The pilot season of High Potential is a surprise hit, but the mystery of Roman’s disappearance is haunting the narrative. Kaitlin Olson’s certified-fresh hit follows the life of Morgan Gillory, who decides to use her powerful deductive skills to consult the LAPD on criminal cases. Though she finds great success in her new role, she’s held back by unanswered questions pertaining to her first husband, Roman Sinquerra. Roman allegedly vanished 15 years prior to the series, and Morgan utilizes her new connections within the police department to finally learn the truth about his disappearance.
With High Potential episode 8 nearing the horizon, the show may be ready to drop some clearer hints to help the audience piece together what happened to Roman Sinquerra. Though Roman’s presence looms in the background of every episode, there’s been little development regarding what really happened to him 15 years ago. Since High Potential season 2 is still a mere possibility, it’s imperative that the ABC procedural offers viewers more concrete clues than a brief conversation here or there. Still, there are many realistic possibilities laid out in what little the show has revealed.
6. Roman Left Town To Protect Morgan & Ava
His Absence Was For Their Sake
Roman’s disappearance in High Potential is the central mystery in High Potential. One of the first times Kaitlin Olson’s Morgan mentions her ex in High Potential, she discloses that he left to bring home diapers for their baby, Ava. This detail is what convinces the head of the Major Crimes Division, Selena, to take the case more seriously. Roman’s car was recovered with diapers in the backseat. As Morgan and Selena both point out, it would be counter-intuitive for Roman to shop for the baby if he had planned to abandon them. Yet, his absence still could have been voluntary.
High Potential seems to be implying that Roman might have witnessed a crime being committed which led to his disappearance. Though vague, it offers distinct motivations for Roman’s disappearance, whether at the hands of someone else or his own. Roman clearly loved both Morgan and their newborn child, but that love easily could have morphed into concern depending on what he witnessed. If Roman had the choice to go home and risk his family’s safety, he likely would have chosen to leave instead.
This theory maintains the fatherly love Morgan insists Roman had for Ava while still validating the previous police work that fails to prove anything nefarious happened. Roman could have still left of his own volition but for a genuinely noble purpose. If nothing outright fatal happened, Roman electing to leave for the sake of his family would protect his character traits while still offering a non-obvious resolution to the mystery.
5. Roman Truly Abandoned His Family
The Reveal Is There’s No Reveal
Of course, there’s another storyline where Roman chose to leave, but it lacks the threat posed by any criminal. Just like everyone has previously told Morgan, it’s possible Roman chose to leave for the sake of leaving. The diapers in his backseat make this difficult to believe, but there is a way to make that piece of evidence fit in a different context: rather than a premeditated abandonment, Roman could have suddenly realized he wanted to leave.
Purchasing the diapers, in many ways, could have been Roman’s last straw. Perhaps he noticed how expensive it would be to properly care for a child, and he was overwhelmed by the financial burden. The diapers could have affected him more abstractly as a symbol of fatherhood, and Roman realized he wasn’t ready to be a parent. Similarly, Roman could have put on a brave face for Morgan, but having a moment of solitude gave him the chance to bolt.
This theory is the easiest explanation for Roman’s disappearance, as it reaffirms everything Morgan has been told leading up to High Potential episode 1. For that very reason, however, this theory is the least likely. If the show were going to take the easy route out, it wouldn’t be planting seeds for a bigger reveal and letting Roman’s fate be the underlying mystery of the season. High Potential’s record-breaking viewership wouldn’t take kindly to such a simple answer, either.
4. Roman Was Killed By A Criminal For Being A Witness
He Saw Something He Shouldn’t Have
With High Potential following the blueprint set by shows like Psych, it would make sense for a major criminal to be involved in Roman’s disappearance. Despite High Potential’s perpetrators being episodic thus far, the second batch of episodes can mention a notorious criminal that the LAPD has a history with, whether for murder, battery, or any other dangerous offense. High Potential could then connect an unsolved LAPD case with the unsolved disappearance of Roman.
A well-known criminal would easily be able to make a murder look like a simple runaway father. Rather than risk letting a witness walk free or go through the trouble of threatening the family, it’s simpler to attack the problem at its source. However, it’s possible the criminal saw the diapers in Roman’s car and took note of people potentially looking for him, adding higher stakes to the investigation.
It would be a fine resolution to the storyline, but High Potential seems too creative to let it be that clear-cut, making it a possibility but an unlikely one.
This theory is the most straightforward. It also correlates to the little evidence that the show has revealed. In a way, that makes this obvious answer feel a tad boring. It would be a fine resolution to the storyline, but High Potential seems too creative to let it be that clear-cut, making it a possibility but an unlikely one.
3. Roman Was Taken Down By The Corrupt Police
It Was An Inside Job
The 2020s have repopularized mystery TV series, which makes every clue revealed in High Potential seem like a misdirection or a red herring. Everything the audience knows could be turned on its head in an instant, like Roman being taken down for witnessing something horrible— but not witnessing a criminal committing the act. Instead of following the clear path, High Potential could diverge by having Roman’s disappearance be because of a corrupt police officer.
Having a twist villain within the LAPD would tie up loose ends in a rather unexpected way. If this were the secret, Morgan’s questions wouldn’t have been dismissed so easily because nobody believed her; the investigation would have been snuffed because it was a cover-up. The conspiracy would add a dangerous element to Selena’s involvement since her digging around would possibly raise alarm for the culprit.
This theory follows the same logic as the previous one, fitting the general puzzle pieces laid out in the first seven episodes. However, it’s a clever recontextualization of the clues, which makes this option more interesting. The issue would be setting up a twist villain without making it obvious; too little screen time and nobody cares, too much screen time and nobody is surprised. It’s a delicate balance, but it’s a line High Potential is savvy enough to toe.
2. Roman Was Abducted
The Man Is Alive But Still In Danger
Though it seems likely Roman won’t be found alive after a decade and a half, nothing is guaranteed in a show like High Potential. It could be just as plausible for a crime boss to take Roman hostage as it would be for them to kill Roman. Roman being abducted is certainly possible, but that sets up an entirely new mystery regarding what’s happened to him in the last 15 years.
It’s possible he was kidnapped and then killed anyway, forced to join a life of crime, or taken and kept prisoner for years. While Roman could be kept alive as a form of leverage or an appealing hostage if the police were to close in on the culprits, that seems like little bang for a lot of buck. If Roman is revealed to be alive and recovered, it would definitely complicate Morgan’s relationship with Tom in High Potential. More importantly, it would be a major upset to Ava’s life.
High Potential could very well be plotting for Roman to reenter Morgan and Ava’s lives with a dramatic reveal at the end of the season.
However, that resolution would feel a little too melodramatic for the mostly grounded procedural. Morgan has been searching for answers for years, and the lesson High Potential teaches her will most likely be “be careful what you wish for.” The show would likely complicate any reunion beyond a basic happy ending.
1. Roman Was Taken To Witness Protection Program
It Explains His Total Disappearance
There’s one unique way for Roman to be alive, healthy, and still not responsible for his disappearance: if he were placed into the Witness Protection Program. If Selena is right and Roman witnessed a serious crime, it may have been dangerous enough for a higher authority to step in. With the extreme confidentiality level of federally-protected witnesses, it’s possible that the LAPD would have no idea that Roman is alive and well elsewhere under a new name.
Roman has yet to be shown in High Potential, leaving the possibility open for the character to be played by a high-profile actor down the line.
Roman — operating under a different identity — could have spent the last 15 years trying to find a way to reach out to Morgan, to no avail. Even after he serves his purpose as a witness, there’s no going back to his old life. However, with a few strings pulled, some TV magic could explain how Roman eventually does make his way home to further complicate Morgan’s life.
This theory would answer every question and clarify any inconsistencies in Roman’s disappearance. It would give the character a genuine reason to go into hiding, and underscore the tragic nature of his seperation from his family. Witness protection would be an incredibly original spin to High Potential’s Roman mystery, but it’s probably too far-fetched for ABC, meaning the underrated procedural show could still surprise with what truly happened to Roman.
