With Her Refreshing, Supportive, and Non-Grumpy Take on a Cop Boss, Judy Reyes Soars in HIGH POTENTIAL

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede   Judy Reyes’ character in CTV’s HIGH POTENTIAL just might be the all-time dream boss in TV history. “Wow, okay!” said Reyes, clearly pleased with the description. “The dream boss, even! I never really thought about it that way.” Well, as is standard procedure in police dramas, let’s consider the facts. In HIGH POTENTIAL – which airs its Season 2 fall finale on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 10 p.m. ET on CTV, CTV.ca, and the CTV app, and streams next day on Crave – Reyes plays Lieutenant Selena Soto, a.k.a., the boss who decided to hire Morgan Gillory as a civilian consultant with the Los Angeles Police Department. Morgan, played by Kaitlin Olson, has an IQ of 160, and is a so-called “high-potential individual,” whose unorthodox thinking and keen observational skills have proved useful in solving complex cases. But Lt. Soto bucks the normal stereotypes for bosses in police procedurals. Soto doesn’t fly off the handle. She’s clearly in charge, but she treats the people working for her with respect. They can talk to her. And perhaps most importantly, Soto isn’t grumpy all the time, which is so often the case with police bosses in countless other shows. “Oh, thank you – I don’t know what else to say to that, except that I didn’t want that either, you know?” Reyes replied. “I need to really believe what I’m saying, and be able to relate it to whatever I think that experience is, emotionally or reactively. It’s not necessarily about not being emotional for Soto, but it’s about being in control, and being experienced, and her connectivity, being a woman in this space, where people really do respect each other.” As for Soto’s lack of grumpiness, Reyes added, “I do think that she is under a lot of pressure. I never really thought of all the other bosses being grumpy, but I can see why they are. There’s an enormous amount of pressure, but I think there’s an enormous amount of levity, and possibility, that comes with having an element like Morgan, for example. I mean, Morgan’s a genius, and she solves every case every week. So what are you going to do? What do you have to be grumpy about?” At this point, Reyes was asked if she’s familiar with the old 1970s and ’80s TV series QUINCY, M.E.? “I remember QUINCY!” Reyes said. “Jack Klugman!” Well, there was a thing back then that TV writers referred to as “QUINCY syndrome,” which made fun of the fact that Quincy solved every case every week, but he had a grumpy police boss who never ever believed that Quincy was even remotely on the right track. “Exactly,” Reyes said with a laugh. “We’re just coming to the fact that Morgan is brilliant, and she’s tackling the hardest cases in town, which is, I think, a lot more interesting – or at the very least, its own thing.” HIGH POTENTIAL is definitely its own thing, emerging as a breakout hit immediately when it premiered in the fall of 2024. For Reyes’ Soto specifically, there has been a twist in her story in recent episodes that has led to some very interesting scenes and situations. Soto applied for a captain’s position, and she was clearly qualified for it. But she didn’t get the job, which instead went to a “nepo baby” – those were Reyes’ words – named Nick Wagner, played by Steve Howey. As one would expect, Soto has handled this development with class. But in a moment alone with Morgan, Soto admitted in a calm but icy voice, “I’m pissed. It should have been me.” In a less ambitious show than HIGH POTENTIAL, Soto would have broken down. But that’s not who Soto is, and her demeanour made the words much heavier and impactful. “It absolutely did feel powerful, and I remember I thought it was really beautifully written,” said Reyes, whose vast acting resume includes series such as SCRUBS and DEVIOUS MAIDS. “It was a wonderful opportunity to create something that was its own thing with Kaitlin, who’s a terrific, terrific actor. I related to it. And you’re right, I think that the easy choice – I wouldn’t say easy, I don’t know how fair that is – but the typical choice, or the expected choice, is to make it weepier than it is. But that’s an old story. For me, and I’m positive for Kaitlin, and Javicia (Leslie, who plays Daphne Forrester), that’s not how women are. You know that strength is its own emotion, and the way we were able to work off each other, it resonated with a lot of people.” So what can fans of HIGH POTENTIAL expect from Lt. Soto moving forward, with a new captain, tough new cases every week, and the risk/reward factor of having Morgan involved? “I think you just expect to see her handle it, continuing to be as good at her job as she has always been, handling what’s unfolding before her,” Reyes said. “But then you just have to tune in to see how.”   billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv