Tommy Egan is back, and it’s like he never left.
It’s been far too long since we’ve seen Chicago and been absorbed in the drug dealing, violent underworld we came to know so well many months ago. And this was a hiatus you could feel, as it felt like the first season ended so long ago.
But Power Book IV: Force Season 2 Episode 1 has finally arrived and set us up for another intoxicating season, with Tommy on a mission, lines drawn in the sand, and various titillating storylines to start the season the right way. You can tell this one is about to be special.
Jumping right into the action, the series decided against a meaningful time jump here, which was for the best, with so many storylines to branch off from after the events of Power Book IV: Force Season 1 Episode 10.
Emotions were still high, and they tapped directly into those without that layer of time involved, which would have inevitably dulled many of these character’s drive and emotional instability.
Tommy was understandably still torn up about Liliana, and while we’ve seen Tommy after he’s lost someone, this one hits differently because of the relationship he and Liliana shared. Thiers was not a romantic union or some long-standing relationship since childhood that had seen various triumphs and betrayals.
Liliana came along at a time in Tommy’s life when he was truly alone, with no backup and no one to rely on. He came to trust Liliana in a way he doesn’t allow himself to, and they built their dynamic upon protecting each other and working together.
Man, don’t make no moves while you still heated. We can think about this, and then we can make a move.
Diamond [to Tommy]
It was as pure as a drug dealing connection can be, and her death certainly hurt him as they never got to finish what they started.
To know Tommy is to know that the man has never been about being the bigger person. If revenge is an option, he will take it nine times out of ten and not hesitate.
He’s more than ready to go after the Flynns, but it seems like this will be a season-long mission to right the Liliana wrong, which makes a lot of sense because Tommy versus the Flynns was already such a massive part of Power Book IV: Force Season 1, and it’s not something we need to see in bulk throughout this new season.
There will always be a rivalry, but I can appreciate how the premiere puts them on different paths for now, with the certainty that they will meet again one day to settle the score.
While avenging Liliana’s death was a priority, making money and expanding his influence and power was also at the forefront of Tommy’s mind, and doing so alongside Diamond was his best play.
Diamond’s not exactly in the best of positions, with CBI so fractured, but he had soldiers and a connection, and Tommy immediately had a plan.
It’s easy to make the Tommy/Ghost and Tommy/Diamond comparisons for obvious reasons, but Diamond could not be more different from Ghost. And his dynamic with Tommy is undoubtedly different.
Tommy and Diamond both have goals in mind, and they’re both intelligent, strong men, but they’re in different places in their lives and don’t approach business the same way. And for those reasons, they never quite seem to be on the same page.
And that’s okay for now, but it’s hard to foresee their partnership remaining amicable if they cannot agree on many basic things.
Tommy has never been a patient man, as evidenced by his waiting a whole three days to try to kill Flynn and immediately wanting to meet the connect, even though Diamond warned him it wasn’t a good idea.
While the Flynns, and by extension the Serbs, were the big bads in the first season, they’re expanding the villainy here, which is good. The more villains, the better, in my book, if you can tell the stories in a way that gives them a sense of urgency and believability.
And by history, all the Power series have excelled at that.
Walter, Vic, and Claudia have already been established. Now we’re getting full-blown Jenard villain-adjacent hi-jinks and the introduction of Miguel Garcia, whom we met as he was torturing a man in his warehouse/makeshift apartment.
Allowing us to meet Miguel through Jenard’s anxious eyes had the intended effect of setting him up to be a menacing figure, especially because the other time spent with him throughout the hour sort of diminishes that initial impression.
But he’s still presented as a problem, someone standing in the way of what Tommy ultimately wants: complete control of Chicago.
Again, though, there seemed to be that disconnect between him and Diamond about their ambitions, and I can understand where Diamond would be less willing to rush into situations because he just came out of a lengthy prison bid and isn’t eager to get back.
But the idea of being “the guys” has to be appealing, especially for Diamond, who may act like his falling out with Jenard doesn’t mean much, but deep down, it has to hurt.
Diamond suddenly being the one controlling whether or not Jenard can thrive on the streets of Chicago? That would be hard to turn down.
Now, if Tommy legitimately wants to get the Serbs and Miguel out of the way, he’d probably want to get them to take each other out so he can then step in, but I’m not sure how realistic that would be. And it’s surely something others have tried before, right?
Or maybe he uses Mireya in some way, though, Tommy seemed more much like a smitten man than one trying to run a scam.
Tommy was, at the very least, intrigued by Mireya before he even knew who she was, and the more she pushed back at him, the more interested he became.
Tommy’s love life has been well-documented over the years, and he’s been wildly unlucky. He is so unlucky that it wouldn’t be crazy to think he’d forgo any meaningful romantic bond with someone, considering his history and the business he engages in.
He’s very aware of the collateral damage that comes with his lifestyle, but with Mireya being Miguel’s sister, he may be thinking she’s already got herself involved in the world and the threats it presents, whether he’s in the picture or not.
Mireya isn’t exactly breaking the mold as far as characters go. She’s the relative who wants nothing to do with the family business but doesn’t separate herself from the family. She takes the bus and works at the local hospital, but she still frequents the place where her brother tortures people to grab her dinner to-go.
She also makes a point to reiterate that she doesn’t mess around with people who do business with her brother. And I think she protests a little too much.
Joseph Sikora has chemistry with everyone, and there was a certain spark between Tommy and Mireya, especially during their first meeting. Tommy’s confidence makes his flirting skills top-notch but also wildly hilarious because you can never tell how things will go for him.
Mireya doesn’t fall for his charms easily, and she’s got a boo at work, so she’s currently taken, but I’m giving this slow-burn until midseason before they’re officially a top-secret item holed up in Tommy’s loft, whispering sweet nothings about how Tommy can take over the drug landscape.
But if they cross that line, what will it mean for Tommy’s end goals regarding her brother?
Another person making a love connection this season is Jenard.
Jenard was a BIG player during this opening hour, and it’s clear he will have his hand in many different pots. He’s desperately grasping for control and throwing around his weight when it concerns his half of CBI but shrinking under the pressure everywhere else.
But one thing about Jenard is that he knows what he’s up against and is not dumb. He went to Claudia because, with her backing, he knew they could compete with anything Tommy and Diamond came up with.
Plus, the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that.
Maybe Claudia will come crawling back now that she’s all on her own, and if she does, that will be a win for Jenard, who couldn’t stop talking L’s during this hour if he tried.
His only win came in the form of Shanti, who seemed to be VERY into Jenard. There’s a history there, but what it is and why she feels such a fierce loyalty to him is unclear in their few interactions.
What is clear is that he’ll need all the allies he can get because he’s accumulating enemies like infinity stones.
Side note: I knew the poor guy was a dead man the second he poached Chewy.
Diamond, Tommy, and Jenard were in the beginning stages of a complete divide, and the second people picked a side, they were expected to be beholden to it.
Plus, Chewy had some information, albeit not much, but he had at least some insider information to run back Jenard. And Tommy wasn’t going to have that.
Power Book IV: Force Season 1 never shied away from Tommy’s brutality. However, something about this explosive premiere reestablished just who the hell Tommy Egan is and why he’s never someone to take lightly.
You can crack jokes, call him names, and do whatever you like. But Tommy’s been getting the last laugh for almost a decade now, and he’s only getting stronger.
Everything Else You Need To Know
- I forgot Adrienne existed, but I’m a big fan of just simply wrapping up the Diamond romance with a quick text message and zero follow-up.
- The Power Universe LOVES a task force! I’m still unsure what to make of Stacy yet, but I’m confident she can’t be worse than any of the other district attorneys we’ve met through the years.
- Vic is spiraling quickly, but if he thinks he will go all rogue and make noise, he is sorely mistaken. He doesn’t have any of the connections like his father, and his business acumen is lacking. But I understand why he split from Claudia, who can very much be a mini-Walter.
- Why do I have a feeling Walter will get himself into a war with Dublin and then somehow need Tommy’s help to get out of it?
- RIP Doc! You deserved much better than that bullet to the head from an unhinged Flynn sibling. And RIP, Dahlia. I shall miss those overdramatic closeups every time someone took that first hit.
- Tommy giving JP his own bar was a lovely moment, and all the family moments this hour were cute, but I hope they find a way to incorporate JP and D-Mac into more of the pressing storylines.
- Kate no longer on drugs and trying to be a good grandmother? I’m as surprised as Tommy.
- Bringing social media into the drug game is giving Tariq and Brayden, and I’m here for it.
- Words can’t describe how much I missed Power in general, especially this slice of the universe. They’ve created a rich world in Chicago to surround one of the greatest TV characters of all time, Tommy Egan.
The sky is the limit this season, and they’re ready to soar!
Drop me a line in the comments and let me know what you thought about the Power Book IV: Force Season 2 premiere and what you hope to see moving forward!
I’ll be here weekly to break it down with you! And remember, you can watch Power Book IV: Force online anytime via TV Fanatic!
Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.
