finale, Karadec warned Wagner not to interfere with the Roman search, forcing everyone to define where they stand. Harthan frames the dilemma point-blank: Is Wagner an ally or an enemy? The series will “toggle” between both possibilities until the back half puts cards on the table. He has the power to…shut it down,
Harthan adds, so Soto must judge whether transparency helps or harms the hunt for Roman.
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Morgan & Rhys: a fling, a scar, and a Bond-level vibe
Harthan explains why Aiden Turner was the pick for Rhys: the role needed a Pierce-Brosnan-in-The Thomas Crown Affair level of charisma—“smooth and smart and mysterious”—without crossing into smarm. We just needed [him to feel like] Pierce Brosnan or James Bond without it being too smarmy or arrogant,
he says. He also cautions that lots of people have scars
, so Morgan’s conclusion may not hold.
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That other thread: Ava, Arthur, Soto, and Roman
As Morgan chases the art thief, Ava grows closer to Arthur while plotting their Roman deep-dive, and Soto methodically pursues leads—now aware that Wagner is in the know. The finale ends with the bearded stranger cornering Arthur. Harthan teases that the back half includes an episode that “deals with that particular character, who he is and what he knows.”
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Cast & characters you’ll see when the show returns
The midseason finale and interviews reference the following players:
- Kaitlin Olson as Morgan Gillory
- Daniel Sunjata as Karadec
- Steve Howey as Captain Nick Wagner
- Judy Reyes as Soto
- Amirah J as Ava
- Mekhi Phifer as Arthur
- Aiden Turner as Rhys Eastman (guest star)
- References in discussion include Pierce Brosnan (The Thomas Crown Affair) and director Nancy Hower tied to the episode’s two-parter structure.
Why the midseason finale hits different
Harthan cites a tonal pivot from the season’s start: this two-parter leans into a breezier cat-and-mouse energy—think art heists and ambiguous charmers—yet still pushes long-running arcs. He points out that the “DNA” felt more fun than the early episodes and that extending it into a two-parter made narrative sense once Turner came aboard.
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Where the cliffhangers leave everyone
- Morgan is “in danger,” face-to-face with a man who might be the thief—or might just have a similar scar.
- Karadec must decide whether to keep Wagner at arm’s length or recruit him.
- Wagner shows flashes of a larger secret; Harthan vows to unpack his
demons
and insecurities. - Ava & Arthur advance the Roman investigation, now complicated by an unnamed bearded man who clearly “knows a lot about the who, the when and the what.”
When to watch and how to prep
High Potential returns on January 6, 2026, at 9/8c on ABC, with next-day streaming on Hulu as usual. Expect the midseason premiere to answer burning questions about Rhys, reveal more about Wagner, and push the Roman arc via that enigmatic visitor to Arthur’s car—just don’t expect a literal “direct pickup.”
What it means for the rest of High Potential season 2
The finale’s structure suggests the back half will juggle a weekly case with ongoing Roman revelations. The art-heist thread gives Morgan a personal blind spot to overcome, while Wagner’s secret sets up a trust-versus-transparency dilemma for the entire unit. The bearded man’s entrance implies firsthand knowledge that could collapse months of file-based digging into actionable leads. If Harthan’s “tricks” land, the next run should accelerate both the mystery and the Morgan–Rhys fallout.
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