The second season of High Potential continues the intense cat-and-mouse game between LAPD consultant Morgan Gillory and the cunning villain known as the Game Maker. The two-part season premiere brought this storyline to a head, with the Game Maker, whose real name is revealed to be Matthew Clark, finally being cornered. The finale, titled “Checkmate,” was a culmination of the Game Maker’s elaborate and twisted plans, all while Morgan had to balance her professional life with her personal worries. The episode provided a definitive conclusion to the Game Maker’s reign of terror, but it also left viewers with a new mystery to solve regarding Morgan’s past.
The episode focuses on Morgan’s desperate attempts to outwit the Game Maker, who had been orchestrating a series of games and puzzles. Matthew Clark, played by David Giuntoli, is revealed to be a troubled man whose motivations stem from a deep-seated grudge against the wealthy. He blames rich people for the wrongful conviction and death of his mother, a crime she did not commit. His ultimate goal was to manipulate Derek, a man whose father had been financially ruined, into killing the billionaire Jason Howard.
The Game Maker’s Final Act and Morgan’s Strategic Move
Matthew Clark, in a shocking move, turns himself in at the police station. This is not a surrender, but another calculated part of his game. He expects Morgan and her team to release Jason Howard from custody as a trade for information about Maya Price, a kidnapped victim. Morgan, however, sees through his plan. She realizes he wants them to perform a “Pillsbury variation,” a chess maneuver where a piece is sacrificed to secure a better defense. She knows this is all a ploy to get Jason Howard into a more vulnerable position so Derek can kill him.
Morgan, with the help of her team, including Karadec, plays along with the game for a while. The Game Maker sends them on a wild goose chase, including a fake bomb threat and clues hidden in a video of Maya. Through a series of brilliant deductions, Morgan figures out that Maya is alive and is being held in the basement of a building at a specific address, which she deciphers from a hidden message in the video. By proving to Derek that Maya is alive, they are able to stop him from killing Jason Howard and save Maya.
The Game Maker’s Fate
After Morgan successfully rescues Maya and thwarts his scheme, the Game Maker’s last move is to attempt to take his own life by jumping off a balcony to avoid criminal charges. However, Morgan and the team were one step ahead. As he jumps, he lands in an air safety cushion that the police had already placed below. The Game Maker is then taken into custody by Oz, whom he had nearly drowned in a previous episode.
The showrunner, Todd Harthan, stated that while the Game Maker’s arc is over for now, it may not be the last time we see him.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say definitively that that storyline is wrapped up,” Harthan said. “Anything that you think is going to happen or you expect to happen on this particular show, I love to get with the staff and go, ‘OK, let’s surprise the audience and keep them on their toes.’”
The Roman Mystery Deepens
As the Game Maker story concludes, the episode opens a new chapter in the ongoing mystery of Morgan’s ex-boyfriend and the father of her eldest daughter, Roman Sinquerra. Daphne and Oz track down a man in Nevada who is registered under the name Roman. When they get to his motel, they see the man is Mekhi Phifer. However, later in the episode, the man shows up outside of Morgan’s son’s talent show and reveals that he is not Roman. He introduces himself as Arthur Ellis and gives her a business card for a landscaping company.
Arthur tells Morgan that Roman is in danger from law enforcement and that Roman sent him to make sure Morgan and her daughter were safe. He suggests that Roman could not trust the police. This interaction adds another layer of complexity to the Roman storyline, and it leaves Morgan with new questions and a new person to possibly trust as she moves forward.
Also Read: High Potential Season 2 Episode 3 Release Date and Time: Morgan Faces a New Case and Personal Truths
