‘Power Book IV: Force’ Recap – ‘War & Ice Cream’

9/17/2023

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Joseph Sikora and Isaac Keys as Tommy Egan and Diamond Sampson in Episode 203 of ‘Power Book IV: Force’ – ‘War & Ice Cream’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 203 of ‘Power Book IV: Force’. To revisit the previous episode, click here. Also, this piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

One particular trope in crime dramas about drug empires, that needs to change, is how the kingpins and key players in those stories are dehumanized in a way. For they are oft over the top, and supremely evil and twisted and detached from emotions, and it does makes sense as to why this is the case. Simply because, it ensures that such acts aren’t idolized or normalized in the slightest. But at the same time… going that route is quite outdated in nature. Because that’s the view of a world where there was a ‘War on Drugs’, where it was wholly necessary to demonize and dehumanize to win that war, and well… you can see how well that worked. So, that’s one good reason it is time for a change with this trope. Another good reason to change things up… is the sheer fact that like it or not, drug dealers and kingpins are in fact… human beings.

Yes… they’re ones that break the law, and deal drugs, and cause harm, and do awful things to build their empire, but they’re still people. People that have feelings, deal with trauma, and want what everyone else wants, in addition to riches untold from a world that is up for grabs. And if their world is presented right in storytelling, as trouble, as ugly, not only will we get better stories, but that’s all a smart audience needs to understand the game isn’t for them, and that is why the Power Universe is so popular and so revolutionary in nature. Because it is one of the first franchises to shatter those tropes and show the human side of this industry through characters that feel real but make choices that are ugly in nature and suffer and struggle accordingly. Making this… cautionary entertainment, and never was this more evident than during this week’s episode of Power Book IV: Force on STARZ.

For ‘War & Ice Cream’ slowed things down a bit, to really examine the human impact of this trade upon the characters that populate this fascinating world and that led to some genuinely powerful moments within this story. The kind that saw Kate… reflect upon her own journey and relationships with drugs and alcohol and the life, and what brought her to this point, and how perhaps… she needed to be sober and needed to be a better mother and grandmother to the boys in her life. Which prompted her to try and make amends and love them all openly and gently. A move that took Tommy off guard and understandably so since he’s only seen her ugly side. But Kate really was a fine reminder that sometimes… people do wake up, and want change in their lives, and will try to enact change… regardless of what they have done. And while she may not have the closest of ties to the game, it was just amazing to see Kate, a villain of sorts to Tommy because of their past, finally try and be a champion for him, and her growing family.

But while that was tender and amazing, there were more human explorations and cautionary trope-busting moments to be found here. Several of which involved Jenard. Because it turned out that it was one of his boys that pulled the trigger on that fateful night, and Jendard faced all the heat for the dirty nature of that unsanctioned attempt on Tommy’s life. Since the demand was, to get his team in line or pay the ultimate consequence, and that was a lot for him to bear, as was the external pressure mounting from his crumbling empire, and that put Jenard in a dark, dark place. One that saw the pressure eventually push him to the point where he did what he was told, but he wasn’t happy about it in the slightest. Because that was not the kind of boss he wanted to be, and his journey here ended without resolution or a fix, which is quite real in nature.

Tommy Flanagan and Lili Simmons as Walter Flynn and Claudia Flynn in Episode 203 of ‘Power Book IV: Force’ – ‘War & Ice Cream’. (Photo Courtesy of STARZ.)

Plus, he wasn’t the only one struggling with change and a crumbling empire. For the Flynn’s were also suffering mightily in this story. For it was becoming obvious that they were no longer respected in this town, and a need to keep the momentum alive and keep the Flynn Empire rolling finally allowed for Vic to sober up and get back in the game and come to discover that his father was just making stupid deals with stupid people. In fact, once he got a good look at the deal that dear old dad made, he was furious. Because he knew what we already knew, the product was trash and the connect wasn’t trustworthy, and that prompted him… to try and inject honor back into his family, and be bold, and be a kingpin and rattle the saber in the process. All of which spoke to just chaos in the Flynn world, and how quickly things can fall apart, and it will be interesting to see what comes next for this flailing family.

However, the man of the hour in this story brought forth the most fascinating storyline of all. Because Tommy’s path in this story, deeply explored how trauma can be part of the game, and that it can run deep and lead to a lot of ugly along the way. Even when there is joy to be found. Because Tommy and Diamond, struck it rich in this tale. For they expanded to the prison that Diamond once called home, and in doing so, moved a stupid amount of product and even pushed the Serbian Mob out of there. Giving rise to a need for a ton of new product from Miguel, and that should have been cause for celebration. For the empire was growing, but instead… there was nothing but a darkness growing inside of Tommy. One that has been long overdue in coming to the surface.

After all, this show takes place shortly after the fall of Ghost’s Empire, wherein Tommy lost… everything. The man he called brother, who made him part of the St. Patrick family and gave him a chance to enjoy riches untold and that… can have a great impact upon a man, no matter how strong, and no matter how tough. And of course, that pain, which we saw on display in the first few minutes of the series premiere of this show, has only been amplified by the loss of Liliana. Since she represented a tie to the past Tommy cherished, and her passing has clearly triggered an uncontrolled emotional response within Tommy. The kind that prompted him to try and get the name of the shooter out of Walter’s mouth, followed by a face to face with Claudia to get confirmation as to her responsibility in the matter. Granted, he didn’t get what he wanted, but he’s close, and he knows… and he needs that ‘yes’ to act.

But what matters more, is that Tommy’s journey, and everyone else’s in this tale, made for one powerful and incredible story. One that really did remind us that no one in the Power Universe is a caricature or a larger-than-life villain. They’re people, that made bad choices and continue to make bad choices, and they are now stuck with them. And their suffering is indeed amplified by the world they’ve chosen to populate, and if that doesn’t make the game a turn off… nothing will. But that aside, it also makes, for one incredible show and franchise. One that really is leading the charge in transforming this genre into something more, something new and now that we’ve reached the end of this powerful tale, it will be fascinating to see where the openness of this story takes these characters in the weeks to come. Until next time.

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