Episode 12 of "High Potential" commences with a dramatic scene: Anson, the visionary developer and controversial founder of a deepfake social media app, collapses unexpectedly while on the move, accompanied by his vigilant bodyguard. The swift response of the LAPD is clouded by suspicion of poisoning, signaled by a minute needle prick near Anson's neck. Just as they begin to unravel the mystery, the FBI storms in, led by Ronnie, Karadec's estranged former partner. An undercurrent of tension electrifies the room as Ronnie asserts his authority to take charge of the case, met with unwavering resistance from the LAPD.
Later, Ronnie reappears at the LAPD precinct, renewing his push to seize control of the investigation. This provokes a fiery exchange with Karadec and his team, but undeterred, they press ahead with their own inquiry. Their investigative trail leads them to Anson's mother and his loyal bodyguards, unearthing crucial clues.
Amidst their search, they stumble upon a USB drive in Anson's possession, revealing itself to be a treasure trove of hacking software capable of temporarily crippling the LAPD's systems. Recognizing the necessity of FBI resources, they manage to persuade Ronnie to collaborate, prompting Morgan and Karadec to venture into the FBI's headquarters. There, they identify a suspect who had surreptitiously planted the USB in Anson's pocket, only to discover he was a deceptive dead-end.
The case takes an astonishing twist when a masked figure bombs the van en route to the FBI with Anson's body for further examination. Back at the FBI office, Morgan's keen eye catches Kenneth Sutton, a medical toxicologist mourning the tragic suicide of his daughter after a deepfake of her went viral on Anson's platform. Observing Sutton don gloves while paying respects at his daughter's grave, Morgan deduces that an accomplice might have exploited those very flowers to administer the poison to Anson, weaving an intricate web of deceit and vendetta.
As Karadec and Morgan confront Sutton, he makes a desperate bid for escape but fatefully tumbles down a flight of stairs, his neck snapping in a grim twist of fortune. It appears the mystery is unraveled—or so it seems until deeper sleuthing unearths that Anson had a prior two-hour encounter with Aria Vale, a vehement critic of his political stance. Yet, Aria too proves to be but another deceptive lead.
In the midst of this investigation, Morgan is jolted by a distress call from her son; her husband has collapsed in the kitchen. She spends the night enveloped in the warmth of her family, realizing anew the paramountcy of being by their side.
The following day, as Morgan scrutinizes photographs from Sutton’s abode, her eyes catch a book by Louisa May Alcott, once cherished by his daughter. Nestled within its pages is a tender love poem that echoes with the “flint” keychain she had earlier noticed on one of Anson’s bodyguards, hinting at a clandestine romantic liaison between him and Sutton’s daughter.
With urgency, the team rushes to apprehend the elusive bodyguard, but he has already slipped away. However, fortune favors them; with the adept assistance of a hacker, the LAPD disables the airplane’s systems at the very moment he attempts to flee, resulting in his capture. And thus, the case is definitively concluded.
The episode concludes on a poignant note, with Karadec and Ronnie mending their rift, albeit Karadec declines an invitation to join the FBI, opting instead to remain with the LAPD as Morgan’s steadfast partner.
