Morgan and Karadec may be the LAPD’s dynamic duo, but one moment from 13 episodes of High Potential season 1, with Olson’s unique genius, Morgan Gillory, assigned to Sunjata’s stiff-collared Detective Adam Karadec. Although Karadec had an initial distrust of Morgan, the two grew closer and even began to adopt the other’s traits by the end of High Potential season 1: Morgan is starting to understand protocol, and Karadec is learning to embrace eccentricity.

While Morgan and Karadec’s blooming partnership is High Potential season 2 may take one professional relationship a step further, however.

High Potential Episode 8 Revealed Karadec Has An Ex-Fiance

Lucia Left Him With A Blue Rose

While much is still unknown about Karadec, he opened up to Morgan about his past love in High Potential episode 8. “Obsessed” followed one of the more difficult cases in High Potential season 1, as the LAPD could only solve an attempted murder by going back to an unsolved cold case. When Morgan shows up at Karadec’s door to pore over the evidence, she notices a painting of a blue rose on the wall. Morgan begins to analyze it, citing how the Italians use blue roses to symbolize “longing for the impossible” in love, but Karadec shuts her down.

Later on, Karadec reveals the truth as he stares wistfully at the painting: the blue rose was from Lucia, a woman he proposed to long ago. High Potential episode 8 didn’t offer enough details to fully set the scene, but Karadec discussed in vague phrases how the relationship didn’t work out. As Karadec described it, Lucia deserved to marry someone “who wasn’t more in love with something else” (in this case, his work). Although Karadec’s commitment to finding answers broke off a prospective marriage, Morgan had a similar (but much smaller-scale) experience in High Potential season 1.

Both Morgan & Karadec Were Dumped By Their Partners For The Same Reason

They're Consumed By Their Work

Similar to how Lucia knew she couldn’t marry Karadec because he would never put her above his work, Morgan and Tom’s short-lived romance in High Potential fizzled out when JD Pardo's character couldn’t comprehend Morgan’s need to uncover the truth. Throughout High Potential, Morgan is consumed by the cases she works, unable to sleep at times because justice hasn’t been served. With her genius brain going a million miles a minute, it seems Morgan has difficulty noticing the little things, as Tom assumed she was ignoring his texts on purpose.

Morgan and Karadec have both lost relationships because they prioritize cracking the case over holding normal office hours.

Ironically, despite them taking drastically different approaches to investigating, Morgan and Karadec have the same overwhelming professional dedication (to a fault). Consequently, Morgan and Karadec have both lost relationships because they prioritize cracking the case over holding normal office hours. Tom met Morgan at the LAPD and saw firsthand how involved she gets in cases she consults on, but he still couldn’t fathom how little she puts herself, and her personal life, first. Morgan and Tom’s breakup in High Potential wasn’t anything dramatic, but he may as well have given her a blue rose on his way out.

Morgan & Karadec’s Shared Flaw Means They Have A Better Understanding Of Each Other

What Ended Previous Relationships Would Strengthen Theirs

Morgan and Karadec’s compulsion to discover the truth may have hurt their former romantic partners, but it only makes the foundation for their relationship even more stable. High Potential has leaned into a slow-burn romance formula for Morgan and Karadec since the pilot episode, but little moments like the blue rose have cemented how well-suited they are for each other. Morgan and Karadec both have an insatiable need to make things right (though Morgan’s is undeniably more obsessive due to her HPI). As a result, they’re a perfect match in the LAPD bullpen, but it could extend beyond professional boundaries.

All episodes of High Potential are streaming on Hulu.

It may be a cliché for partners in police procedurals to fall in love, but Morgan and Karadec’s chemistry in High Potential is irrefutable. The two main characters still have a long way to go before they realize their feelings— let alone act on them— but High Potential is subtly setting the stage by having their romantic pasts parallel each other. Morgan and Karadec’s inevitable romantic relationship will still have its ups and downs, but High Potential episode 8 confirmed one conflict won’t be recycled. If anything, overworking themselves will become a couple’s activity.

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