Power Episode Recap: We Told You Kanan, Ghost, & Tommy Were Not All Going to Make it Out of This Season Alive; Ghost Gets The Drop on Dre; And Angela On The Brink…

So, I’m not one to pat myself on the back (stretches arm over top and gives to hearty slaps), but we knew this was going to happen. Go back and check the recaps. Ok, so I may not have said Kanan was going to get got, but I knew that unholy trinity wouldn’t end well. LOL. In all seriousness, what an episode. The episode wasn’t perfect, there are issues with certain parts and the pacing was accelerated. I’ll get to them as we move along and in the extra thoughts section. But, when you have multiple storylines and only a ten episode season, sometimes you get messy resolutions to storylines. Despite all of that this was a good episode in terms of “holy shit” moments. Let’s get into last night’s episode, “A Friend of the Family”.

We have to begin with the shootout leaving Kanan dead. What the ***?! Ok, keep it 100, how many of you thought he was going to kill all the cops and then finally kill Tariq?! You all thought it. There is so much to unpack in that scene. So, it turns out Tariq was in on his mother’s and Angela’s plan to frame Kanan. Michael Rainey Jr (the actor that plays ‘Riq) managed to show good range in that moment. He was believable to Kanan as a cool and calm customer, and to the cops as a scared kid being held against his will. But, if you think that means ‘Riq will join the family business and work with his parents, think again. ‘Riq had his own motives for setting Kanan up and it was to settle a score. Kanan killed Shawn, the only person (besides Raina) in his life that he was really close to.

One of the recurring themes we’ve discussed is consequences. Kanan killing Shawn seemed to be one of those things that would have gone down as collateral damage. But, he mattered to ‘Riq. This is a young man trying to figure out the world and his place in it. The veil around his parents has been pulled, he knows they are extremely flawed people. He now knows Kanan is also very flawed. ‘Riq still sees things in black and white and the idea of good vs. evil. He gets really frustrated because he believes his father and mother only think of themselves. But, he does the same thing. Remember when he warns Dre that a hit was coming earlier this season? Setting Kanan up was about him and his feelings about Shawn, trying to right a wrong.

It’s interesting that Kanan chose not to kill ‘Riq. In that moment you could say, ‘Riq meant more to him than Shawn ever did. Kanan says as much when they are in the car before being pulled over by the cops. But the ghost of Kanan will haunt from beyond the grave. He has schooled ‘Riq in all the ways of the game. Would it surprise any of you if ‘Riq becomes a serious threat to his family?

The set up of Kanan was all planned by Tasha and Angela. Ghost had no knowledge of what was going down. He was too busy getting the drop on Dre. With 2Bit and Spanky not killing Kanan in the last episode, that set the wheels in motion for Kanan to deliver Diego’s severed head to Tommy and Ghost which they used to set Dre up. For the time being it appears that Dre will be off the chessboard. But what are the consequences for Ghost and Tommy as a result of setting up Dre?

Alicia Jimenez is, shall we say, very fond of Dre. How will she react to this new development? Will Cristobal see this is as an opportunity to take charge? With the influx in Dre’s network does that mean Tommy can give Jason the ports he promised? Remember, Kanan told Jason that both Ghost and Tommy weren’t on task and Kanan saved his life. What about the Italians? Kanan told them Ghost and Tommy were responsible for the attempted hit on them. Kanan is dead but he set plenty of wheels in motion before he was killed.

Part of the deal we enter into when watching television is the suspension of belief. We make that deal because ultimately we want to be entertained. There are so many loose ends and questions with the various drug syndicates and suppliers. This makes for more storylines in the seasons to come. But it’s also messy and if this were a “real world” scenario, Ghost and Tommy would already be dead. For some of you that makes the series hard to stick with or stay invested in, but we’ve already come this far. We have to see how it all plays out, right?!

Speaking of things playing out. How is this all going to play out for Angela? The heat is on and it’s coming from every direction. She thinks she’s slow playing Mak but he’s got the upper hand there. Looks like he’s going to try and pull off the double cross. He’ll help Tameika and Saxe take down Angela but not before he gets his promotion to D.C.

Joseph Proctor just got his law license reinstated and is unsure of how loyal Ghost and Tommy are to him. He has incriminating evidence on all of them but knows his life is still in danger despite any “assurances” he may have received. With Mak and Saxe pressuring him to give up dirt on Ghost, he sends them after Angela instead.

Let’s not forget NYPD Det. Blanca Rodriguez. Anyone else thinks Ang was strutting too much and looking way too smug and overconfident when she dropped the Raymond Jones files off? Winking and nodding at Tasha as she, ‘Riq, and Ghost are walking out. WTF?! That was actually pretty funny, in an unintended comedic moment kind of way. That storyline wrapped way to easy, I don’t think Blanca is going to let that slide. Do you? Nothing like getting really close to figuring something out and getting stopped at the last minute. It makes the most dogged person that much more determined to seek the answer.

​We’ve discussed the moment of reckoning that’s coming for Angela and no doubt it will include Ghost. She’s covered and helped him avoid jail several times. She also did arrest him for a crime he didn’t commit. Will he choose Angela or himself when it comes to it?

The death of Kanan crystalized some things for Tommy. Last week we mentioned that a Ghost and Tommy showdown is inevitable, as their interests are no longer aligned. Tommy is rightfully concerned at the end of the episode about Ghost’s true motives. Remember Tommy still wants to be in the game, Ghost wants out. That tension is at the heart of this series. Ghost will continue to align with Tommy as long as it’s in his best interest to do so. Once that ends, what are they to each other?

Tommy still has no idea that Teresi is snitching to the Feds and as they continue to apply pressure on Teresi to get information about Ghost, Tommy will start to wise up. You feel for Tommy in this situation. All he really wants is a family. We see that in the dinner scene with Keisha, Teresi, and Connie. Ghost and Tasha were his family, but that’s fraying. Sort of like a marriage that stays together because of the kids. With ‘Riq breaking bad, and Tasha setting up Kanan, what’s Tommy holding on to?

​As stated at the top, great moments this week. The death of Kanan will reverberate throughout the next two episodes and seasons to come. We have two episodes left this season, Courtney Kemp always leaves us with a cliffhanger in the finale, but she and the team may drop a bomb on us in the penultimate episode.

A few extra thoughts:

• Michael Rainey Jr. has shown some real range this season. We talked about the scene when he and Kanan were pulled over by the cops. He does a nice job in the police station when he’s being interrogated as well.
• When ‘Riq tells Tasha: “You’re working with her (Angela). The woman that ruined our lives. The woman that broke our whole family apart.” I mean, he’s not wrong here. The tension in that scene between him, Tasha, and Angela was great.
• Kanan tells Tariq about “resort pricing” for the drugs he’ll sell at Choate. Low key 50 is a good comedic actor.
• Connie when she and Teresi arrive to meet Tommy for dinner. She sees LaKeisha and says to Tommy, “you got a cook?” Damn. Why she gotta be a cook?! LMAO.
• When Angela tells Mak to not get caught up in Saxe’s vendetta against her. She mentions it predates him and Greg. You think Saxe is just mad he never had the opportunity to get with her?
• Kanan to Ghost: “You always send a motherfucker out the room. Like a goddamn kid.”
• Ghost is drinking A LOT. But seems to be making smart moves. Looks like the Councilman Tate situation is under control.
• Good to see Herc from The Wire getting more screen time as Proctor’s cousin.

What do y’all think? Get at me on twitter and Instagram @jshector Please share with your friends and people you think would enjoy the show.