The Game is On: High Potential "Pawns" Season Premiere

The game is officially back on. High Potential kicked off its second season with “Pawns,” a gripping premiere that pits Morgan against the Game Master in a battle that feels more personal and dangerous than ever. Here's my recap and review.

The second season of High Potential wastes no time pulling us back into Morgan’s world and right into the shadow of the Game Master.

Picking up a week after the Season 1 finale, Morgan and her family are still living under protective surveillance while the police try to close in on the mastermind pulling the strings. But when an innocuous piece of mail lands in Morgan’s box and she hears “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” playing, her unease spikes. That eerie connection ties directly into a new missing-persons case, one that soon proves to be less about the victim and more about the Game Master’s elaborate setup.

What makes “Pawns” stand out is the toll it takes on Morgan. She’s visibly shaken this week, distracted, on edge, and deeply rattled in a way we haven’t seen before. Her vulnerability worries both Karadec and Soto, who watch as she struggles to stay one step ahead of them. The episode plays with this tension beautifully, especially during the party scene where Morgan spots the Game Master in plain sight, only to watch him slip away.
The reveal that the missing-persons case was a deliberate trap, designed to frame Jason Howard,  is one of the episode’s most chilling turns. By the time the Game Master brazenly appears in front of Morgan and Soto, it’s clear he’s playing a larger game that no one has fully grasped yet.

David Giuntoli is excellent here, delivering a performance that blends Jigsaw’s precision with Moriarty’s unnerving intellect. He’s the kind of villain who lingers in your head long after the credits roll. And when the hour feels packed enough, the cliffhanger introduction of Mekhi Phifer’s character teases even bigger mysteries to come. Is he Roman? Or someone else with their own agenda?
Overall, “Pawns” earns a 9/10. It’s tense, layered, and compelling, though a few plot threads may leave some viewers piecing things together after the fact. Still, it’s a strong, thrilling start that raises the stakes for Morgan and her team.

What did you think of the premiere? Do you think Mekhi Phifer’s character is really Roman, or another player in the Game Master’s twisted plan? Could you drop a comment, and let’s talk?

You can catch High Potential Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC, with streaming available the next day on Hulu.