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For those missing Sheldon Cooper’s brilliance in The Big Bang Theory, the hit freshman procedural High Potential is a great replacement for one specific reason. The ABC series is centered on a near-genius cleaning woman turned Los Angeles Police Department consultant, Morgan Gillory (Kaitlin Olson). Season 1 was critically acclaimed, with season 2 of High Potential premiering September 16, 2025, on ABC.
Morgan’s brilliant mind and social awkwardness are remarkably similar to those of another sitcom genius, The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). While High Potential and TBBT are different at their core, viewers can appreciate the quirky brilliance, teamwork, and smart humor in both.
Morgan Gillory Is The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper
Morgan Gillory is High Potential’s version of The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper. Both characters have high IQs (Morgan has a 160 and Sheldon has a 187) and dance to the beat of their own drum, regardless of social norms. Their high intelligence is both a gift and a curse in many respects.
Morgan has a photographic memory and is intellectually gifted, but unlike Sheldon, her brilliance overwhelmed her. Her hyper-fixation on things made it too overstimulating for a career that matched her brilliance. Instead, she chose menial jobs to get by. Her position as a consultant for the LAPD is the first time her genius has been fully utilized.
There are some obvious differences between the two characters, however. Morgan is a single mother to three kids and is very maternal. An emotional chord is struck for Morgan when the crimes she solves involve kids. She also has diverse knowledge of a wide range of things, like pop culture, which Sheldon sometimes lacks.
The art of friendship and teamwork is also shown throughout High Potential, mimicking TBBT’s focus on companionship. Morgan relies on her partner Karadec (Daniel Sunjata), boss Selena Soto (Judy Reyes), Daphne Forrester (Javicia Leslie), and Lev “Oz” Osman (Deniz Akdeniz).
Fans of The Big Bang Theory will appreciate Morgan’s vast knowledge, quick wit, and quirky personality. She has these relatable moments that strike audiences, much like an alternate version of Penny (Kaley Cuoco). Just as they did for Sheldon over TBBT’s tenure, High Potential needs to flesh out the characters to make them well-rounded.
TBBT Fans Should Start Now Before Season 2 Drops
While High Potential will release weekly episodes on ABC this fall, High Potential season 1 can be streamed on Disney+ and Hulu. With the second season premiering this September, it’s the perfect time to binge the first season to prepare for what’s to come.
Season 1 set up Morgan’s background as a single mom of three kids. Recently divorced, Morgan has a good relationship with her ex-husband and a good support system with her neighbor, Henry. Once Morgan starts working as a consultant for the LAPD, her financial life improves significantly.
The series has an ongoing storyline involving the father of Morgan’s first daughter, Ava. He went missing when Ava was a baby, and she was never able to find him. With the help of her new colleagues, Morgan is one step closer to finding his whereabouts, which should theoretically reveal itself in season 2.
In an interview with US Weekly, executive producer and showrunner Todd Harthan shared that season 2 will feature new faces, explore the complicated relationship between Morgan and her partner Karadec, and continue to cover ongoing storylines and cases from season 1.
Although each episode of High Potential has a fresh plot, allowing new viewers to follow along without knowing the background of the characters, watching the first season will connect the dots before season 2 releases. In the meantime, it can scratch a very particular itch left for fans of Sheldon Cooper and The Big Bang Theory.
