Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
There is A LOT I could nitpick about the penultimate episode of “Power Book II: Ghost,” but I’m going to use my time on stage to big-up one of the realest characters ever in the “Power” Universe, Monet Tejada. (One of those things to nitpick is that Monet kinda sorta almost died for no reason since the Tejadas were significantly outgunned, but again, let’s focus on the positive.)
Before we do that though, let me point out just a few quick things: Tariq’s belief that he should be understood to be a kingpin, to the tune of “I’M TARIQ ST. (BLEEPING) PATRICK!” actually made me laugh so hard my wife could hear me two floors down. Nobody cares, Tariq. Why Cane cared so much that his mother would show up to his sham wedding is also perplexing; like, why would ANYBODY care so much to be at a wedding that everybody in the know knows is a crime in progress? Furthermore, Cane, Dru and Diana all of a sudden putting “Tejadas” first (to the point that Diana actually does turn into Colombiana, who she claimed to not be a few episodes back) is the purest, rawest of nonsense. It’s almost as if the writers JUST realized they were running out of episodes and had to wrap this thing up so they skipped a bunch of steps to make this thing work. Le sigh and ho-hum, but that’s my show so I’m gonna stick beside it.
On to Monet. Monet has been one of the more iconic characters in the “Power” Universe. She’s up there with Ghost, Tommy and Raquel on Mount Rushmore of “Power” characters. While “Ghost” is supposed to be a show about Tariq trying to get his family back together (at least that’s how it started), it’s really been a Monet Tejada showcase of shenanigans. Monet has killed people and is responsible for the deaths of many, many people including her nephew/son, his girlfriend, the nephew/son’s father and her other kid’s father. Monet has been a one-woman wrecking ball of chaos and manipulation since the show started, and I love it. While I have spent all of this season trying to figure out how this series was going to end and who was going to be alive when the curtain fell, I truly didn’t see Monet Tejada being gunned down. Furthermore, I didn’t see it happening in defense of her babies, though when taking all of her moves in totality, it isn’t entirely surprising.
Monet is many things and has made a plethora of questionable decisions as a mother (see “deaths caused by Monet” above), but she has never wavered in her belief that she was doing what was best for her kids, so the fact that she went out in a blaze of glory trying to make sure that Cane’s new in-laws — Noma and her brother and family — didn’t kill Cane makes sense. Cane and Monet, even through their problems, always had a connection that didn’t exist between Monet and Dru or Diana. Cane and Monet understand one another. They’re soldiers first and down to do what it takes for the ultimate objective. The thing that split them up was that Cane was trying to become a boss like his mother, and Monet didn’t like losing him to another woman.
It’s also why the final scene where Cane explains to Noma and her brother why he’ll never turn on his mother (no matter how ridiculous the line about what they were doing to Black kids out in the streets was) was so sad. Right after Monet was gunned down, Cane just kept yelling “WAIT!!!!!! WAIT!!!” as Monet fought for her life. Monet just kept saying, “My babies … my babies …” Admittedly, that was hard to watch because that was the one son who could always take care of everything being completely helpless as he was tied up and unable to do anything. There are few scenes in this show that truly rise to the level of iconic; that scene is one of them.
Luckily, another was also in this episode. Before Monet met her demise, she showed up at the wedding trying to take out Noma’s entire crew by herself as Tupac’s “Hail Mary” played, and I mean, really, has there ever been a better music placement than that? We got to watch Mary J. Blige shoot many goons while trying to find Cane as one of the most iconic songs that just so happens to have the name “Mary” in the title plays. Chef’s kiss.
Look, a lot happened this episode that led to this. Noma and Carter teaming up to get the drop on Tariq on Monet is what led to this death, and it’s easily the most significant one in this entire series so far. But really, I just want Monet to know that you were the realest of your whole family. You held them down and even when you were wrong, you had the right intentions. So if you will do me the honor of raising your glass of champagne in celebration of the life and death of one Monet Tejada …
… Hail Mary.
Panama Jackson is a columnist at theGrio and host of the award-winning podcast, “Dear Culture” on theGrio Black Podcast Network. He writes very Black things, drinks very brown liquors, and is pretty fly for a light guy. His biggest accomplishment to date coincides with his Blackest accomplishment to date in that he received a phone call from Oprah Winfrey after she read one of his pieces (biggest) but he didn’t answer the phone because the caller ID said “Unknown” (Blackest).