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Will we truly tire of the savant sleuth? I suspect not – the satisfaction of witnessing a remarkably talented person solve incredibly intricate cases remains among fiction’s most reliable draws. As ever, our screens are swarming with such characters: in the past year alone we’ve met Ludwig, David Mitchell’s riddle-creator turned brilliantly perceptive investigator; been reunited with Natasha Lyonne’s truth-divining Charlie Cale in Poker Face; and crossed paths again with legal genius Elsbeth.

A Unique Breed of Genius Detective

Also back for further intellectual feats is Morgan Gillory, the protagonist of lighthearted crime series High Potential, now back for a new season. With an IQ of 160 – earning her “exceptional mental ability” – Morgan’s ability to unravel exceptionally convoluted sequences of events is downright astonishing. But there’s something a little different about this clever-clogs crimestopper.

Ever since an antisocial drug addict by the name of Sherlock Holmes set the genius detective mold, such characters have typically had a few issues. Ludwig is withdrawn, his talents paired with intense awkwardness. Cale is a unpredictable, commitment-phobic outsider fond of a drink or two, while Elsbeth is a no-filter weirdo who gives people the creeps.

Morgan – played by Kaitlin Olson – has no such weaknesses. Initially, she’s working as a cleaner in the offices of the police department. After accidentally knocking over a pile of investigation notes and spotting some serious errors, she leaves a clue to guide the detectives in the right direction. Before long, she’s recruited to work alongside the police, where she duly solves a series of extraordinarily labyrinthine crimes with practically no assistance.

A Well-Rounded Lead

Morgan is not only exceptionally intelligent, she’s also a bold, charming, elegant, gorgeous go-getter with flawless instincts and off-the-charts emotional intelligence. She may be somewhat assertive at times, but now she’s in the business of protecting people and apprehending criminals, a bit of urgency isn’t entirely inappropriate.

While Morgan may be practically perfect in every way, the same can’t be said for her life – at first. A solo parent of three, she finds it hard to cover expenses, and mostly uses her mental acuity to get the most out of her discount-driven supermarket shop. Motherhood can, of course, stymie women’s professional lives, but Morgan’s readiness to put up with the demands and pay of a low-paying job doesn’t quite ring true.

Juggling Realism and Entertainment

Equally difficult to buy is the show’s primary subplot: underpinning all her disparate cases is Morgan’s determination to track down the father of her eldest child, who disappeared without a trace 15 years ago. Despite her incredible powers of deduction, she remains clueless where he is.

But High Potential isn’t overly concerned 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 uniformly nice, two-dimensional guys: suave detective Karadec, investigators Daphne and Oz, plus Lt Selena Soto, possibly the most reasonable and least fearsome police chief in cop drama history. No antiheroes, little grit: the vibe is cosy and heartwarming and rather basic.

Tension and Excitement

Obviously, the crimes aren’t comforting or heartwarming or straightforward. The first season's conclusion saw Morgan taunted by a kidnapper who compelled her to solve extremely challenging puzzles to rescue the victims. He returns in the premiere episodes here, abducting a young mother on her way home from a night out – but his true objective is obviously Morgan, whom he sees as a worthy opponent in his actual match of chess.

Seeing her get agonizingly near to outwitting this man is nerve-wracking and exciting, 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 very good at keeping the suspense going, but it fails to deliver the landing, and the storyline wraps up with a far-fetched twist. Nevertheless, there’s always next time. Actually, Morgan’s subsequent case – while equally bananas – is more coherently plotted, ending with a neat and unexpectedly moving finale. The quality of the plotting may be a tad inconsistent, but like her many predecessors and peers, this masterful citizen detective can always be relied upon to save the day.