High Potential Season 2: Release date news, cast details, streaming details and more about the ABC crime drama's upcoming chapter

ABC’s High Potential is revving up for a thrilling second season, with Kaitlin Olson back as Morgan Gillroy, the quick-witted single mom whose chaotic brilliance makes her a crime-solving powerhouse. After a successful first season that blended sharp humor and gripping cases for a show that gelled perfectly with crime drama lovers, the series is all set to return for a second season this fall.

JD Pardo’s exit makes room for new faces, including Steve Howey as the politically savvy new captain and Mekhi Phifer in a mysterious recurring role. With an expanded 18-episode run and returning favorites like Daniel Sunjata and Judy Reyes, Season 2 is shaping up to be more emotionally charged and suspenseful than ever.

Set to release on September 16, 2025, here’s everything we know so far about what’s next for ABC’s smartest and sassiest crime drama.

Release date for High Potential Season 2

High Potential Season 2 is set to reach fans on September 16, 2025. The first season's high viewership and success among fans made the succeeding season possible, bringing fans back to the beloved show and its cases with the LAPD's Major Crimes division. Talking about the second season, Craig Erwich, Disney Television Group president, told Deadline,

“We have so much momentum going with that show, and I actually think it will perform even better next year”

Who will be a part of High Potential Season 2?

All geared up for a second season, High Potential Season 2 is bringing back the sharp minds and complicated lives that made its debut such a hit. Kaitlin Olson is returning as Morgan Gillroy, bringing her high IQ and brains to more criminal cases this time.

The main cast from Season 1 is staying put. Daniel Sunjata is back as Detective Karadec, along with Judy Reyes as Lt. Selena Soto, Javicia Leslie as Daphne Forrester, and Deniz Akdeniz as Lev “Oz” Osman. Morgan’s kids, Ava and Elliot, played by Amirah J and Matthew Lamb, will also return. Taran Killam is expected to reprise his role as Ludo, Morgan’s ex and co-parent.

Among the new additions is Shameless alum Steve Howey, joining as Captain Jesse Wagner, a new precinct head who’s described as charismatic and politically sharp. High Potential Season 2 may explore more of his dynamic with Morgan. Mekhi Phifer is also joining the cast in a recurring role, although details about his character are currently under wraps.

JD Pardo, who played Tom in Season 1, won’t be returning, having taken on a role in Netflix’s Trinity. With Olson now onboard as an executive producer and Todd Harthan continuing as showrunner, Season 2 looks set to build on what the first season started, with a bit more edge and a whole lot more to unravel.

What is High Potential Season 2 about?

In the gripping finale of High Potential season 1, Morgan found herself locked in a dangerous mental tug-of-war with a calculated serial kidnapper named David Peck, played by David Giuntoli. His twisted signature? Leaving mind-bending clues in plain sight, daring Morgan to keep up. But with her signature sharp intuition and attention to the tiniest of details, Morgan wasn’t playing to lose.

Teaming up with her partner Karadec and the rest of her crew, she managed to locate all three of David’s victims just in time. A diabetic man was rescued from his storage locker, a woman was freed from a suffocating safe in an art gallery, and Morgan’s colleague Oz, played by Deniz Akdeniz, was saved from a drowning trap in an abandoned mansion’s pool.

Just when it seemed like things were wrapping up, Morgan realized something truly chilling: she’d already come face-to-face with David in her everyday life. He had managed to sneak a game into her family’s grocery bag. And to make matters more intense, Karadec, backed by Major Crimes boss Selena, played by Judy Reyes, discovered a shocking truth: Roman is alive, and Karadec knows where he is. The real game, it seems, has only just begun.

With that being said, High Potential Season 2 is gearing up to get a lot more personal. Showrunner Todd Harthan says the next chapter won’t just follow Morgan, it’ll dig into the lives of the people around her, the parts that Season 1 only hinted at.

We barely got to know her close friends or extended family, and Harthan promises those emotional threads, especially the messy ones, are finally getting the attention they deserve.

One of the core relationships that’s getting a spotlight is between Morgan and her daughter, Ava. Ava’s spent years carrying questions about her father, Roman, and while last season showed her starting to see her mother in a new light, smarter, sharper, and more emotionally in tune, that fragile shift might not last. Things are about to get complicated.

Roman’s return is expected to shake things up for everyone. High Potential Season 2 will dive into Ava’s relationship with both parents and Morgan’s lingering, unresolved feelings for her ex. Harthan even teased that Roman’s storyline will grow in ways we didn’t see coming.

Talking about the second season, Harthan has told TheWrap,

“We have a pretty healthy plan for how we’re going to kick off the season. I think one of the big mistakes that shows make is [saying] ‘Oh, let’s put a pin in both those cliffhangers, and we’ll get to them later,’ … you should probably satisfy one or the other so the audience doesn’t get pissed. The promise in season 2 is to answer some other big questions, but also deepen the mystery before we really unpack too much or introduce somebody too soon.”

Where will High Potential Season 2 be available for streaming?

High Potential Season 2 will be available for streaming on Hulu; plans for which start at $9.99/month. The first season of the show is available to stream on the platform.

Apart from streaming, the show also aired on Tuesdays on ABC. With that in mind, the new season will also most probably make its network TV debut in September, with the episodes being made available to stream later on Hulu.

Edited by Priscillah Mueni

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