‘Power Book II: Ghost’ Recap – ‘The Stranger’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Often times in storytelling, the concept of ‘what comes next’ for characters that have been through utter hell is designed to be inspiring in nature. Since those three little words relate to a future that is wide open and potentially filled with beauty. But what we often forget about what comes next, is that it isn’t always a positive concept through and through. For it can also be a phrase that aids with mental preparation, especially when we are in the thick of tough times and know full well that more ugly moments await us down the line, and really, the dark side of what comes next is top of mind today… simply because it serves as the focal exploration of the series premiere of the next chapter in the Power franchise, Power Book II: Ghost.
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For ‘The Stranger’ picks up mere hours after James St. Patrick died at the hands of his son Tariq and well, when we catch up with the family here, they are in disarray and bracing for what comes next. For Tasha is in jail and awaiting arraignment and is desperate to be free, so she can be with her family and Tariq is simply trying to start over fresh and put this entire nightmare behind him. To the point where he works to genuinely commit himself to his studies at Stansfield University, so he can graduate as quickly as possible in order to get his hands on the trust and properly take care of his family for all time. But while he tries to stick with the straight and narrow, while his mother’s lawyer works magic behind the scenes, he quickly comes to learn that just walking away and forging ahead from what happened in the Power finale… will be downright impossible.

Because there are a lot of questions surrounding his father’s death, and Tasha full well knows that offering up the entire truth will bring her family to its complete and utter destruction and that motivates her to fire her attorney and try her best to navigate the case on her own with a public defender. A move that Tariq knows will end in utter disaster and that motivates him to get creative and clever with how to free his mother from a life behind bars. Which in turn motivates him to take up the family business and sell a little product in order to pull together some cash quickly, so that he can hire the renowned lawyer, Davis McLean, who has quite the reputation for not always using the truth in court to win cases. A feat that Tariq actually pulls off, with an assist from his roommate, a mister Ezekiel ‘Zeke’ Cross, who has quite the following on social media thanks to his stature as a star basketball player at Stansfield. 

But alas, Tariq’s wonderfully laid plans are no match for the posturing that is going on the behind the scenes in this tale. Since Cooper Saxe is under a great deal of pressure to put Tasha behind bars permanently, in an effort to cover up what James was doing behind the scenes since he was seen as a model citizen, and that leads to disaster in court. The kind where Tasha is arrested shortly after being absolved of the original charges so this can become a federal case and really, in the end, what comes next for the St. Patrick family… is strife and struggle and danger. Since Tasha is now facing an uncertain future in the courts and her son is willing to cross a lot of lines to get her out of there, which might cozy him up to some hardened and no-nonsense individuals, courtesy of his time with Zeke… since he introduced Tariq to the rest of his family. Which is headed up by Monet, who doesn’t put up with disrespect in the slightest and is clearly hiding something.

But what that is exactly, we will have to wait to uncover. For this premiere was designed to properly set the stage for what comes next and introduce us to a new world/chapter in the Power franchise. Since we are now joining Tariq on his journey, one that is quickly mired in the grey areas of life and well, in the end… this was a quality premiere through and through. One that did a great job of connecting this world to the rest of the Power saga while setting the stage for the uncertain future that the St. Patrick family now faces. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that this was a surprisingly intense premiere, since the tension here truly keeps one on the edge of their seat and well, all this premiere does is leave one eager to continue the journey. To see how the St. Patrick’s will handle the ugly that comes next and to see if by chance, they will ever be free of the violent and dark legacy that hangs over their family. Until next time.

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