High Potential Season 2 Episode 10 Explained — Is [Spoiler] Fired?

From the moment Captain Nick Wagner sauntered onto “High Potenial” with his shady demeanor and disappearing mustache, we’ve been waiting for someone to call him on the carpet — and the ABC procedural’s January 20 episode finally granted our wish.

The hour began with a complaint about Morgan’s unconventional tactics (who knew forcing a rush order on an autopsy would cost the department $12,000 anyway?), which got her banned from assisting with the case of the week. Instead, Morgan was sent to the detective training academy, which she assumed was like obedience school for humans — and she wasn’t entirely wrong.

The rub? As with every case since the show began, Morgan’s puzzle-solving expertise was essential to figuring out who committed this week’s murder of a military therapist. Even though Morgan could face termination if the LAPD found out she was working on a case while on probation, Wagner strong-armed Karadec into reaching out. And this was one of several ways Wagner inserted himself where he wasn’t needed, as he also steamrolled Soto’s plans for the investigation after accusing her of not having her squad under control. 

Morgan managed to finish her program with a decent review. Getting called a “one-woman hurricane” wasn’t great, but her supervisor also noted that “with proper supervision,” Morgan’s talents could be “wielded to great effect.” Her recommendation was to keep Morgan on as a consultant under close supervision, but Internal Affairs chose to go a different route. A very different route. “Your insubordination isn’t quirk, Morgan, it’s a liability,” the agent said before firing her.

Soto was furious with Wagner for involving Morgan in the case, but he doubled down, refusing to apologize for using a valuable, willing asset. She then called him “a piece of work,” which he could tell was merely the tip of what Soto really wanted to call him. Soto said it was bad enough that Wagner takes every opportunity to lord his position over hers, but not he’s willfully making moves that negatively affect her team. “As long as I sit in that chair, you will treat me and my team with the respect that we deserve… or you can fire my a*s, too.” Copy that!

Back to the case at hand, did Morgan let a little thing like “getting fired” stop her from helping? Absolutely not. Her termination paperwork wouldn’t be processed until the next morning, giving her one last night to crack this case alongside her crew. And crack it she did, with the culprit ending the episode in handcuffs.

Even better, this isn’t actually the end of Morgan’s time at the LAPD. It turns out Soto possessed some racy photographs of the Internal Affairs agent getting physical with the police commissioner’s wife, and she was more than happy to blackmail him on Morgan’s behalf — with Wagner’s blessing, no less. Morgan agreed not to ask too many questions about Soto’s tactics, just to be thrilled that she still had a job.

But you know who’s not done asking questions? That’d be Karadec, who spent the hour grilling Wagner about what really makes him tick. By the end of the episode, Karadec was certain he had his new captain all figured out: he misses being in the field, and he was forced into this new position by someone. The question is, who’s the one person Wagner is too scared to cross?

What’s your answer to that burning question? (Do he and Morgan both have daddy issues?) And what did you think about the many, many rules Morgan’s team had to skirt this week? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.