‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Recap – ‘Exceeding Expectations’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Normally when the moment comes to reflect upon a life lost, we ponder upon that person’s best traits. For they undoubtedly impacted our lives in a positive manner and the wonder of their acts and the good they represented should in fact… be remembered fondly by all before they are laid to rest and out of our lives forever. Which is why so many of us see funerals as a joyous occasion, one that truly provides us with powerful closure and emotional resolution. But what we often forget, is that the vast majority of us are blessed with good fortune when it comes to this farewell. Because not everyone assembles to celebrate a wonderful life at a funeral, for sometimes the person being laid to rest… was a monster or has a past that isn’t easy to celebrate and that makes saying goodbye difficult for those involved… since they have to reflect upon a life some might see as wasted or evil.
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Which has to be quite the confusing and emotional affair and it is top of mind today, simply because it served as one of the focal points of the next episode of Power Book II: Ghost. For ‘Exceeding Expectations’ saw Tariq and his family prepare to lay James St. Patrick to rest and that was no easy task emotionally. In part because Davis MacLean and Cooper Saxe saw this as an opportunity to curry favor with a jury in their respective quests to free and jail Tasha, but more so because… how does one reconcile and speak to the life of a man that was in fact, a drug kingpin and a father? One that was put down by his own son and well, after struggling mightily with the eulogy of his father and all the demands of those around him, Tariq found a balanced way to speak about his dad and reveal that perhaps… he could honor his father and the horrific act that ended his life, by becoming the man James St. Patrick wanted to be.

But while that was a powerful and raw look into the difficulties that accompany reconciling the end of a bad life, as this series is wont to do… it was packed to the brim with other powerful and unique storylines to accompany Tariq’s journey. For instance, the back and forth between Saxe and MacLean went beyond their graveyard shenanigans. Because these two simply went after one another in the courts, to the point where Davis was able to prove without a doubt that Cooper was manipulating the situation to get specific charges to stick, and while that didn’t allow for the case to be dropped and for Tasha to go free, since merit in the case was found… this wasn’t a total loss for Davis. For there is a real chance that he can play the long game with Cooper and get what he wants and ruin his nemesis in the process, and it will be quite interesting to see what comes out of this opening salvo between two legal titans.

Plus, this is a story that also took the time to expand a little further on Monet Tejada and why exactly why she is so brutally secretive and protective, and it would seem… that her desire to keep a low profile, relates to the fact that she is the queenpin of the Tejada family business at the moment. A reality that was revealed by the return of ‘Uncle’ Frank, since he called her to the carpet on such matters during an uncomfortable dinner and well… it was Monet that reinforced this truth, by way of her aggressive response to what she knew… was an attempt to entrap her. Since both she and Tariq recognized that no one gets out of jail as quickly as someone like Frank without cutting a deal, one designed to bring someone else down. But rather than let that happen… Monet let her son Cane handle Frank with impunity, making it clear she won’t let anyone discover what she’s up to, unless she deems it so.

If anything, the show deserves serious credit for slowly revealing Monet’s career choice and intentions, since it really does build some mystery and some tension as well… since she doesn’t trust anyone and clearly has concerns about Tariq and hopefully that won’t bring about too much trouble for him, since he is indeed at a crossroads. One where he must decide if his father’s footsteps are the answer, or if redemption and a future awaits him and it will be interesting to see what his intentions are, especially since he cannot seem to resist spending time with the Tejada family. But while we wait to see exactly what Tariq wants to learn from them before making his choice, we can celebrate one quality tale. One that did a wonderful of expanding upon the world we left behind at the end of Power, and of setting up the future. Because clearly, there are a lot of surprises and big moments waiting for us down the line and the only way to get the answers we seek and the explosive moments we crave… is to continue the journey post haste. Until next time.    

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