Bethany Reed is a character in the Hulu drama/crime series High Potential. She appears in Season 1 Episode 5 “Croaked”, where she is a central figure in the ongoing investigation of a murder. Played by actress Kathleen Munroe, Bethany is a hairdresser with her own salon and a mother whose personal relationships and entangled history drive the case’s events. Although her appearance in the series is singular, her character plays a pivotal role in the narrative.
Bethany is introduced as a close friend of the recently murdered veterinarian, Monica Davis. As the investigation proceeds, it is revealed that the two women were in a romantic relationship, with the indication that they were discussing Bethany divorcing her husband and building a future with Monica. Bethany’s bisexuality is established through this relationship, which is treated as very matter-of-fact and not sensationalized. Although Bethany never mentions being bi, the series lets her relationship history speak for itself.
She is shown to be deeply devoted to her son, Gavin, and a lot of her motivations are rooted in her fear of losing him. As details about Monica’s past come to light, including that Monica is Gavin’s biological mother and was forced to give him up for adoption as she was a teen mom, Bethany’s life begins to unravel. It is revealed through flashbacks that Bethany and Monica’s relationship starts to sour, as Bethany realizes that Monica’s intentions were not what she had believed, and that the future they had thought they were building together was a ploy to get back into her son’s life.
Her actions in the episode are driven by her emotions, heartbreak, and rage. When finally confronted with the idea that Monica only got close to her to get to Gavin instead of being genuinely in love with her, she escalates and poisons Monica with one of the venomous frogs that she keeps in her office. Her eventual confession places her sexuality and past relationships at the center of the story, underscoring how her deep bond with Monica and Gavin influenced her erratic and desperate behavior.
Bethany’s story depicts how bi characters can easily be embedded and given meaningful context within TV storylines, without the need to over-sensationalize their stories. Her role avoids the ambiguity of bi erasure, establishing her sexuality with her on-screen relationships while allowing her character to have a full life within the episode’s plot.
