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Let's take a moment to appreciate the greatest thing about the success of ABC's High Potential. As much as I (like many people) enjoy the combination of Castle, Monk and, say, Paramount+'s Elsbeth, and appreciate the joys of a good murder procedural that's part comedy and part drama, perhaps the finest thing about the show being such a hit is that, finally, finally, a lot of people are getting to appreciate Kaitlin Olson for the national treasure that she is. She's been around for a good few years by this point, and has been in enough great shows that her involvement in something is almost a guarantee that it's worth your time in and of itself, which is a rare and worthwhile talent. So much so, in fact, that we have to offer up Kaitlin Olson, for your consideration, as one of the few actors you can rely upon to do it all.

This is For Your Consideration, in which we try to come to terms with the inescapable fact that, honestly, there’s too much out there to have time to watch, read, or hear everything — by making some suggestions about things that you might have overlooked but would enjoy, anyway. Think of it as recommendations from a well-meaning friend.

Before High Potential, there was Kaitlin Olson’s breakout role It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-)

For most people (myself included), Olson's breakthrough role actually arrived almost two decades before High Potential launched. Since 2005, Olson has played Deandra Reynolds on FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the wannabe actress with a wandering moral compass amongst a group of similarly... not-entirely-upright citizens, shall we say? Playing at once as both a foul-mouthed parody of a traditional sitcom and the greatest example of the classic sitcom formula, It's Always Sunny is a show like none other, and Dee one of the finest sitcom characters to ever exist: someone who has the potential to go too far no matter what you expect, but filled with a strange vulnerability that you can't help but root for her anyway. As a calling card for what she's capable of, Olson hit paydirt with Dee.

Available on: Hulu

If It’s Always Sunny is too coarse for you, there’s always Fox’s sleeper sitcom The Mick (2017-2018)

In many ways, The Mick feels like what happens when It's Always Sunny's Dee tries to go mainstream; the show's central conceit is essentially about what happens when a woman from the "wrong side of the tracks" has to take over her sister's family and move up into a world she doesn't quite understand (or belong in), and Olson brings her A game to Mickey Molng (the show takes its name from her own nickname). It's a more mainstream show than It's Always Sunny - it aired on Fox, instead of cable channel FX - but it's got more grit than you might expect amongst the sentiment, which might explain why it became quite the cult it did before being cancelled, two seasons in. To the faithful, it's still missed... and also stands as a fascinating midway point between the filth of her roots and the cozy mystery feel of High Potential.

Available on: Hulu

Does High Potential’s comedy/drama mix feel surprising? Maybe you should sample Kaitlin Olsen in Hacks (2021-)

Kaitlin Olson isn't the star of Hacks - that's the amazing Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, both of whom are spectacular in the Max comedy/drama about two generations of comedians working together with an imperfect but increasingly intimate respect and love for each other - but her recurring role as DJ, the daughter of Smart's character, has proven to be one of the show's many highlights: a chance for Olson to bring some genuine pathos to someone who is also regularly funny (and sometimes intentionally so). DJ is a delicate balancing act for anyone to bring to life, and Olson makes it look easy, more than holding her own against the formidable Smart and demonstrating skills that emphasize that, honestly, holding down her own weekly network procedural would be no sweat at all.

Available on: Max

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