Not since our days of watching Dora the Explorer have we been so curious about the contents of a backpack.
Tired of radio silence from Arthur, Morgan tracked down Roman’s confidante in Tuesday’s episode of High Potential, but he gave her very little in the way of new information, claiming that he hadn’t spoken to Roman for 15 years until recently. He even said Roman called from a burner phone, making it impossible for them to make contact. Convenient.
But Morgan didn’t go through all that trouble for nothing, so she demanded to know the contents of Roman’s backpack, which Arthur was photographed with in Nevada. It was a hard no at first, but a little blackmail goes a long way, so he agreed to meet Morgan at the diner for an exchange.
In the interest of full disclosure, Morgan told Ava about the clandestine meeting, but she forbade her from tagging along in case things got dicey. Unfortunately, Ava is very much her mother’s daughter, so she tracked Morgan and crashed the meeting. Arthur was still on the fence about giving them Roman’s backpack, as its contents might only lead to more questions, rather than giving Morgan the closure she needs. But once Ava practically begged for it, Arthur agreed to hand over the goods.
An ugly fight ensued at home, as Morgan was furious with Ava for directly disobeying her orders, while Ava countered by calling Morgan a hypocrite; she has literally made a career out of breaking the rules. Still, Morgan doesn’t know if she can fully trust Ava to be involved in the investigation anymore — which explains why she chose to take the backpack into her own bedroom, as opposed to sharing it with Ava at the end of the episode.
Which brings us to the million-dollar question: What the heck is in that backpack? It could be literally anything, but our prevailing theory? It’s got to be the diapers Roman allegedly left home to purchase before disappearing 15 years ago. Not only would that make Ava feel better about her dad going M.I.A., but it would also complicate Morgan’s feelings for her estranged ex.
Showrunner Todd Harthan recently explained to TVLine that “Morgan’s feelings have graduated to less about still being in love with this man who’s been gone for 15 years,” adding that her concern is “coming from the place of a mother wanting to answer these questions and get closure for her daughter.” But if Morgan discovers that Roman really did just go out for diapers that night, could her feelings about him change?
Elsewhere in Episode 5, Captain Wagner (do we trust him yet?) began conducting private interviews with everyone at the precinct, with a particular focus on Morgan. He also encouraged Daphne to take the sergeant exam, even offering some inside assistance, while steamrolling over Soto at every possible opportunity.
When Captain Wagner basically cornered Morgan towards the end of the hour, she clarified something: It’s not that she doesn’t respond well to authority, it’s that she doesn’t take kindly to authority figures abusing their power. She also read him for filth, clocking that he’s trying to prove himself to his family, he misses being in the field, and he likes to keep people guessing if his interest in them is genuine.
“I’ve learned one thing for sure,” he told her, somewhat ominously. “You give Morgan Gillory a puzzle, and she won’t rest until it’s solved.”
What do you make of Morgan and Captain Wagner’s tense interaction? And what’s your best guess for the contents of Roman’s backpack? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.
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