‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Season 4, Episode 10: 10 questions that I have now that ‘Ghost’ is ‘over’
OPINION: While we all waited to see who made it to the end of the series, we got a series finale that opened more doors than it closed. I have questions.
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
“Power Book II: Ghost” has reached its conclusion. Kinda. I’m not even sure if the writers know that the show is over honestly. By the time the curtain fell on the final seconds of the final episode of the second installment of the “Power” universe, I was both wistful and confused. For starters, the only significant deaths we got this entire season were Monet Tejada (RIP) and Noma, who kind of had to die for this show to end. I was truly expecting way more dead bodies by the end of the show but the entire Tejada bloodline (Cane, Dru and Diana) is still alive — more on this later — as are Tariq and Brayden. Oh, and Effie, who we really have to talk about later. On a show that’s reaching a conclusion, the writers left so much food on the table that my mother is annoyed.
To that end, I have 10 questions now that the series has “wrapped.” I put wrapped in quotes because there’s no way these folks are finished. Can’t be. What else will Michael Rainey, Jr. do if he doesn’t have a show to lead? Anyway, here are some questions I have; I’m sure you might have some of the same questions.
1. So Tariq is just gonna win? For real?
Tariq’s character arc has been insane. When “Power” ended, folks (including me) hated Tariq. By the end of season 1 of “Ghost,” Tariq was back in all of our good graces. But he was also out here getting messy in the drug game, shooting professors and wearing the finest of designer fashions while running, literally, everywhere. His drug dealing never really seemed to get better though his murder game did improve. Tariq as the top of the drug dealing mountain in New York City makes no sense, but here we are. I just don’t understand it, storytelling-wise. Nothing about this show seems like Tariq should be alive, much less at the top of the food chain. But here we are. Apparently, the 50-11 times they tried to tell us how smart he was over the past few episodes were supposed to make it make sense. It does not.
2. Speaking of Tariq winning, what was up with that little mid-credits scene where Tariq is on the phone with somebody talking about handling business?
Tommy … that you? The little nuggets that the writers left out there implying that Tariq’s story isn’t over were both cool since I love this show and annoying since they told us that IT WAS OVER! Le sigh.
3. Is Diana about to become the new Monet?
Speaking of wild character arcs, Diana went from telling the lady cop who stomped her out that she wasn’t Colombiana … to becoming Colombiana. Diana wasted the direct shot that Cane had on Noma (more on this in the next bullet) to take out Noma’s daughter, Anya — who really didn’t deserve to die but that’s how the game goes — so that Noma would understand how it felt to lose somebody she loved since Noma (or her crew) killed Monet (RIP) in front of them. Once Noma was dead, instead of using it as an opportunity to get out of the game, Diana — not Cane or Dru — was talking about restarting the family business and getting back on top. Diana was seething in her final scene while she sat in Monet’s seat at the head of the Tejada table; Diana wants the streets and wants back in. I wouldn’t even be surprised if we got a new series, “Power VI: Monet” with Diana running Queens and coming for Tariq for the throne.
Oh, and we can ignore that little part about Tariq dropping off Anya at Noma’s safe house with the windows down and Noma not coming out blasting at Tariq. There is literally no universe where that part makes sense. Noma was so happy that Anya got dropped off that she didn’t care who dropped her off? Come. The. BLEEP. On.
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4. Poor Effie.
That’s not even a question, just a statement. I mean, she loved Cane so much that she made sure he was OK and gave him ALL of her money so that he could get out of town, and he took the money and kissed her on the forehead. I’ll bet Effie was hoping that he’d be like, “Let’s go together, to California, to do your robots thing.” Cane didn’t. And now Effie is back at Stansfield running the world’s most profitable drug distribution app while that robotics program at Stanford is part of a life she’ll never know. What’s even worse is that because Noma and Monet were dead, Effie was truly, 100% out of the game, free and clear. Now, she’s still selling drugs, and her boo took her money and is in the wind. Everybody else deserved their ending but not Effie and Anya.
5. Cane, Dru and Diana kind of make for an interesting drug-dealing mercenary trio, right?
Dru has become the ultimate bad boy, Diana now wants Monet’s spot and Cane is easily one of the realest to ever do it in Queens, which is saying something considering the drug dealers and muscle men from Queens. I ain’t saying that I would watch “Power Book VII: The Tejadas,” but I ain’t saying that I wouldn’t either. Of course, for this to be the case, Dru has to come back from Paris where he took the art fellowship, and they have to find Cane, whose new career path is a little harder to predict. I’m just saying, this could be fun.
6. I hate it for Brayden, but Brayden deserved to be demoted, amirite?
Look, I think we all thought Tariq and Brayden were going to be the new Ghost and Tommy, but they really tanked Brayden’s story this season. He lost a lot for Tariq and then became a coked out, bad decision maven. He wanted to be a partner and Tariq rightly told him that he wasn’t partner material. Brayden was out here messing up the money, the business, telling their business, shooting up folks. Brayden was 100% a liability, though that begs the question: If Tariq doesn’t think he’s up for a big boy role in the game, why would he even let Brayden run the entire fight club/drug front operation? Is it “Oochie Wally” or “One Mic”?
7. Why didn’t they shoot Noma while she was screaming on the steps holding Anya after Diana shot her?
This is the biggest plot hole in the entire episode. We’ve already established that it’s wild that Tariq could pull up, windows down and drop off Anya and not face a barrage of gunshots from whoever was holed up in the house with Noma. But for Noma to be on the steps by herself and for Cane to NOT shoot her while she was all alone is insane. Nothing about that scene makes sense. Nothing. Save for maybe pulling Tariq out of the picture so that Noma’s brother doesn’t believe that Tariq was part of it. This way, he’ll work with Tariq … who can become a “ghost.”
8. Oh, them taking down Carter is also a plot hole but it was nice how they tied that up in a bow. Oh … word?
I can’t lie. I laughed a bit while they were setting Carter up by having him confess as Det. Nicco comes out of the shadows, hurt that Carter would give him up. That entire task force is so dirty that if Carter goes down literally NYPD goes down. And yet, here we are. Det. Nicco had a problem with Carter killing Kamal Tate, but not the litany of actual crimes they committed while wearing the badge.
9. Where is Cane?
This is the one that I’m most interested in. Cane is essential to the future here. Tariq running New York City through an Ivy League institution is cute and all, but Cane was the revelation of this series. Having him disappear is smart because he can show up ANYWHERE in any series. Even, perhaps, Chicago? Free Cane, yo.
10. What’s next?
Tariq got his entire apparatus down. He has the connect with Noma’s brother, Effie and Brayden still running businesses, a fly wardrobe and Davis is still alive and handling all of the money and legal issues. Tariq has become Ghost, or at least the version of Ghost that is likely to not fall in love with a random high school fling who is an assistant district attorney with the federal government. They left that door open for a whole new series or a return to this one, but Tariq also seems more level-headed (kinda sorta) than his dad and has learned those lessons. Is Tariq going to finish that degree? How many credits short is he? What year is he now? Where does Tariq’s story take him?
Until we meet again, Tariq … we’re all waiting.
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).
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