High Potential Boss Unpacks Morgan And Karadec's 'Lovely Moment' That Lit Up Social Media: 'We Earned It'

If you're a fan of "High Potential," you've probably spent the last few days mentally unpacking that moment between Morgan and Karadec in the ABC procedural's February 3 episode. And you wouldn't be the only one, as their now-infamous "hug" became a trending topic on social media during its initial airing.

In a nutshell, Morgan suffered a debilitating panic attack when she and Karadec became trapped in a room that was filling up with a mysterious toxic gas. Despite initially rejecting his attempt to console her, she eventually surrendered to an intense hug, which brought her back down to Earth. She later apologized to Karadec for losing control, but he reminded her that she's only human, and she's still the person he would turn to first in a moment of crisis.

As for Morgan's extreme panic attack, "High Potential" showrunner Todd Harthan tells TVLine that "it goes all the way back to one of [his] favorite moments in the pilot where Morgan basically says [her mental ability] is not a gift."

"There are certain circumstances in life, especially one where she's thinking about her mortality and not seeing her kids again, where that brain of hers starts to fire off in a way that is overwhelming and crippling," Harthan explains. "You've seen flickers and flashes of it in other episodes, but not like this where she's losing complete control. Luckily, she's standing across from somebody who knows how to calm her down and is there to comfort her."

Speaking of that man across from her, some fans read into the hug as a dramatic turning point in Morgan and Karadec's romantic relationship, whereas others interpreted it as a display of respect and understanding between partners. After speaking with Harthan, we're starting to think it fell somewhere in the middle.

"To put it in the simplest terms, and this is something I've referred to before, there's this unconditional friendship that has really bloomed between them," Todd Harthan tells TVLine of Morgan and Karadec's hug. "Sure, it's laced with soap and all the wonderful things that you want in a in a TV show like this, but for me, that moment was another example of two people that will really do anything to protect the other, almost to the point of him putting her before himself, and she would probably do the same for him."

By waiting until the show's second season to put Morgan and Karadec in this ordeal, fans have gotten to see the "bond and loyalty and protective nature that has deepened between them over the season and a half that we've lived with them." If this had happened in Season 1, Harthan says, "You wouldn't have had enough history for it to land the way it did. It's a lovely moment and we earned it."

As for Morgan's response to the situation — which included a scientific explanation for how Karadec calmed her down, as well as an apology for losing her cool — it doesn't sound like Morgan is merely putting up a front to avoid facing any feelings she might have for him.

"Both of them, but Morgan in particular, aren't exactly comfortable showing moments of weakness or vulnerability," Harthan reminds us. "There was a little bit of embarrassment and insecurity after they knew they were going to be OK, but I don't think it was one of those things where she was surprised by it. She knows how her brain works and how unpredictable it can be."

"High Potential" loves to leave its viewers with a dramatic glance, one that leaves us speculating what these characters are really thinking — and the February 3 episode gave us a doozy. After assuring Morgan that she's still the first person he would turn to in a jam, Karadec took one last look back at his partner, and the wheels in his head were definitely turning.

"I think there's always a little something more going on than the thing they just talked about, especially for him," Todd Harthan tells TVLine. "There's so much going on in his personal and professional life, and there was sort of a purity to their partnership for Morgan and Karadec because there wasn't this other element in his life."

That "other element" is Lucia (guest star Susan Kelechi Watson), the ex-fiancée who unexpectedly reentered Karadec's life this season. Prior to the memorial service, Karadec told Lucia that he doesn't want to hurt her again, and Harthan says that conversation is still very much on the character's mind in the episode's final moments.

"I think there are all kinds of things swirling in his head," Harthan says. "'Is this going to be amazing for me? Am I going to be able to have it all now? Or does that seem too good to be true, and there are going to be complications that I could never predict?' He's a guy that overthinks everything, and it's in those nonverbal moments where you go, 'Wait a second, there's a lot going on in that head of his.' I think there was a lot more going on in there than just the simplicity of what they just discussed."

We'll get to see more when "High Potential" returns with new episodes on Tuesday, March 3 (ABC, 9 pm ET). While we wait, how do you feel about Morgan and Karadec's hug? And do you predict that his relationship with Morgan might complicate things with Lucia down the road? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.