Observe: This story comprises spoilers from “Excessive Potential” Season 2, Episode 1.
The “Excessive Potential” Season 2 premiere plunges viewers proper again into Morgan’s worst nightmare as Season 1’s sport maker continues to threaten her household, which is simply heightened when Morgan (Kaitlin Olson) and the felony come face-to-face.
After the Season 2 premiere launched a brand new abduction tied to the sport maker whereas the LAPD has around-the-clock safety for Morgan and her household, the sport maker makes a transfer that even Morgan couldn’t see coming when he casually strolls into the police station, saying “Apparently you’re searching for me.”
“We thought it will be wildly entertaining to place the 2 of them into an intimate area,” showrunner Todd Harthan informed TheWrap of the adversaries. “We simply thought placing these two great actors collectively in shut quarters, contemplating how fired up Morgan is — which is all the time enjoyable to write down and enjoyable to look at Kaitlin play — there was simply approach an excessive amount of good drama that we’d be leaving on the desk if he didn’t come into their area.”
Harthan added that the sport maker has discovered his “muse” in Morgan, calling out their psychological battle as “the sadistic genius versus an empathetic genius.” With the Season 1 premiere leaving off on that cliffhanger, Harthan teased what comes subsequent is a “scrumptious cat and mouse sport between our hero and this villain that finds this bizarre, weird inspiration from Morgan.”
Under, Harthan teases “big developments” on the Roman entrance, previews character-specific episodes for Daphne (Javicia Leslie), Oz (Deniz Akdeniz) and Soto (Judy Reyes) and teases “juicy battle and stress” as Steve Howey’s unpredictable captain joins the combo.
TheWrap: We additionally get a bit of deeper into the Roman thriller. Can we count on to get some solutions about him this season?
Harthan: For positive. We, and the viewers, have a giant urge for food to filling in a number of the large blanks. Final 12 months we had been simply dipping our toe within the water. It was solely Season 1, and we had been mapping out the place we wished to go in Season 2. There’s some big developments that come this season, and hopefully some actually thrilling twists and turns. We wish to hold the viewers on their toes — it’s one of many fundamental story arteries, if you’ll, of Season 2.
As you went into planning for this season, what had been some central storylines or themes you wished to deal with probably the most? What are you excited for viewers to see this season?
What was very nice about getting Season 2 was with the ability to deepen the prevailing relationships. It begins with Morgan and Karadec (Daniel Sunjata) — we’re peeling again a number of the layers and problems of that partnership. There’s some issues are occurring at residence with the children, particularly Ava, after which we’ve a brand new character coming in our captain, performed by Steve Howey. I’m all for disrupting the setting that our characters exist in, and that’s what’s going to offer us battle and stress and all of the great issues.
What we deliberate with that character, because it pertains to not simply Morgan, however all the opposite characters within the present, is fairly thrilling, too. Thematically … belief is a giant a part of Season 2. Morgan’s deepening belief for this group of detectives that guess on her, however then we’re going to check that in some fairly fascinating episodes all through the season.
Can we see any conflicts between Morgan and the remainder of the detectives?
There’s flareups with with Soto, there’s loads of flareups with Karadec and with the brand new captain. There’s all types of juicy battle and stress that spreads to Morgan … Morgan, because it pertains to her character particularly, there’s some large challenges this season … we’ve all types of issues that obstacles and issues that that problem her relationships.
Morgan has been a reasonably happy-go-lucky character till her household is in peril. What conversations did you’ve gotten with Kaitlin about growing Morgan even additional, particularly these extra emotional sides?
[We had] plenty of dialog. She’s very palms on in each side of the present. The factor we attempt to hold a detailed eye on, and Kaitlin’s superb about protecting us trustworthy, just isn’t falling into tropes or enjoying it too secure, and likewise not making Morgan … good. No one is and so and as a mom, there are occasions when it’s important to increase your hand and be the one to apologize and writing to these actual and uncooked moments the place she’s human, in order that she doesn’t ever really feel like each resolution she makes is the precise one. That’s one of many issues that we’ve achieved fairly effectively this season.
Like several freshman present, Season 1 needed to get its fundamental characters established earlier than diving too deep into their tales. Had been you in a position to give some extra focus to Oz and Daphne this season and what are you able to tease about their storylines?
The 2 that we’re doing right here quickly goes to dig deeper into Daphne and Oz, their respective tales backgrounds as a result of … we barely even scratched the floor final 12 months. We’re attempting to unfold the wealth, as a result of we’ve such an incredible and versatile solid. After which the one we’re on the brink of do is a giant Soto episode. We try to steadiness out the season with digging deeper and peeling again a number of the layers of those different great characters that we’ve.
We’re additionally very excited to see Steve Howey becoming a member of the solid. What are you able to inform us about his character?
I’ve all the time been a fan of Steve. I’ve identified him for years. It was, like the remainder of our solid, including any person that may sort something, comedy and drama and all the things between. This present mixes tone … versatility is our buddy, and his character is wildly difficult. He actually is a little bit of an enigma and really laborious to determine for everyone, together with Morgan. What we’re enjoying with is that this unpredictability of a captain coming in … it’s actually laborious to place your finger on what his agenda is, as a result of we wished to dodge the anticipated. He’s a bit of bit extra … difficult … so it’s complicated for Morgan and the group about what’s he attempting to perform? What’s his agenda? Is it good? Dangerous?
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
“Excessive Potential” airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
