High Potential Introduces Steve Howey As 'Mysterious' New Captain: 'He's Hard To Trust, Isn't He?'

For a guy who has only had about two minutes of screen time, we have a lot of thoughts about Steve Howey's character on High Potential.

The Reba/Shameless vet made his debut on Tuesday's episode, playing the series-regular role of hot-shot captain Nick Wagner. The first thing out of his mouth was a misattributed Bible quote, which Morgan clocked immediately... before also clocking his questionable facial hair. ("What's someone like you doing in a police station? Trying to get that mustache to make sense?")

Things got awkward when Captain Wagner, dressed like the villain in an old Western movie, properly introduced himself as Morgan's new superior. Well, that was after he dropped a creepy "I've heard about you," then insisted he "didn't mean to freak [her] out."

So, what are we supposed to make of this guy? Friend? Foe? Something in-between? Morgan certainly doesn't trust him, and Judy Reyes (aka Selena Soto) tells TVLine that she's inclined to agree.

"He's pretty mysterious and hard to trust, right?" Reyes asks. "He's coming in already stepping on Soto's toes. The captain technically isn't around much, but now he is, so what the hell is he doing there?" Soto confirms that Morgan and Nick "are going to clash," as hinted at during their tense first interaction, but we're surprised to hear that "he and Karadec develop a powerful working relationship."

So maybe we shouldn't be too quick to judge the new captain? After all, with Howey being a series regular, the guy could very well be sticking around for the long haul. We're choosing to approach him with cautious optimism, fully expecting the perceived weirdo to prove his goodness by the end of the season, with plenty of red herrings along the way.

"He's a fun character," showrunner Todd Harthan previously told TVLine. "And I promise you this — he's not what you'd expect."

OK, let's talk: How are you feeling about High Potential's newest addition? Weigh in via our poll below, then drop a comment with your thoughts on Season 2 thus far.