While working tirelessly to shield her family from the Game Maker's threats, another crime drags Morgan back into his game and the LAPD must decide whether to trust her instincts before the next move turns fatal.
The first season started with a question. (What happened to Roman?) And it ended on a question. (Who is the Game Maker?) Both of these mysteries are relevant as the drama returns for its second season. The former was a season-long mystery that didn't reach a meaningful resolution. It simply offered the tease that Karadec discovered Roman was still alive. An actor had not yet been cast in the role. The reunion between him and Morgan didn't occur. By the close of the premiere, Daphne and Oz have tracked Roman down to Henderson, Nevada. Mysteries still persist. However, Mekhi Phifer makes his first appearance in the role. Morgan sought out answers for her daughter. She needed to provide closure for Ava. She also has to be the adult protecting her family. They have been targeted by the Game Maker. He sees Morgan as his intellectual rival. And so, he wants to continue playing games with her. It has to be less obvious than the adventure in the season finale that almost killed Oz. It's more psychological torture as Morgan must figure out what game is being played while convincing the precinct that the Game Maker is behind it all.
Maya was abducted outside of a club. She wanted one night for herself. She wanted to escape the pressures of being a single mom in the middle of a custody dispute. Her physicality resembles Morgan. The comparisons are pretty obvious. It's not until Maya answers the phone that the audience realizes it isn't Morgan. The similarities are important. It's meant to lure Morgan in. It's also eerie how a parallel life is happening on a nearby street. Morgan wasn't aware of any of it. She also knows to look for clues. It's suspicious when she receives the wrong letter in the mail. She's concerned when a house is open with music blaring. That's what brings her back to work. She took a week off to spend with her family. They were under police protection. Every precaution was taken after the Game Maker threatened them. It was never about harming them at home. He wanted to lure Morgan into his trap. That meant engaging in this work once more. That also creates more questions than answers at the moment.
Morgan sees the connections Maya's case has to everything that occurred in the season finale with the Game Maker's first crime spree. The police thought they found the guy responsible. They were simply following the wrong clues. They were deceived. They don't have any clue who the Game Maker truly is. Morgan is the only one who has ever seen his face. That's how he wants it. It's suggested that he isn't a killer himself. However, he turns others into killers. They never would have engaged in that impulse without him. So, he's immensely responsible for everything that occurs. It's unclear why he wants Jason Howard killed. He plants all the clues so Maya's ex Derek blames Jason for her death and wants to enact his revenge. The team is too late to prevent him from obtaining the gun that was planted in Maya's home. Morgan saw the comparisons but struggled in connecting the clues in the new game. She was traumatized by seeing the Game Maker again. Others doubted her. It was easier to accept that Jason was guilty. He was the man Morgan was truly chasing. Yet her keen instincts can't be denied when the Game Maker appears in the precinct.
All of this being left unresolved is a little frustrating. The team knows that the Game Maker no longer has any use for Maya. They don't know whether she is alive or dead. They see the clues that point to Jason being the killer. The evidence has been planted. As such, the detectives don't pursue him as their suspect. Derek does. That's the urgency of the moment. He must be stopped before he becomes a killer. Meanwhile, the Game Maker stops by to further torment Morgan. She's paralyzed upon seeing him. Soto is by her side. She will offer her unconditional support. She felt responsible for placing Morgan in this situation. Morgan isn't a cop. She doesn't have the training to handle the emotional toll of the job. Soto must protect her. She can't damage her psyche even further. Morgan rejected her offer at first. She has spent an entire season learning how to be an effective consultant. She still feels compelled to break the rules in order to solve crimes. Karadec has picked up her patterns. They haven't compromised her yet. Her potential to break is always lingering just under the surface. That's apparent even when the threat isn't as heightened as what the Game Maker provides.
