Susan Kelechi Watson Joins High Potential Season 2

High Potential is about to dig deeper into its leading man’s past, and fans may finally get answers they’ve been waiting for. After teasing a wave of major guest stars, showrunner Todd Harthan is delivering on that promise with the casting of Susan Kelechi Watson, whose arrival in Season 2 could shake up the emotional core of the ABC procedural.

What’s Happening:

• According to Deadline, Susan Kelechi Watson is officially joining Season 2 of ABC’s High Potential, stepping into a recurring role that is already sparking plenty of speculation among fans. 
• The This Is Us alum will make her first appearance in the January 27 episode, playing “a woman from Karadec’s (Daniel Sunjata) past”, a description that immediately raises questions about the detective’s unfinished emotional business.
• In Season 1, Karadec revealed that his ex-fiancée, Lucia, walked away because he was married to the job.
• While ABC has yet to confirm Watson’s character as Lucia, the timing and backstory suggest her arrival could finally bring that unresolved chapter into the present and potentially complicate relationships moving forward.
• Watson’s character is described as “wry, open-hearted, and independent,” driven not by recklessness but by an authentic appetite for life. She’s someone who follows curiosity wherever it leads, whether that’s a new city, a new experience, or an entirely new phase of her life. It’s a description that positions her as both emotionally grounded and refreshingly unpredictable, qualities that could clash or connect deeply with Karadec’s disciplined nature.
• The January 27 episode, titled “NPC,” airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and centers on the LAPD Major Crimes Division as they investigate the murder of a former esports champion. A gaming rival and a sushi chef emerge as prime suspects, while time spent with her son Elliot (Matthew Lamb) gives Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) unexpected insights into the case. Meanwhile, Karadec reconnects with the woman from his past, adding a personal storyline to the episode’s high-stakes investigation.
• Watson’s casting arrives at an especially intriguing moment for the series. In the midseason return, Morgan’s flirtation with enigmatic art consultant Rhys (Aidan Turner) hinted at a possible romantic arc, something Harthan described as “planting the seed” for what’s ahead. At the same time, viewers continue to speculate about whether Morgan and Karadec are destined to finally cross the line from professional partners to something more.
• Harthan has made it clear that Watson is just one piece of a larger plan for the back half of Season 2. 
  • “I think we have some of our biggest and most exciting guest stars coming in the back half,” he previously told Deadline. “It’s been sort of an embarrassment of riches as it relates to the talent that we’re getting to come in and play with us.”
• As High Potential heads toward its penultimate episode and finale, Harthan promises a satisfying and possibly exhilarating launchpad into a potential Season 3.
• With Watson entering the mix, High Potential is poised to explore deeper emotional terrain while keeping viewers guessing about where its central relationships are headed next.