A poisoned tech billionaire, an FBI turf war, and an old partnership fractured by betrayal—this week’s High Potential brings a layered, high-stakes mystery that tests loyalties and forces Karadec to confront his past. As Morgan follows a trail of misdirection, secret meetings, and a murder weapon hidden in plain sight, the case takes a turn that no one sees coming. Meanwhile, a personal crisis reminds Morgan of what truly matters. Let’s dive in.
Episode 12: “Partners” – Written by Todd Harthan & Marc Halsey
A private jet cuts through turbulent skies as Anson Pierce (Kyle Harris), the billionaire founder of Virgo Core Beta Systems, clutches his small dog, Edison, with an air of unease. He strokes the pup gently, murmuring reassurances. Moments later, the plane lands smoothly at the airport. As Anson steps onto the tarmac, he suddenly convulses, foam spilling from his mouth before he collapses. Security rushes to his aid, but it’s too late—Anson is dead.
A different kind of frenzy occurs at Morgan’s home, where her ex-husband Ludo (Taran Killam) arrives late from getting groceries. Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson) has been called to another case while Ludo watches the kids.
At the airport, Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), Daphne (Javicia Leslie), and Oz (Dennis Akdeniz) are already on the scene, standing near the Coroner (Diandra Lyle), who quickly rules out an airborne toxin. She advises them not to touch anything until toxicology results come back.
Morgan arrives to find that their victim is no ordinary businessman—Anson Pierce was the creator of Enigmafied, a social media platform that uses AI to generate deepfake videos at high speeds. His tech empire had earned him both wealth and controversy. Morgan notices dog hair on Anson’s coat, leading her to ask about Edison. She learns the dog was taken to a nearby vet after Anson’s collapse. Before the team can process further, a fleet of black SUVs pulls up. The FBI has arrived.
Special Agent Ronnie Oliver (Jocko Sims) steps out, immediately asserting dominance, and calling Karadec by his first name. Karadec stiffens at his presence, while Ronnie makes a point to be condescending toward Morgan when she comments on the bruises on Anson’s neck and wrists, which imply evidence of a fight. Walking away from the confrontation, Morgan clocks Karadec’s tension. “Why does he call you Adam?” she asks. “He used to be my partner,” Karadec informs her. Morgan is intrigued. “Your new partner should probably know what happened to your last one,” she says. Karadec shuts her down. “You’re not my partner.”
Oz finds that Anson’s company had been under fire for spreading misinformation, leading to multiple lawsuits. Meanwhile, Soto and Morgan observe Anson’s mother, Gloria Pierce (Eileen Grubba), through the interrogation mirror as Karadec and Ronnie question her. Gloria paints a picture of a brilliant son, one who didn’t have malice in his heart. Anson had stalkers and feared his competitors, believing someone was after him. Then, the medical examiner calls with the toxicology results.
Down in the lab, the coroner reveals that the poison may have been inhaled and is linked to the anthrax family. That’s all Ronnie needs to hear—he wants Anson’s body transferred to the FBI immediately.
The security team is next—Terrence Cross (Andy Martinez Jr.), Hank Mueller (Joe Alvarez), and Parker Graham (Marshall Cook). They describe Anson as meticulous about security, but one part of his schedule was oddly unaccounted for: a two-hour gap in Orange County, during which they had waited outside an office building while Anson went in alone. Morgan notices Parker fidgeting with his bulky keychain, which includes a flint stone.
Morgan’s attention shifts to a flash drive in the evidence pile, found in Anson’s jacket. But something about it doesn’t sit right with her. Anson’s first invention was a high-capacity flash drive—this isn’t one of his. Against better judgment, Daphne plugs it into her computer. The entire LAPD system crashes. Daphne frantically works to restore the network, while Morgan notes that this was intentional, directed at Anson’s company. Lieutenant Selena Soto (Judy Reyes) orders Oz to review CCTV footage from Orange County to determine what Anson was up to. Meanwhile, Karadec and Morgan are sent with Ronnie to the FBI for further review.
Security at the FBI is tight. As they clear Morgan’s bag, they confiscate her applesauce. Morgan is not amused. At an FBI briefing, profiler Reena St. Martin (Briana Venskus-Vazquez) presents a theory: the killer is likely a white male in Anson’s professional orbit, someone who could get close without raising suspicion. They review CCTV footage and identify Simon Keating (Matt Linton), a man who secretly slipped the flash drive into Anson’s pocket.
Simon is brought in for questioning. He had been trying to get Anson’s attention for months, hoping to expose the incompetence of Enigmafied’s malware team. Ronnie orders Simon held in custody.
Before the FBI can analyze Anson’s body further, a masked gunman ambushes the coroner’s van, blindfolding the driver (Seth Duhame), and blows up the vehicle—destroying the body and any remaining evidence.
Back at LAPD, Soto demands leads, but CSI has nothing. Ronnie storms in, furious that the body was in LAPD custody at all. Morgan tries to refocus everyone on Anson’s mysterious two-hour meeting. Karadec, meanwhile, starts to believe the killer wasn’t acting alone. Ronnie has compiled a digital dossier of suspects but refuses to share it. Karadec makes a bet: if he and Morgan can’t help after reviewing the intel, they’ll step aside. Ronnie agrees. Soto privately warns Karadec not to let personal history cloud his judgment.
At the FBI, Ronnie presents Morgan with terabytes of case data. She works through the night, finding a critical name—Kenneth Sutton (Frank Grueger), a board-certified toxicologist. His daughter, Julie, died by suicide after false information about her spread on Enigmafied. Sutton barely leaves his apartment, except for one ritual: placing flowers on his daughter’s grave every Wednesday. The latest cemetery footage reveals something off—he wore gloves, a detail that never appeared in previous visits. Morgan believes he poisoned the flowers for an accomplice to collect.
Karadec and Morgan arrive at Sutton’s apartment. Sutton insists he already spoke to the FBI, but when Morgan questions his sudden use of gloves, he panics and bolts. He runs for the stairs and, in a desperate attempt to escape, leaps—only to fatally miscalculate. Morgan searches his home, noticing his hoarding is highly organized, a method called “butterfly collecting.” When Ronnie arrives, he’s furious at Karadec that Sutton is dead. Karadec tries to bridge the divide between them. “We both want to solve this case.”
Footage from the Verdugo Hills Cemetery is reviewed, searching for anyone who might have picked up the poisoned flowers. While they wait, Morgan’s attention shifts to Karadec and his strained relationship with Ronnie. She comments that he misses being Ronnie’s partner. Karadec, after a brief pause, admits it—yes, they were partners, but also friends. Then, he finally shares what happened between them. During a case they worked together, evidence was stolen, and money connected to it went missing. It was an honest mistake—an incorrect entry in an evidence log—but it made them look guilty. Ronnie used the situation as an opportunity to transfer to the FBI, while Karadec had to stay behind and deal with the fallout alone. Morgan processes this, her usual teasing absent for once. Before she can respond, Karadec’s attention shifts to the suspect board. He notices something unusual—Anson’s bruising patterns don’t suggest a fight but something else entirely. The marks look like they came from a more intimate encounter. This would explain Anson’s mystery meeting—what if the building he was dropped off at was just a cover? If he exited from another side immediately, it would mean he was meeting someone else entirely.
At the FBI, new intel leads them to Aria Vale (Amanda Perez), a non-profit director known for her efforts to regulate AI technology. She had been one of Anson’s biggest obstacles, actively pushing to shut down his company. Hotel records confirm she was in Orange County the night before his death. Before they can follow this lead, Morgan receives a call from Elliot (Matthew Lamb). Ludo has collapsed in the kitchen. She rushes home.
When Morgan arrives home, Ava (Amirah J) has helped Ludo onto the couch, giving him water while keeping a watchful eye. Elliot sits on the porch, shaken. Chloe is asleep upstairs. Ludo insists it was nothing—just lightheadedness, dehydration. Morgan apologizes for not being there when it happened, but Ludo reminds her that they made a commitment to remain a family, even after separating.
Morgan steps outside to check on Elliot, who is clearly worried. He fears Ludo might have had a minor heart attack. Morgan doesn’t dismiss his concerns. She admits she’s worried too. “Thoughts are hard to control, especially when you’ve got a brain like you and I do,” she tells him. She encourages him to focus on what he wants to think about, instead of letting fear take over. Elliot nods, taking comfort in her words. She praises him for calling her right away.
The next morning at the FBI, Ronnie questions Aria while Karadec watches the live stream. She confirms that she met Anson a few times, but they quickly realized they were wasting each other’s time. Ronnie, unimpressed, shifts tactics, saying he has a good read on people and that he can tell she’s lying. Karadec watches Ronnie work with a quiet sense of pride. Aria admits things got heated during a meeting with Anson—but in an entirely different way. She describes their encounter, mentioning collar and wrist restraints. She insists she didn’t poison him. The small puncture mark on Anson’s neck was an accidental poke from one of Aria’s earrings.
Karadec receives new cellphone intel—neither of their two prime suspects went to the graveyard to pick up the poisoned flowers. That is, unless they left their phones at home. Morgan returns, and they shift their focus back to Kenneth Sutton’s apartment photos. Seeing Little Women among his neatly organized belongings jogs something in Morgan’s memory. A quote from the book: “It takes two flints to make a fire.” That’s when she makes the connection. Parker’s keychain had a flint on it. She pieces it together—Parker must have been in a relationship with Julie before she died. That’s why Kenneth trusted him. The poison wasn’t just transferred through the flowers—it was also placed on a dog collar hidden in the bouquet. Parker must have retrieved it, completing the plan and placing it on Edison. As they process this revelation, an alert comes in—Parker has skipped town. They track his last known location. He’s heading back to the airport.
At the airport, Parker has taken Anson’s private plane hostage, holding the Pilot (Michael James Lazar) at gunpoint. Daphne calls in Simon Keating, the hacker who had previously targeted Anson, to help with a digital takedown. Simon successfully powers down the plane. Surrounded by LAPD and FBI agents, Parker is ordered to put his gun down. With no other options, he surrenders and is taken into custody.
Back at LAPD, Karadec and Ronnie finally clear the air. Ronnie acknowledges his mistakes, admitting that he was stubborn and irresponsible. “In many ways, you’re the reason I’m here,” he tells Karadec. He then extends an offer—he’ll put in a word to get Karadec into the FBI.
Anson’s mother releases a press statement announcing that she will lobby to regulate her son’s platforms, ensuring that his legacy is not one of unchecked misinformation.
Later, at LAPD, Karadec tells Morgan about Ronnie’s offer. He turned it down. “I have a new partner now,” he tells her. Morgan smiles.
That evening, Elliot and Ava blindfold Ludo and guide him into the living room, revealing a surprise taco night courtesy of Morgan. As they settle in for a rare family dinner on the couch, they prepare to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey together. For once, Morgan lets herself enjoy the moment. A case closed, a partnership solidified, and a family—unconventional as it may be—still intact.
Next Episode: “Let’s Play” (Season Finale) – Airing Tuesday, February 11th, at 9/8c on ABC
An anonymous tip to the LAPD sparks an unusual multiple-victim kidnapping investigation, forcing the team to rely on board games and puzzles to track down their suspect.
Songs Featured in This Episode: