Entertainment
Hulu’s Secret Streaming Weapon Is This 10/10 Crime Procedural With a 98% RT
Right now, Hulu’s top two shows worldwide are pretty predictable. First up, according to FlixPatrol, is Ryan Murphy‘s latest series, Love Story, which follows the tragic story of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, and has become a cultural phenomenon all on its own. Second on the list is Paradise, whose stripped-down second season premiered on February 23, 2026, and has been dropping new episodes weekly ever since. These two first shows were clear shoo-ins to become streaming hits, but it’s the third show on the list, the crime procedural High Potential, that has become Hulu and ABC’s secret weapon.
High Potential, which is currently streaming its second season, has been a surprise mega-hit for the network, winning over millions of fans and breaking viewership records time and time again. And, unlike Love Story and Paradise, High Potential isn’t a mega production or a groundbreaking show shining a light on a controversial couple. Instead, it thrives because it’s a solid, consistent crime series that never disappoints.
‘High Potential’ Proves That a Classic Crime Procedural Is Timeless
High Potential, in all the best ways, has a classic procedural structure in each episode. The series kicks off when Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson), a single mom who has the diagnosis of “high intellectual potential,” gets hired as a consultant to the Major Crimes unit in the LAPD. Alongside her will-they-won’t-they partner, Detective Adam Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), Morgan proves herself to the police force, and puts her insane observational skills and intelligence to good use. Each episode starts off roughly the same way: a crime takes place and Morgan, Karadec and their team are called in to solve it. Throughout the episode, they together find clues and interrogate suspects, with Morgan making a major revelation at the end, solving it all. The structure is repetitive, but extremely effective. Viewers know what they’re getting in each episode, and it pays off every time.
In addition to the episodic investigations, High Potential also has a few larger arcs that are equally compelling to the viewers. In addition to Morgan and Karadec’s slow-burning connection, the series also follows a major mystery in Morgan’s personal life. 15 years prior to Season 1’s events, her ex-boyfriend, Roman Sinquerra, disappeared out of the blue while doing a late-night errand. With suspicious clues left behind, Morgan knows he didn’t just leave her and their newborn baby. Something else happened, and she’s been trying to figure it out ever since. Therefore, in addition to the individual cases in each episode, High Potential also nails having a major over-arching mystery that also carries the story along.
‘High Potential’ Has Been an All-Around Crowd-Pleaser
With such an interesting story, and Olson’s strong performance at the center, High Potential has been a hit with critics and audiences alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has received an average of 98% from critics, including a flawless 100% for Season 2. Among the highlights are the series’ fast pace, Olson’s great central character, and the well done shocking twists and revelations. As for the viewership, the series has continued to draw in millions of viewers in each episode, including a Season 2 premiere on September 16, 2025, that drew in 21 million viewers across the first 35 days.
With such a positive reaction, it’s no surprise that High Potential has already been renewed for Season 3. The news was confirmed earlier this month on March 5, 2026, with a video of the cast celebrating on Instagram. “Let’s go ahead and renew it for seasons 4-10 as well😍,” wrote one fan.
All that being said, while Love Story and Paradise certainly deserve to be in Hulu’s top 10, High Potential has become their secret weapon. With a solid and consistent procedural structure, and characters that are not only well-acted and constructed, but that compel viewers to keep watching, the series proves that crime shows continue to have a place on TV. High Potential is steady, reliable, ultra successful, and perhaps a streaming success no one could’ve predicted.
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- Release Date
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September 17, 2024
- Showrunner
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Todd Harthan