Content is king, and executive producers Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Courtney A. Kemp, and the entire regime of the Starz television series Power Book II: Ghost are warming the seat of the throne. In its junior season, the family crime drama has upped the intersecting storylines with several twists and turns, mastering the structural storytelling that made its predecessor, Power, popular among viewers.
The season kicked off with entertaining scenarios, but it’s the fourth episode, titled “Land of Opportunity,” that has left an everlasting impression on the greatness of Power Book II. At this point in the series, Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.), Effie (Alix Lapri), Brayden (Gianni Paolo), and the Tejadas family find themselves in a compromising situation as they feed into the hungry demands of a rarely seen drug queen pin to not only push drugs, but also illegal weapons. The pressure doesn’t end there, however.
Detective Kevin Whitman (Jeff Hephner) has become even more obsessed with the possibility that Monet (Mary J. Blige) not only killed Tariq’s former nosy teacher, Carrie (Melanie Liburd), but also her own son, slain college basketball player Zeke Cross (Daniel Bellomy). Meanwhile, Monet’s spouse and partner in crime, Lorenzo Tejada (Berto Colon), is hiding his own secrets, something that power hungry Cane Tejada (Woody McClain) is very aware of and is using to weld power in his favor — by the way, Cane is fast-becoming the holder of others’ secrets, placing him in a covetous position to play a treacherous game.
Watch Tariq & Co. Receive New Orders:
Tejada siblings, Dru (Lovell Adams-Gray) and Diana (LaToya Tonodeo), are not oblivious to the sudden switch in power dynamics, but are continuously left in the dark when it comes to their parents’ real intentions. This is despite Dru working alongside his “play cousin” turned latest beau to set up a deal to unload the illegal weapons. Of course, the deal doesn’t go as planned and there’s a few casualties, with Cane nearly being one of them.
Speaking of casualties, one of the most shocking moments of the episode comes in another set up orchestrated by Monet and unlikely ally, Diana. Across town, Tariq and Brayden juggle their internship duties with the movement of their drug business. Councilman Tate (Larenz Tate), the crooked politician that exudes self-interest, exploits Tariq by requesting a weekly stipend towards his campaign in exchange for his silence.
Effie struggles with whether she should tell Tariq about her part in his former girlfriend Lauren’s (Paige Hurd) “demise,” and he doesn’t make it easy for her with his all of a sudden ride-or-die stance on their relationship.
While the drama brews internally, on the external front, Cooper Saxe (Shane Johnson) and Jenny Sullivan (Paton Ashbrook) are going forward in their RICO investigation with new intel gathered from Tejadas’ lawyer, Davis Maclean (Method Man), and Lauren, who’s in witness protection services.
Although it appears that the Tejadas and their associates are winning in the land of opportunity, it’s clear that the block is hot and the wick of the candle is lit.
Things are sure to come to a head in the upcoming episodes, especially with Monet’s discovery of Lorenzo’s fingerprints at the scene of Zeke’s murder. To top that, when Tariq finds out that Effie had something to do with Lauren’s disappearance, old alliances will become new opponents, and by season’s end, someone will have to die.
Preview Episode 4 Of Power Book II: Ghost:
Power Book II: Ghost is highly recommended on the television series playlist. Marked for its dramatic plots, a cast with stellar chemistry, and the dollops of information regarding the U.S. economic landscape via viewer-engaging scenes, such as the spectacular classroom demonstration shown in episode 4, along with the politics of the firm Tariq interns at, Power Book II: Ghost is a must-watch, top of the line series that deserves the content crown.
Power Book II: Ghost drops every Friday on Starz or YouTube.
