Raq is not playing around.
Now that she’s got the lay of the land and no competition, there is nothing Raq won’t do to keep her position, whether that means bringing in old enemies or dispatching of (mostly) trusted soldiers.
Raq drew a line in the sand on Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2 Episode 2, and it’s clear that she’s not letting anyone take away what she’s building.
Raq is cold-blooded. We all knew that the minute she asked her son to kill his father, but it feels like there’s been a switch activated now, where business and protecting it means no one is safe.
Understandably, she’d want to weaken Unique, especially now that he’s free and desperate, but bringing in Worrell just shows that there is nothing she won’t do to stay ahead. Worrell tried to kill Lou-Lou, more than once, so the fact that it’s so easy to bring him into the business is a little scary.
Sure, Worrell has nothing now, and getting him off the streets does help divert attention; but how can you ever trust him?
It feels like a risky move at best because Unique may be out right now, but there is no guarantee that it will stay that way. Raq is smart enough to know that Unique will at least attempt to mount a comeback, and Worrell isn’t someone you should put your complete faith in.
If there was one person to put your faith in, it should have been Scrappy. He’s proven himself to Raq and company more than once and even lost an eye for his troubles. But having said that, at this point, he’s got to know that lying does him absolutely no favors.
This business hinges on loyalty, and the minute Scrappy let that lie slip out of his mouth, I knew he was in trouble. Though, would there be a different outcome if he’d been honest? This version of Raq does not seem willing to extend any kind of grace because there is just too much to lose.
Scrappy’s death isn’t surprising because the set-up is there the whole hour, but I, for one, wasn’t thinking that Raq would be the one to take the shot.
The image of Lou-Lou leaving immediately foreshadows the eventual split between him and Raq. Lou-Lou has had one step out the door for the longest, but Raq isn’t willing to let him go. So, where do they go from here?
I’d say that Lou-Lou can eventually force his way out, but the greater power Raq amasses, the harder that will be for him.
Speaking of Lou-Lou, I try, guys. I try to see the use of the storyline with the studio, but I’m still not seeing the vision. Zisa’s introduction isn’t doing anything yet, though I wonder if Cartier’s arrangement will come back to bite him.
Because Lou-Lou is providing the money, Crown often delegates a lot to him because he has no other choice, but Cartier sounds like a man with influence, and running into problems with him could cause issues down the line.
I could be projecting because I need this story to get interesting, but let’s just go with it, okay?
You know who’s distancing themselves from the studio storyline? Famous and Jess.
Jess wanting to get out from under a man who doesn’t listen to her makes sense. Escaping to Los Angeles will be good for her and sad for Famous. But he needs to figure out what he’s doing with his life because right now, he’s a mess.
We know that eventually, Kanan meets Ghost and Tommy and helps turn them into the men they became, but whatever happened to Famous? The two are so close, and it feels like the series is making a concentrated effort to expand Famous further, which is a good thing.
He’s a solid secondary character, and we need to see more of Kanan outside his family dynamics.
Kanan spends much of this hour trying to help Famous raise money, and it may be one of his last calm days because Howard is on a mission to talk to him and tell him the truth.
Raise your hand if you knew that Howard was faking his memory loss.
It was way too obvious, especially considering Howard has shown more than once that he’s not actively against Raq. At least not in a traditional sense. Whether it’s nostalgia, respect, or something in between, Howard has never really tried to bring Raq down, and if attempted murder doesn’t get him to flip, perhaps nothing will.
Even before the shooting, Howard has been steadfast in wanting to speak to Kanan and get to know him. And doesn’t he deserve that chance?
Howard: You know that smokings bad for you.
Raq: So is the police. I can’t seem to get that shit out my life neither.
Raq, of course, doesn’t want that because all it does is open up a potential chasm between her and Kanan. He will discover his mother lied to him his whole life and tried to get him to murder his dad. It’s a lose-lose for Raq, but she’d be hard-pressed to get ahead of the inevitable instead of trying to act like Howard isn’t in his right mind.
Kanan isn’t stupid, and he knows Raq better than anyone. He will be able to see through the game she’s playing, which will only push him further away from her.
Howard appears to be operating from a place of curiosity mixed with a form of love. He seems to see something in Kanan that his own mother is ignoring, and throughout the conversation with Raq, you have to wonder what life for Kanan would be like with Howard as a father figure and not a glorified and revered drug kingpin.
Unless Raq is prepared to kill Howard herself, it appears we’re headed toward Howard and Kanan meeting and what that dynamic will look like once the truth comes out.
One of the most intriguing parts of this prequel is trying to predict how every action in Kanan’s early life helped shape him into the Kanan that killed his son, escaped death multiple times, and betrayed nearly every person close to him. So, if Kanan does learn that Howard is his daddy, how will that affect him long-term?
There is still a lot of good material to mine from this storyline, and it feels long overdue to take the next step. I love seeing Raq in complete control, but maybe it’s time to see her back against the wall again.
Everything Else You Need To Know
- I never put this together, but Famous’s first name, Shawn, makes me wonder if that’s who Kanan named his son after.
- Jukebox’s search for her mother is heating up, and while I’m mostly looking to see whether this relationship helps her for the better or worse, I hope this isn’t another story that sets Jukebox off by herself.
- Marvin has really come into his own as a valuable piece of the business. His undercover work to disprove Scrappy’s alibi was surprisingly competent. It would be cool if he actually took something away from the anger management classes, though. He could use them.
- Unique is down and out for now, but I have no doubt Worrell’s betrayal will only spur him on further to figure something out. Joey Badass is so damn good in this role, and seeing him having to claw his way back from the bottom should be good.
- Burke is already in hot water at the precinct, and she is 100% going to bite off more than she can chew regarding her investigation into Howard’s shooting, and I have no idea where it will lead. If it came down to it and she found out the truth, what would Howard do?
- RIP Scrappy. You didn’t deserve to go out like that, but at the same time, you were warned about those vices. I’m not sure if there’s anyone out there to avenge your death, but someone will miss you!
Two hours into the new season, and we already have our first major death. They did not come to play with us this season, and I love it.
Drop me a line below and let me know what you think about Scrappy’s murder and where you feel things go next for Howard and Kanan. Make sure you watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan online right now, so you’re all caught up!
Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
