We’re back! High Potential Season 2 Episode 14 ‘If You Come For The Queen,’ brings back the show that won us over by putting Daphne front and center and letting us get to know her a little better, while exploring how systemic racism affects her and Ava. Ready?
Here we go!
Systemic Racism
High Potential Season 2 Episode 14 ‘If You Come For The Queen,’ recaptured the essence of the show. And it was about time! We finally felt like the series was about more than just the case. Finally, the case served to get to know and develop the characters. And finally, Daphne had more than two lines in the episode. She’s the focus, and it shows. It’s perfect.
The attack on her mentor leads her to take control of the case and the team. And we loved it! We loved seeing her lead the investigation and get that guy who tried to intimidate her to confess. Daphne is a queen! But above all, we loved learning a little more about what she thinks, what she feels, what she’s going through. We didn’t know that what they did to Selina had affected her so much, and from now on, I’ll say that I’m not the one to talk about this. Only to listen and learn.
That’s why I appreciated that High Potential Season 2 Episode 14 ‘If You Come For The Queen,’ took the time to explain the feelings of Daphne, her mentor, and Ava when it comes to what it means to face systemic racism as a Black woman. All three had to go through the same thing. Daphne’s mentor decided not to give those who wanted her to disappear the satisfaction of doing so. She decided to stay and make her presence felt at every turn. She decided to prove to them that she belonged where she was.
But Daphne is tired of doing that. Why should she have to? It’s unfair. White women aren’t required to prove they belong. And anyway, what’s the point? Selina did it. She followed the rules, did everything right, proved that she deserved to be captain. And they overlooked her. So, why bother? And we perfectly understand Daphne’s point of view, her frustration, and the injustice she feels.
But we also understand her mentor’s point of view in the fight they had.
MORE: High Potential Season 2, Episode 13 Review: ‘In the Driver’s Seat’
Standing Up to the System
Doesn’t resignation mean disappearing? Doesn’t disappearing mean letting them win? Proving you deserve to be where you are is unfair, but perhaps the alternative is even more so. Especially because it prevents you from doing what you truly want, it prevents you from shining… and it slowly extinguishes your light.
Ava, for her part, faces this problem for the first time in High Potential Season 2 Episode 14 ‘If You Come For The Queen.’ She got into that art class and is so excited about it, so proud of herself…but then some disgusting racist guy implies that she doesn’t deserve it.
And Ava doesn’t know what to do, doesn’t know how to react. If she doesn’t go to that class, she’d be missing out on something she loves, but if she does…will everyone think she’s only there because she’s a Black woman? When she walks into that class, will her classmates see anything more than her skin? Will they even see her?
We really liked that High Potential Season 2 Episode 14 ‘If You Come For The Queen,’ gave Ava the opportunity to express how she feels and Daphne the chance to reflect on how she deals with this. The scenes they had together were wonderful. And I could only listen, understand, and support them. Because they’re right. It’s unfair, it’s irrational, and they don’t deserve it. But s**ew them. S**ew all those who think they don’t deserve to be where they are.
They belong there.
And they’re not obligated to prove they do. They just have to live their lives. To be themselves, to do what they love. And everyone one else can go to h**ll. So all we can say is: PREACH!
MORE: High Potential Season 2, Episode 12 Review: ‘The Faust and the Furious’
Other Stuff in High Potential Season 2 Episode 14 ‘If You Come For The Queen’
- We need so much more of Daphne on the show!
- And Oz, too.
- Daphne and Ava are the duo we didn’t know we needed.
- We really liked that Morgan made it clear to Ava that she supported her, that she was there for her, but also gave her the space to handle things however she needed.
- We were touched that Morgan trusted Daphne so completely to talk to Ava. Her children are the most precious thing to Morgan; she doesn’t trust just anyone about them.
- This episode proves that the show knows how to do things really well. We just hope this isn’t a flash in the pan that quickly fades. The rest of the season needs to keep up this momentum.
- Note that Morgadec didn’t advance, Nick Wagner didn’t appear, and the Roman storyline only made very little progress, but even so, this episode is wonderful. Because it used the case as a springboard to tell the characters’ stories, it wasn’t the whole story.
- We want some answers about Roman! This is getting interesting.
High Potential Season 2 airs Tuesdays at 9 pm on ABC.
