Is "High Potential" Season 2 Based on a True Story?

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Is "High Potential" Season 2 Based on a True Story? The Real Kaitlin Olson Inspiration

No—High Potential Season 2 isn’t based on a single real-life case file, a specific LAPD consultant, or a “ripped from the headlines” true story.

But the reason this question keeps popping up is totally understandable: Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson) feels like a person you could meet in real life—brilliant, messy, funny, and laser-focused in ways that don’t always fit a neat “TV genius” box. That “feels real” energy comes from the show’s real inspirations: the French series it’s adapted from, plus the real-world experiences and character influences that shaped that original heroine.

Quick answer: Is High Potential Season 2 “based on a true story”?

  • Not a true story: The cases and Morgan’s LAPD consulting work are fiction.
  • Yes, inspired-by (in a different way): The U.S. series is adapted from the French hit HPI (Haut Potentiel Intellectuel).
  • The “real” part is the character DNA: the original French creators drew from real experiences with giftedness—and even cited pop-culture inspiration that’s rooted in a true story.

A quick refresher: the Season 2 vibe that makes it feel “real”

Season 2 doubles down on what made the show click in the first place: the push-pull partnership between Morgan’s unconventional brain and the department’s rules, plus a bigger emotional engine around her family life.

That balance—crime-of-the-week plus character-driven home life—is a big reason people wonder if there’s a “real Morgan” behind it all.

Where the story really comes from: the French series HPI

High Potential is an American adaptation of the French series HPI (Haut Potentiel Intellectuel). That’s the core “based on” answer—based on another show, not based on a real police consultant.

The premise you recognize in Season 2—the cleaner/outsider with a sky-high IQ who becomes an investigator’s secret weapon—comes directly from that French template.

If you’ve never seen the original, it’s worth watching at least the first episode, because it clarifies why the U.S. version feels so specific: it’s building on a character model that was already a phenomenon.

What does “high potential” mean outside TV?

In real life, “haut potentiel intellectuel” (HPI) is often used (especially in France) as a way to talk about intellectual giftedness. Practically speaking, it’s commonly associated with IQ scores above about 130 (roughly the top 2% of the population)—but it’s not a magical superpower, and it doesn’t automatically translate into an easy life.

That nuance is part of what the show plays with: Morgan’s mind helps her see patterns fast, but it also makes her intense, restless, and frequently at odds with systems that want her to “just do it the normal way.”

Is Morgan Gillory a real person?

No. Morgan Gillory isn’t a documented real-life LAPD consultant, and Season 2’s cases aren’t presented as true-crime recreations. The show is a fictional procedural with a character-driven hook.

That said, the inspiration pipeline behind Morgan is real—and it’s surprisingly personal. Multiple interviews around the French series explain that the character was shaped by the creators’ real experiences with high intellectual potential in their own lives.

The surprising true-story adjacent influence: Erin Brockovich

Here’s the most interesting “true story” connection you’ll see discussed: the French creative team behind HPI has directly cited Erin Brockovich as an inspiration for their heroine’s spirit.

Why it matters: Erin Brockovich (the film) is rooted in a true story about a real person—an outspoken, working-class single mother who doesn’t “look like” the kind of person who takes down a powerful system… until she does.

That is basically the emotional blueprint of Morgan/Morgane across both versions: a woman from the margins who’s underestimated, who breaks etiquette, who’s fueled by survival and love for her kids, and who becomes impossible to ignore once she’s in the room.

The real Kaitlin Olson inspiration: what she brings that makes Morgan feel human

Kaitlin Olson’s version of the character works because she plays Morgan as competent and chaotic at the same time—never as a cold “super-genius,” and never as a joke. The performance keeps the procedural stuff fun, but it also keeps Morgan emotionally readable: her fear for her kids, her pride, her impulsivity, her stubbornness.

In interviews about the show, Olson has talked about connecting to Morgan as a parent and seeing the character as the heart of a family story—not just a case-solving gimmick. That’s the secret sauce: even when the plot gets heightened, the engine is still “a mom trying to hold her life together.”

That’s also why Season 2 doesn’t need a “true story” label to work. It’s built to feel emotionally plausible, even when the crimes are fictional.

A quick social snapshot

What Reddit Theories Say About Morgan’s “Genius” (and what the show gets wrong on purpose)

One of the most common Reddit debates isn’t whether the show is true—it’s whether it’s consistent about how a brilliant civilian would behave at crime scenes.

160 IQ, keeps touching things without gloves.

Whether you agree with the criticism or not, it highlights something important about the series’ tone: High Potential is less “forensic realism” and more “character-first mystery.” Morgan is written to collide with procedure so the partnership can spark.

Reddit Reactions: Is the U.S. version too close to HPI?

Another popular Reddit lane is comparing the adaptation choices—what the U.S. version keeps, what it softens, and what it changes to fit American network-TV rhythms.

High Potential - Coming This Fall to ABC

What Reddit Fans Say About Season 2 Momentum

When Season 2 started rolling out, Reddit threads tracked production updates and episode counts like a sport—basically treating renewals, hiatuses, and returns as part of the show’s meta-story.

"High Potential" Season 2 is now in production

So why do people keep asking “true story” about Season 2 specifically?

A few reasons:

  • The “gifted outsider helps cops” premise feels like it could be ripped from a real odd-news article.
  • The family storyline (single-parent logistics, money stress, relationship mess) is written in a grounded way.
  • Pop-culture memory: we’ve been trained by TV marketing to expect “inspired by true events” tags—especially in crime shows.

But High Potential is doing a different thing: it’s using a fictional sandbox to explore a character type that was built from real-life observation, personal experience, and a true-story-adjacent pop-culture reference (Erin Brockovich).

Related content: what to watch next if you like High Potential

  • HPI (the French original) if you want to see the “source code” of Morgan’s character type.
  • Psych if you enjoy a comedic, high-observation lead with cases-of-the-week.
  • The Mentalist if you want another “outsider consultant” dynamic with longer character arcs.
  • Poker Face if you like a clever lead solving mysteries with a strong personality and a loose, fun tone.

Instagram moment (embedded)

FAQ

Is High Potential Season 2 based on a true story?

No. Season 2 is fictional; it continues the scripted story of Morgan Gillory and the LAPD Major Crimes unit.

What is High Potential actually based on?

It’s based on the French series HPI (Haut Potentiel Intellectuel), adapted for American network TV.

Is Morgan Gillory based on a real person?

No specific real person has been identified as “the real Morgan.” The character is fictional, but she’s built from real-world inspirations (including personal experiences and pop-culture influences).

What’s the Kaitlin Olson inspiration angle?

Olson’s approach makes Morgan feel grounded: she plays the intelligence as something that affects Morgan’s emotions, parenting, and relationships—not just her ability to solve puzzles.