After breaking records on TF1, HPI offers an American version, now available on Disney+. Originally broadcast on ABC last September, High Potentialcreated by Drew Goddard (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost), adapts the series led by Audrey Fleurot which, with more than 12.4 million viewers in France and exports to 105 countries, represents one of the greatest European successes of the decade.
A series, a heroine
In High PotentialAudrey Fleurot’s character is taken over by Kaitlin Olson, who plays Morgan Gilliroy, a broke single mother of three who works as a housekeeper for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). With an impressive IQ of 160, she is distinguished by extraordinary creativity and analytical skills.
After accidentally solving an investigation by correcting a table in the homicide offices, Morgan is recruited as a consultant for the squad, much to the dismay of detective Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata). At the same time, the main plot is enriched by a recurring mystery: the unexplained disappearance of Roman, Morgan’s former companion and father of her eldest daughter, Ava.
The cast also includes Judy Reyes (Scrubs) in the role of Selena Soto, Javicia Leslie (Batwoman) en tant que Daphne Forrester, Deniz Akdeniz (Once Upon a Time) in that of Lev “Oz” Osman, and Taran Killam (Saturday Night Live), who plays Ludo, Morgan’s awkward ex. With its light tone and original investigations, High Potential is part of the lineage of detective series like Castle et The Mentalist.
Critical opinions, between enthusiasm and reservations
On the Anglo-Saxon side, critics are generally enthusiastic, whether during its initial broadcast on ABC in September or for its arrival on Disney+. The Guardian thus describes the series as a “guilty, flamboyant and necessarily light pleasure”greeting a Kaitlin Olson “dazzling” in a role combining eccentricity and intelligence. Variety evoked “an enjoyable series, driven by Morgan’s eccentricities and offbeat investigations”.
However, more critical voices are being heard, particularly on the side of The Hollywood Reporterwho believes that High Potential struggles to find its uniqueness: “The series still seems to be fumbling with the most basic elements of a concept that should be crystal clear.”
-A remake that does not appeal to France
In France, the reception is much more mixed, living up to the expectations raised by the colossal success of the original version. The Point qualifies the adaptation of “too wise substitute” and points out that “it has the (faded) color of HPIit (vaguely) tastes like HPIbut it is not HPI ». TV Magazine regrets the watering down of Morgan’s humor and character, saying that “humor has been sacrificed on the altar of a certain puritanism” and that the character has lost his madness and his audacity.
A stock
Buy on Fnac.com
Despite its flaws, High Potential manages to bring together a large audience. With an average of 10 million viewers per episode on ABC (then on the streaming platform Hulu), it became the network’s most popular new release in ten years. Kaitlin Olson fans will enjoy a performance that “maintains a balance between light madness and emotional plausibility” (The Hollywood Reporter), but the followers of HPI might deplore an American adaptation that lacks spice.
