Last night’s episode brings us to the halfway mark of Season and 3 and holy sh*t, was it a good one! Power, the eponymous tv show is just that. So much of the series is about the quest for power, the things the characters do to maintain it, etc. But as I’ve said before this show is also a love story, and our favorite characters find themselves in precarious situations because of love. Or, the things people do for love.
R.I.P. Holly. She was not beloved by most fans but Holly was showrunner Courtney Kemp’s favorite character. Her death at the hands of Tommy was a welcome sight for many but was sad in a way. There is the obvious domestic violence that ultimately leads to her death. Then there is the fact that Tommy didn’t know Holly was pregnant. In terms of acting and artistic storytelling, this was a tremendous scene. Joseph Sikora and Lucy Walters are absolutely incredible. While nobody can deny the love between Tommy and Holly, that relationship was dysfunctional. There are the obvious reasons, the ongoing criminal conspiracy, drug use (by both) etc. We also know from their backstories that Tommy and Holly did not have stable childhoods. All of that matters when discussing the volatility of their relationship. Trust issues run deep within both of them and ultimately in the end they both fell back to what they know. Unfortunately for Holly, relying on herself got her killed. I particularly enjoyed the way that scene was filmed, as an audience we felt the life being sucked out of Holly as Tommy’s voice faded into nothing. The image of his mouth moving but no sound was the manifestation of what we already knew.
For Tommy, his love for Ghost wins over his love for Holly. He thought Ghost was dead and that was a loss he could not bear. Tommy often speaks of family and its importance. We saw the return of his mother Kate and we know that relationship is unhealthy at best. With Ghost, Tommy has a role he is comfortable in. He has someone he can count on. We learned that when Ghost and Tommy were kids, Tommy was being beat down because he was the white boy in a black neighborhood. Ghost came to his rescue and took care of his attackers. Interesting. Do your remember a similar story Tommy told Holly while he was “courting” her in season one? He told her, he found the biggest black kid at his new school and kicked his ass to let them know he was tough. Hmmm. Was Tommy trying to come off a certain way to impress Holly? If the Kate version of the story is true, and we believe it is, what matters as it relates to Tommy is somebody had his back and was looking out for him. Tommy loves his brother and would do anything for him. There is no way he could turn his back on that kind of love. Now, we apparently have the dynamic duo together again. Ghost and Tommy come “clean” with each other on recent events and will work together to eliminate their common threat, Felipe Lobos. This will not be easy as threats lurk on multiple fronts.
In the opening I talked about Power as part love story. What are the lengths these characters are willing to go to, in the name of love? Angela was at her cunning best this episode. Agent Greg Knox seemingly with the upper hand brings in Vibora Ruiz with the hopes that he would snitch, reveal the true identity of Ghost thereby burying Angela in the process. Not so fast. You know Angela has already broken laws, and burned people in the name of protecting Ghost. Before the official proffer session, Angela sneaks in to see Ruiz and reminds him he is still a member of the Soldado nation. Ghost helped Ruiz and his family escape from Lobos, he owes Ghost his life. Ruiz takes being a Soldado very seriously, he can’t sell out Ghost. Leaving Knox with egg on his face, again.
Knox tipped his hand too early and was too smug for his own good. He underestimated Angela and the lengths she would go to for Ghost. How is that possible? Angela filed a harassment complaint against him and got him suspended. He should have seen this coming and thought of every possible angle. Angela gets over on him again. You have to feel for Greg. Angela continues to do him dirty and it’s because she loves Ghost. A point that makes this even more unbearable for Greg.
Kanan is back in NYC, looking a little better than he did in D.C. He must’ve had some serious prescription strength burn cream. The look on Dre’s face when he walks into his apartment and see’s Kanan holding his daughter, you had to feel for him. Kanan is a monster who killed his own son for failing him. You know he won’t have a problem killing somebody else’s kid. Dre went through a series of emotions in that brief but effective moment. Now, what does this mean for Dre and his relationship with Ghost? The love of his daughter far outweighs any loyalty he has to Ghost. Dre will do whatever he must to keep himself and his daughter safe.
This was an amazing episode and the perfect place to be at the season’s midpoint. When threatened, everyone reverts back to the familiar. Whether that be relationships, behaviors, etc. The relationships between the characters are going to be put to the test as we move into the second half of the season. Secrets wont be able to be kept for long and some hard truths will be revealed.
A few extra thoughts:
- We got the return of Tommy’s mom Kate. Wooo, could you imagine Holly for a wife and Kate for a mom? Yeah, me either…
- Proctor continuously proves himself to be a valuable member of Team Ghost. Tipping him off to Ruiz was big.
- Enrique Murciano, the actor who plays Felipe Lobos is really good. In the limited scenes he is given, he uses physicality to command the screen.
- What is the deal with the private security team? I know this has made it to the extra thoughts section a few times already. Something is happening there. Lucky they arrived “in time” to save Ghost.
- Speaking of the attempted murder on Ghost, the still frame and slow motion was nicely done. Time basically stood still for Ghost in that moment and all of his choices and actions led to that moment.
- Sandoval pulls a nice move to save himself and his family by getting Lobos transferred because he “agrees” to testify against the Jimenez Cartel. Someone is going to die in that transfer scene at Teterboro Airport in next week’s episode. Any guesses?
- Dre and Tariq getting close now that Kanan is back in the picture and wants revenge on Ghost is something that merits keeping an eye on.
- Ghost and Tariq share a father son moment in the club. Tariq expresses anger at his father for moving out of their home and moving in with Angela. Ghost acknowledges he should’ve handled it better.
- Does the return of Kanan to NYC mean no more Jukebox? I hope we get more of her.
- The timing of Ghost showing Angela the separation papers was interesting. Dude was almost murdered in front of his son, just prior.
- The Ghost and Angela sex scenes are often a point of discussion. The two have been having trouble in their relationship and it’s carried over to the one area they were always excellent in. Given the events that have transpired this season, I’m not sure they make it.
What do you all think? Get at me on “the” Twitter @jshector Please share with your friends and people you think would enjoy the show. As always thanks for reading and visiting BSO. See you next week!