Recap: High Potential "NPC"

 

This week, High Potential replaced skydiving gear with headsets and vests. "NPC" entered professional esports, delivering a case with more glitches and hidden levels than a beta launch. Here's my recap and review.

When the team is called to the high-tech penthouse of K-Dot, a world-famous esports champion, found dead mid-stream. The cause? A lethal dose of tetrodotoxin—the deadly poison found in pufferfish.

Initially, Karadec and Morgan suspect K-Dot’s primary rival, who had publicly threatened him after being "killed" in-game once too often. However, Morgan’s encyclopedic knowledge of marine biology shifts the focus to a local high-end sushi chef who specializes in fugu.

The investigation leads to the chef’s twin sons, both of whom have ties to the gaming world. While the "troubled" son seemed the obvious choice, Morgan realizes the "good" son was the one actually harboring the resentment.

In a heart-wrenching twist that left the team reeling, it’s revealed there were no twins. The chef’s wife lost a child during pregnancy years ago, and the chef had created a "phantom twin" persona for his surviving son to help him cope with the pressure of gaming. The murder was a desperate, misguided attempt to "delete" the toxic lifestyle that was consuming his son.

In the B-plot, Karadec is uncharacteristically late to the scene after a chance encounter with Claire, an old flame. While Morgan spends the episode teasing him and pushing him to "give it another go," there’s a flicker of something—was it jealousy or just protective instinct?—behind her eyes when he finally agrees to a dinner date.

"NPC" was a lively and engaging episode that brilliantly showcased the neon-lit world of esports, serving as the perfect setting for the show’s signature surprises. It had just the right amount of twists and turns to keep even the most dedicated mystery fans guessing. This episode was a strong "Case of the Week,' thoughtfully blending a heartbreaking murder with the subtle romantic tension—or perhaps a lack of it—between our main characters. The reveal about the "phantom twin" was truly heartbreaking. It transformed the episode from a typical "whodunnit" into a heartfelt exploration of grief and the weight of parental expectations.

Morgan’s talent for catching the "glitch" in the father’s story—spotting inconsistencies in the family dynamic even before examining the evidence—truly stands out as the show’s greatest strength. It’s also exciting to see Adam Karadec step out of his comfort zone. Watching him get flustered by Claire added a nice touch of vulnerability to the typically "by-the-book" detective, making him feel more relatable and human.

The shift from the "gamer rival" subplot to the sushi chef might have come across as a bit sudden, making the first 15 minutes feel like a completely different episode. As is common with "gamer episodes," some of the dialogue about the esports world seemed a little "stereotypical," but Morgan’s real enthusiasm for the mechanics of the game helped keep it relatable. Overall, I’d rate the episode an 8.2 out of 10.

What did you think of this week's episode of High Potential? Now that Karadec is officially back on the dating scene, do you think Morgan’s "support" is genuine, or is she starting to realize her partnership with him is more than just professional? Leave a comment.

You can catch High Potential Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu.